--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He was, as Billy Name said in the…" description: "\"He was, as Billy Name said in the acclaimed Ric Burns documentary about Andy Warhol, uninterested in being a second-tier artist. He was uninterested in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/bob-colacello-23284_andy-warhol_he-was-as-billy-name-said-in-the-acclaim_3124257.jpg" --- # He was, as Billy Name said in the acclaimed Ric Burns… ![“He was, as Billy Name said in the acclaimed Ric Burns documentary about Andy Warhol, uninterested in being a second-tier artist. He was uninterested in being a first-tier artist! He wanted to be, you know, a god. Someone who completely changed the...he wanted to be Zeus with the lightning bolt and…” quote by Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/bob-colacello-23284_andy-warhol_he-was-as-billy-name-said-in-the-acclaim_3124257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/bob-colacello-23284_andy-warhol_he-was-as-billy-name-said-in-the-acclaim_3124257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/bob-colacello-23284_andy-warhol_he-was-as-billy-name-said-in-the-acclaim_3124257.jpg) > “He was, as Billy Name said in the acclaimed Ric Burns documentary about Andy Warhol, uninterested in being a second-tier artist. He was uninterested in being a first-tier artist! He wanted to be, you know, a god. Someone who completely changed the...he wanted to be Zeus with the lightning bolt and nothing less would have satisfied him.” [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warhol desired god‑like status, rejecting ordinary artistic tiers. **In simple terms:** He sought ultimate creative power. Key Takeaway Pursue bold, transformative ambition. Themes art ambition identity godhood creativity Mood intense ambitious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - branding - artistic legacy - public persona - media strategy Key Concepts self‑mythologizing cultural impact celebrity Questions to Reflect On - What does “god‑like” mean to you? - How can ambition stay grounded? A Different Perspective Such extreme ambition can alienate collaborators. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning/) [Lightning bolts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning-bolts/) [Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warhol/) [Zeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeus/) ## Related quotes > [What was exciting to me in talking to Kogonada was I was just very convinced that he was a very real and pure artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/what-was-exciting-to-me-in-talking-to-kogonada-was-i-was-just-very/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [Cudi should be a top tier artist... I think he fathered a lot of the style of music. He's a good influence and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-scott/cudi-should-be-a-top-tier-artist-i-think-he-fathered-a-lot-of-the/) [Travis Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-scott/) > [That was the real secret of the Tarahumara: they'd never forgotten what it felt like to love running. They remembered that running was mankind's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/that-was-the-real-secret-of-the-tarahumara-they-d-never-forgotten/) [Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/) > [How long has it been since you wrote a story where your real love or your real hatred somehow got onto the paper? When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/how-long-has-it-been-since-you-wrote-a-story-where-your-real-love-or/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Martin Luther King's 1963 'I have a dream' speech was a thrilling milestone in the civil rights movement, so enduring that we tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-j-williams/martin-luther-king-s-1963-i-have-a-dream-speech-was-a-thrilling/) [Patricia J. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-j-williams/) > [What we were trying to do was take the notion of Greek tragedy, of fated and doomed people, and instead of these Olympian gods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/what-we-were-trying-to-do-was-take-the-notion-of-greek-tragedy-of/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [Loving is a journey with water and with stars, with smothered air and abrupt storms of flour: loving is a clash of lightning-bolts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/loving-is-a-journey-with-water-and-with-stars-with-smothered-air-and/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“What could I do? I was afraid he'd point at me and say 'Him!,' and then lightning bolts would hit me or something" -Chong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/what-could-i-do-i-was-afraid-he-d-point-at-me-and-say-him-and-then/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [“Lightning bolts went off in my head,” according to Jobs. “I remember running into the house, crying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/lightning-bolts-went-off-in-my-head-according-to-jobs-i-remember/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“In fact, if you are faced with the prospect of running across an open field in which lightning bolts are going to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fact-if-you-are-faced-with-the-prospect-of-running-across-an-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The music was thunder and joy. Lightning bolts of happiness and praise, foot-stomping, dance-shouting, good-feeling singing from the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etta-james/the-music-was-thunder-and-joy-lightning-bolts-of-happiness-and-praise/) [Etta James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etta-james/) > [Venues are all the same, all feel the same, these generic blank spaces. I like artists like Lightning Bolt-bands that go in and kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-oldham/venues-are-all-the-same-all-feel-the-same-these-generic-blank-spaces/) [Will Oldham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-oldham/) > [If God consistently sent lightning bolts in response to bad doctrine, our planet would sparkle nightly like a Christmas tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/if-god-consistently-sent-lightning-bolts-in-response-to-bad-doctrine/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“Although we take this for granted, the cancellation of positive and negative charges is quite remarkable, and has been experimentally checked to 1 part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/although-we-take-this-for-granted-the-cancellation-of-positive-and/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [He has the attention span of a lightning bolt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/he-has-the-attention-span-of-a-lightning-bolt/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) ## More by Bob Colacello > [Envy is a surefire party killer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/envy-is-a-surefire-party-killer/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [I could write an entirely new book about Andy Warhol, but I don't think I will. I certainly don't think Nancy Reagan would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-could-write-an-entirely-new-book-about-andy-warhol-but-i-don-t/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [You can't hang around geniuses forever because they end up taking everything you've got. That's why they're the genius and you're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/you-can-t-hang-around-geniuses-forever-because-they-end-up-taking/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [I took photos from 1976 to when I left in 1993, primarily for Interview and a column I had called "Bob Colacello's Out" which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-took-photos-from-1976-to-when-i-left-in-1993-primarily-for/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [The