Don't let me get grand with you; I'm not someone who was, from day one, turning himself into a philosophical academic or anything; I was, from day one, someone who was determined to survive, and to pay attention to what was going on around him, period, and when Elvis Presley came along, my heart stood still, to borrow the Larry Hart lyric. The first note I heard from him, I said, Well, this is it, this is a sufferer like me, this is something new, this is what I want, this is who I am, in a way, and Elvis had that gift. That's why there are so many Elvis imitators.

My Pilgrim's Progress (1999)