Rickey Medlocke

All I can say is we love what we do, and the audience is still there for us. I think what's given us such longevity is that our music may not be fancy, but it touches a nerve with the average Joe.

We're a working-people's band, and we love America and what she stands for. Also, we love doing shows, whether it's a huge amphitheater or a corn dog fest. We don't care.

That's what I'd rather be doing more than anything. I love to play and perform and write, record, do whatever - just stay in music.

My old man Shorty was a huge figure in my musical life.

I don't want to use my platform to speak out against anybody. I'm a rock and roller. I play music for a living.

It's funny: here I am, a guy who plays in one of the world's biggest classic-rock bands, and to tell you the truth, I listen to classic rock the least.

I'm Native American, so the racial thing kind of hits home with me.

Next time you go get bin Laden, don't call it Operation Geronimo, and if anyone wants to stand toe-to-toe with me and talk about it, I'm open, brother.

If you really stop to think about it, the last really big guitar hero was Eddie Van Halen, and that was back in the '80s - early '80s, you know what I mean? That's a long time ago.

You've just gotta go in and write from the heart and write the best material that you can and put it out. If one hits, hey, great. It keeps the legacy going. But you've gotta keep doing new material. It's the future of any band.