--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do…" description: "\"Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to copy...if there hadn't been a Sam Phillips, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg" --- # Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use… ![“Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to copy...if there hadn't been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field.” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg) > “Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to copy...if there hadn't been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field.” [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encourages personal authenticity and drawing from diverse influences while avoiding imitation; credits a mentor for enabling a different life path. **In simple terms:** Be true to yourself, learn from many sources, and avoid copying. Key Takeaway Follow your own path, honor mentors. Themes authenticity influence gratitude Mood reflective grateful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - music career - personal development - overcoming limiting backgrounds Key Concepts self‑expression mentorship creative freedom Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance influence with originality? - What would you do if your mentor were absent? A Different Perspective Mentors alone cannot guarantee success; personal effort matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Copies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) [Copy Hadn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copy-hadn-5127509/) [Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cotton/) [Cotton fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cotton-fields/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [My way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-way/) [Phillips Encouraged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phillips-encouraged-5127508/) [Phillips Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phillips-working-5127507/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Influences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-influences-5127510/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Working Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-cotton-1720789/) ## Related quotes > [African Americans were responsible for creating a lot of this beautiful and elaborate ironwork; we weren't just working in the cotton fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-freelon/african-americans-were-responsible-for-creating-a-lot-of-this/) [Philip Freelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-freelon/) > [“When they get done sending you to Parchman you'll have plenty of time between working cotton and corn you aint going to get no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/when-they-get-done-sending-you-to-parchman-you-ll-have-plenty-of-time/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [My mother told me to keep on singing, and that kept me working through the cotton fields. She said God has his hand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/my-mother-told-me-to-keep-on-singing-and-that-kept-me-working-through/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I was influenced a lot by those around me - there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-was-influenced-a-lot-by-those-around-me-there-was-a-lot-of-singing/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [It may sound a little funny but you didn't make very much money. In them old cotton fields back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lead-belly/it-may-sound-a-little-funny-but-you-didn-t-make-very-much-money-in/) [Lead Belly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lead-belly/) > [When I think about the auto-industry and how it was one of the industries that brought all of these black men from the South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/when-i-think-about-the-auto-industry-and-how-it-was-one-of-the/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I used to work in the cotton fields a lot when I was young. There were a lot of African Americans working out there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-used-to-work-in-the-cotton-fields-a-lot-when-i-was-young-there-were/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madam-c-j-walker/i-am-a-woman-who-came-from-the-cotton-fields-of-the-south-from-there-2/) [Madam C. J. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madam-c-j-walker/) > [Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay, Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away, Gone from the earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-foster/gone-are-the-days-when-my-heart-was-young-and-gay-gone-are-my-friends/) [Stephen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-foster/) > [My childhood home backed onto wheat and cotton fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-laughlin/my-childhood-home-backed-onto-wheat-and-cotton-fields/) [Robert B. Laughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-laughlin/) > [The white American man makes the white American woman maybe not superfluous but just a little kind of decoration. Not really important to turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/the-white-american-man-makes-the-white-american-woman-maybe-not/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I like myself better when I'm writing regularly. ... I was influenced a lot by those around me-there was a lot of singing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/i-like-myself-better-when-i-m-writing-regularly-i-was-influenced-a/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [It was down in Louisiana. Just a mile from. Texarkana In them old cotton fields back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lead-belly/it-was-down-in-louisiana-just-a-mile-from-texarkana-in-them-old/) [Lead Belly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lead-belly/) > [I wish they'd had electric guitars in cotton fields back in the good old days. A whole lot of things would've been straightened out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/i-wish-they-d-had-electric-guitars-in-cotton-fields-back-in-the-good/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [Geoff Muldaur was and is one of my musical heroes. When I listen to him sing and play, I can hear the coal mine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loudon-wainwright-iii/geoff-muldaur-was-and-is-one-of-my-musical-heroes-when-i-listen-to/) [Loudon Wainwright III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loudon-wainwright-iii/) ## More by Johnny Cash > [I read novels but I also read the Bible. And study it, you know? And the more I learn, the more excited I get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-read-novels-but-i-also-read-the-bible-and-study-it-you-know-and-the/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [You're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/you-re-so-heavenly-minded-you-re-no-earthly-good/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/of-emotions-of-love-of-breakup-of-love-and-hate-and-death-and-dying/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Until things are brighter.. I'm the man in black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/until-things-are-brighter-i-m-the-man-in-black/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I'm thankful for a pair of shoes that feel really good on my feet; I like my shoes. I'm