Timothy B. Schmit

“One of the important things when you're making a record or doing a performance is the sequence of the songs. It really matters a lot because you want your project, your show, or your albums to sort of have a life.”

“I have an interest in Native American artifacts, mainly Plains Indians from the 1840s to the 1900s, and I go in and out of that. I get really into it, and then I put it down, but it's surrounding me.”

“I'm a fan of all music, and probably my first - well, not the very first music I listened to, but back in the late fifties, when I first started hearing rock & roll, it was definitely tinged with doo wop and also Elvis and all those great songs.”

“Working solo means you don't have to account for anybody else. You do it yourself, so you're not trying to please others as well as yourself; you're just trying to do the best you can.”

“Jazz doesn't have much to do with how I write songs, but I am a big fan. My favorites are Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, and Mose Allison.”

“There is a song called 'I Refuse,' and I get a bit scolding, I suppose, in a way. But it all comes back to elements of hope, and in the case of that song, it's basically, 'Okay, you're trying to suck me into this world of negativity, and I'm not going to go there. I'm going to live my own life.'”

“I've had a lot of people pass away in my life. I guess it's all a matter of how you deal with your mortality - and recognizing that you are mortal. I'm trying to see what a gift life is and how quickly it can be extinguished, without any warning.”

“I got to see The Beatles a couple of times. In fact, I saw their last performance ever in San Francisco. The Beatles were massive to me - I learned so much from them.”

“I write songs; I record them. When I get enough, and it seems like a coherent piece, I call it an album.”

“Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs there is. It's one of the greatest things, too, but it's also probably the hardest thing anybody ever does.”

“Music's always been a big part of my life. Because of my father, I was always surrounded by music and musicians, and in school, I was in the chorus, and I played various instruments.”

“I do not run my band like The Eagles, for sure. I've never had to be heavy handed.”

“I try to live in a state of being grateful as much as possible. I'm not always successful.”

“Although I was writing songs when I was younger, I didn't feel I had much of a clue as to what I was doing or how I was doing it. There are a few songs from my past where I thought, 'Well, that's pretty decent,' but I didn't have a discipline. I suppose I'm kind of a late bloomer.”

“It seems like people are just dropping off the Earth. I suppose that happens when you get older. It's part of life. No one's getting out of it.”

“We all go through different mood changes. I'm just a person; I've got all those emotions going like everybody else, and sometimes it gets the better of you.”

“It took me a while to get an electric guitar and a bass and amps and stuff. Playing the acoustic guitar was much easier and more affordable. But I was always listening to the radio and was interested in all the rock and pop music.”

“I just want to keep going as long as I can. I'm getting older, and I want to keep growing, and I feel pretty excited about what I do. Whether it's true or not, I believe I'm doing better as a writer, which is really nice.”