Shawn Amos

“Protest is patriotic. Since the beginning of musical time, American singers and songwriters have used their talent and bully pulpits to show us America's strengths and shortcomings.”

“Technology has the benefit of being easily scalable. A few weeks or months of coding can result in solutions that reap huge benefits. The global success of Facebook, Twitter, and Google are all triumphs of technology.”

“Black people cannot look to government to solve their problems.”

“The Woodstock dove on the iconic poster is really a catbird. And it was originally perched on a flute.”

“Leave a movie audience inspired, and they will want to ingrain that movie into their lives with the toys, branded food products, soundtracks, and clothing they buy.”

“Music and philanthropy have a long, benevolent relationship with one another. Record bins are rife with charity singles, and concert history is filled with benefit shows for every imaginable cause. Musicians like to give back.”

“Every single tune you know from the 1940s until the 1970s was written, arranged, and demoed in the Brill Building. OK, maybe not every song, but writers from Benny Goodman to Lieber & Stoller to Neil Diamond all kept offices there.”

“There was a time when a musician was forced to act in a video. Seeing a singer step too far outside of his comfort zone to pour all of his high-school-drama angst into a poorly scripted scenario was a sight to behold.”

“Google+ will never have a user base to rival Facebook's. It just won't. Not even if you include the 'users' who create accounts so that they can use other Google services.”

“Blues became rock, rock became soul, and all of it was colorblind.”

“Throughout the '50s, tons of unknown locals came through Sun to record their demos. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis all made their first recordings at the former Memphis Recording Service.”

“There is a difference between a hand out and a help up. Brothers need to help brothers. They don't do it enough.”

“The Dolls were the forefathers of glam. You never knew if they were going to kiss you or punch you. More than likely, they'd do both.”

“From chain gangs to folk songs to intelligent soul, America has created musicians dedicated to truth, justice, and a better American Way.”

“When I was growing up in L.A. in the late '70s and early '80s, Michael Jackson's was the first face on TV that looked like mine.”

“Long before Wesley Snipes decided he didn't need to pay the IRS, Willie Nelson was dodging the tax men.”

“The combination of cheaper and more widespread broadband and increased mobile usage is turning us all into independent viewers.”

“When I started Amos Content Group in 2009, I made a simple bet: our handmade, contextual, and authentic content will stand out in an increasingly information-saturated world.”

“At the height of his popularity in 1977, Cat Stevens converted to Islam and dedicated his life to educational and philanthropic causes.”

“Woodstock was a business. A very poorly run business.”