thankful for the birds; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-m-thankful-for-a-pair-of-shoes-that-feel-really-good-on-my-feet-i/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I knew I wanted to sing when I was a very small boy. When I was probably 4 years old. My mother played a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-knew-i-wanted-to-sing-when-i-was-a-very-small-boy-when-i-was/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [No matter how much you've sinned, no matter how much you've stumbled, no matter how much you fall, no matter how far you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/no-matter-how-much-you-ve-sinned-no-matter-how-much-you-ve-stumbled/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [ I met Sam Phillips when he came in \[studio\] and I said, I'm John Cash. I'm the one who's been calling. And if you'd… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-met-sam-phillips-when-he-came-in-studio-and-i-said-i-m-john-cash-i/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [My mother told me to keep on singing, and that kept me working through the cotton fields. She said God has his hand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/my-mother-told-me-to-keep-on-singing-and-that-kept-me-working-through/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I started to write the song. And I was in Gladewater, Texas, one night with Carl Perkins and I said, I've got a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-started-to-write-the-song-and-i-was-in-gladewater-texas-one-night/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Don't take voice lessons. Do it your way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/don-t-take-voice-lessons-do-it-your-way/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I expect my life to end pretty soon. You know, I'm 71 years old. I have great faith, though. I have unshakable faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-expect-my-life-to-end-pretty-soon-you-know-i-m-71-years-old-i-have/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [I say I'm not a singer, so that means I can't sing. But - doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-say-i-m-not-a-singer-so-that-means-i-can-t-sing-but-doesn-t-it/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [However, neither he nor anyone else could have become the star Elvis was. Ain't nobody like Elvis. Never was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/however-neither-he-nor-anyone-else-could-have-become-the-star-elvis/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [Everybody was wearing rhinestones, all those sparkly clothes, and cowboy boots. I decided to wear a black shirt and pants and see if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/everybody-was-wearing-rhinestones-all-those-sparkly-clothes-and/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) [Explore all 232 Johnny Cash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) ## More Copies quotes > [every being is unique.god neva creates carbon copies,he alys creates originals.he is truly a creator.he neva repeats.but man goes on living in imitation.we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-being-is-unique-god-neva-creates-carbon-copies-he-alys-creates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My songs are like cheap Neil Young copies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-bachman/my-songs-are-like-cheap-neil-young-copies/) [Randy Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-bachman/) > [In that part of the book of my memory before the which is little that can be read, there is a rubric, saying, Incipit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/in-that-part-of-the-book-of-my-memory-before-the-which-is-little-that/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. When somebody actually picked up a copy, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-seeing-the-national-inquirer-at-the/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [The idea is not to copy nature, but to give a feeling of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-oudolf/the-idea-is-not-to-copy-nature-but-to-give-a-feeling-of-nature/) [Piet Oudolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-oudolf/) > [“When copies are free, you need to sell things that cannot be copied. Well, what can’t be copied? Trust, for instance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/when-copies-are-free-you-need-to-sell-things-that-cannot-be-copied/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/mr-witwould-pray-madam-do-you-pin-up-your-hair-with-all-your-letters/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There have to be at least two copies of a photograph, otherwise it’s not a photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ruff/there-have-to-be-at-least-two-copies-of-a-photograph-otherwise-it-s/) [Thomas Ruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ruff/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Guys like Todd Bridges never overcame being a child star. You can't have any big failures. I've always felt regular. I played organized ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/guys-like-todd-bridges-never-overcame-being-a-child-star-you-can-t/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [It was only after I had been out of the art school that I actually copied a small Seurat, and I copied it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-riley/it-was-only-after-i-had-been-out-of-the-art-school-that-i-actually/) [Bridget Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-riley/) > [We call ourselves creators and we just copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/we-call-ourselves-creators-and-we-just-copy/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [People have one of two extreme reactions to my book. They either throw it across the room, or they rush out and buy 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/people-have-one-of-two-extreme-reactions-to-my-book-they-either-throw/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [A presentation copy...is a copy of a book whoch does not sell, sent you by the author, with his foolish autograph at the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/a-presentation-copy-is-a-copy-of-a-book-whoch-does-not-sell-sent-you/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) [Browse all 971 Copies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to copy...if there hadn't been a Sam Phillips, I might still be working in a cotton field.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Johnny Cash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do-it-my-way-to-use-whatever/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Copies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do-it-my-way-to-use-whatever/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00a/johnny-cash-1517_copies_sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do_637955.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sam Phillips always encouraged me to do it my way, to use whatever other influences I wanted, but never to…” — Johnny Cash", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Johnny Cash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sam Phillips always encouraged me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do-it-my-way-to-use-whatever/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/sam-phillips-always-encouraged-me-to-do-it-my-way-to-use-whatever/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```