funny thing about me is I'm kind of schizophrenic, because after four or five nights in a row of going out to parties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/the-funny-thing-about-me-is-i-m-kind-of-schizophrenic-because-after/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [It's been so long now and so much has happened that I am able now to look back with much less emotion and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/it-s-been-so-long-now-and-so-much-has-happened-that-i-am-able-now-to/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [I mean when the book first came out it was not a bestseller, but it got good reviews and at that point I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-mean-when-the-book-first-came-out-it-was-not-a-bestseller-but-it/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [What often seemed like meanness or coldness was really fear of emotions and intimacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/what-often-seemed-like-meanness-or-coldness-was-really-fear-of/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [ He \[Andy warhol\] went out every evening to five or six parties with a tape recorder in one pocket and a camera with extra… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/he-andy-warhol-went-out-every-evening-to-five-or-six-parties-with-a/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [Well, it wasn't really a decision on my part although you always hope as an author that a book that goes out of print…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/well-it-wasn-t-really-a-decision-on-my-part-although-you-always-hope/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [“Why do you kids say you’re experimenting with drugs? You’re experimenting with ill health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/why-do-you-kids-say-you-re-experimenting-with-drugs-you-re/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [ He \[Andy Warhol\] engaged people and I think all of that is what helped keep him keyed in to the times beyond all of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/he-andy-warhol-engaged-people-and-i-think-all-of-that-is-what-helped/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [Very few people actually saw Andy's films like Chelsea Girls where he filmed seven hours, ran it on two screens, where each scene was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/very-few-people-actually-saw-andy-s-films-like-chelsea-girls-where-he/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [ I don't think he'd \[Andy Warhol\] be that amazed because he was so driven to be the Picasso of the second half of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-don-t-think-he-d-andy-warhol-be-that-amazed-because-he-was-so/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [Diana Vreeland was "the Empress," the avatar of the age. An old name or old money were not enough to get you into Studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/diana-vreeland-was-the-empress-the-avatar-of-the-age-an-old-name-or/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) [Explore all 26 Bob Colacello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) ## More Andy warhol quotes > [I've always had the idea that multi-millionaire rock stars should work harder than anyone because they have the ability to do it. Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-osborne/i-ve-always-had-the-idea-that-multi-millionaire-rock-stars-should/) [Buzz Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-osborne/) > [I worked as an artist, played in a band, met Andy Warhol, Christo, Lou Reed, and David Byrne. I had fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-jepsen/i-worked-as-an-artist-played-in-a-band-met-andy-warhol-christo-lou/) [Mary Lou Jepsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-jepsen/) > [When I was with Andy Warhol, I thought, 'God, his wig looks cheaper than mine!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/when-i-was-with-andy-warhol-i-thought-god-his-wig-looks-cheaper-than/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I could write an entirely new book about Andy Warhol, but I don't think I will. I certainly don't think Nancy Reagan would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-could-write-an-entirely-new-book-about-andy-warhol-but-i-don-t/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [“Interviewer: “Andy do you feel that the public has insulted your art?” Andy Warhol: “Uh no.” I: “Why not?” AW: “Uh well I hadn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/interviewer-andy-do-you-feel-that-the-public-has-insulted-your-art/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I took photos from 1976 to when I left in 1993, primarily for Interview and a column I had called "Bob Colacello's Out" which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/i-took-photos-from-1976-to-when-i-left-in-1993-primarily-for/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [I went to the big Picasso retrospective at the Tate in the sixties, and I think I went to an Andy Warhol retrospective at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-faithfull/i-went-to-the-big-picasso-retrospective-at-the-tate-in-the-sixties/) [Marianne Faithfull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-faithfull/) > [Andy Warhol says everyone will be famous for 15 minutes in the future, but even he couldn't have imagine today's fame is due to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-kaufman/andy-warhol-says-everyone-will-be-famous-for-15-minutes-in-the-future/) [Steve Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-kaufman/) > [“Business art is the step that comes after art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/business-art-is-the-step-that-comes-after-art-i-started-as-a/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [“There is no such thing as notoriety in the United States these days, let alone infamy. Celebrity is all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-is-no-such-thing-as-notoriety-in-the-united-states-these-days/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [If you're trying to work the art game, if you're like Andy Warhol or something, then you're in with cake-eaters of society. You want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/if-you-re-trying-to-work-the-art-game-if-you-re-like-andy-warhol-or/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [Andy Warhol is the only genius I've ever known with an I.Q. of 60.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/andy-warhol-is-the-only-genius-i-ve-ever-known-with-an-i-q-of-60/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [ My work doesn't have the same rules as, say, Andy \[Warhol\]'s work. But it's gathered together for the simple reason that we all worked… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claes-oldenburg/my-work-doesn-t-have-the-same-rules-as-say-andy-warhol-s-work-but-it/) [Claes Oldenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claes-oldenburg/) > [I have done only two portraits: one of the artist Francesco Clemente and another of Andy Warhol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-michel-basquiat/i-have-done-only-two-portraits-one-of-the-artist-francesco-clemente/) [Jean-Michel Basquiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-michel-basquiat/) > [Even Andy Warhol had a copy of '666.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demis-roussos/even-andy-warhol-had-a-copy-of-666/) [Demis Roussos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demis-roussos/) Browse all 76 Andy warhol quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He was, as Billy Name said in the acclaimed Ric Burns documentary about Andy Warhol, uninterested in being a second-tier artist. 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