--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went out on the road when I was 12…" description: "\"I went out on the road when I was 12 years old, playing with the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers. That was the summer of 1972. We played Pentecostal chu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a13/marty-stuart-4580_family_i-went-out-on-the-road-when-i-was-12-yea_1535212.png" --- # I went out on the road when I was 12 years old, playing… ![“I went out on the road when I was 12 years old, playing with the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers. That was the summer of 1972. We played Pentecostal churches, camp meetings, George Wallace campaign rallies and bluegrass festivals. As a kid, I had grown up watching quartets that were very…” quote by Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a13/marty-stuart-4580_family_i-went-out-on-the-road-when-i-was-12-yea_1535212.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a13/marty-stuart-4580_family_i-went-out-on-the-road-when-i-was-12-yea_1535212.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a13/marty-stuart-4580_family_i-went-out-on-the-road-when-i-was-12-yea_1535212.png) > “I went out on the road when I was 12 years old, playing with the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers. That was the summer of 1972. We played Pentecostal churches, camp meetings, George Wallace campaign rallies and bluegrass festivals. As a kid, I had grown up watching quartets that were very entertaining.” [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child musician traveled widely, performing in diverse venues from churches to political rallies, shaping his musical roots. **In simple terms:** He played many types of shows as a kid, influencing his style. Key Takeaway Embrace varied experiences to enrich your craft. Themes music heritage growth Mood reflective nostalgic Type biographical inspirational When to use this quote - touring as a youth - learning from different audiences - building versatility Key Concepts cultural immersion musical diversity Questions to Reflect On - How did those varied audiences shape your identity? - What lessons can be drawn from performing in politically charged settings? A Different Perspective The narrative glosses over the political implications of performing at controversial rallies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) ## Related quotes > [Well, the first band was at nine, and I was on the road when I was 12 with the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/well-the-first-band-was-at-nine-and-i-was-on-the-road-when-i-was-12/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I love playing O'Sullivan. It is a bit of a role reversal from when I used to play Alex Higgins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/i-love-playing-o-sullivan-it-is-a-bit-of-a-role-reversal-from-when-i/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [“The Sullivan family motto: Why Be Serious When You Can Be Sarcastic?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/the-sullivan-family-motto-why-be-serious-when-you-can-be-sarcastic/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [People like Sam Cooke, maybe you get turned on to first, and then all of a sudden you realize that there are all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-tedeschi/people-like-sam-cooke-maybe-you-get-turned-on-to-first-and-then-all/) [Susan Tedeschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-tedeschi/) > [I feel like I did a lot to open the doors for people like Amy Grant and other gospel singers who want to sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-j-thomas/i-feel-like-i-did-a-lot-to-open-the-doors-for-people-like-amy-grant/) [B. J. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-j-thomas/) > [The falsetto stuff, it must be a reaction to the black gospel singers that I really enjoy listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-vernon/the-falsetto-stuff-it-must-be-a-reaction-to-the-black-gospel-singers/) [Justin Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-vernon/) > [When I listen to gospel singers pouring their heart out to God, it's the act of pouring their hearts out that interests me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/when-i-listen-to-gospel-singers-pouring-their-heart-out-to-god-it-s/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) > [Yes, I heard my people singing!-in the glow of parlor coal-stove and on summer porches sweet with lilac air, from choir loft and Sunday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-robeson/yes-i-heard-my-people-singing-in-the-glow-of-parlor-coal-stove-and-on/) [Paul Robeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-robeson/) > [My mentor was Clara Ward of the famous Ward gospel singers of Philadelphia. And my dad was my coach. He coached me. And just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aretha-franklin/my-mentor-was-clara-ward-of-the-famous-ward-gospel-singers-of/) [Aretha Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aretha-franklin/) > [Coming out of the anti - coming out of the Republican heritage of Abraham Lincoln, Frank Johnson could see it more clearly than Alabamians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/coming-out-of-the-anti-coming-out-of-the-republican-heritage-of/) [Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/) > [The George Wallace campaign in 1968 was the model for the Trump campaign in 2016.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/the-george-wallace-campaign-in-1968-was-the-model-for-the-trump/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [A man I admire and respect - Congressman John Lewis, an American hero, made allegations that Sarah Palin and I were somehow associated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/a-man-i-admire-and-respect-congressman-john-lewis-an-american-hero/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Now I start my diary of my personal plot to kill by pistol either Richard Nixon or George Wallace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bremer/now-i-start-my-diary-of-my-personal-plot-to-kill-by-pistol-either/) Arthur Bremer > [“Actual class struggles apart, one of the aesthetic ways you could prove that there was a class system in America was by cogitating on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/actual-class-struggles-apart-one-of-the-aesthetic-ways-you-could/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“I’m not sure I’m going to like Don Mincher. I keep hearing that big southern accent of his. It’s prejudice, I know, but every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bouton/i-m-not-sure-i-m-going-to-like-don-mincher-i-keep-hearing-that-big/) [Jim Bouton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bouton/) ## More by Marty Stuart > [Today the most outlaw thing you can possibly do in Nashville, Tennessee, is play country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/today-the-most-outlaw-thing-you-can-possibly-do-in-nashville/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [To me, all music that is made under the umbrella of the United States of America is Americana music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/to-me-all-music-that-is-made-under-the-umbrella-of-the-united-states/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I'm always on the prowl for the kinds of recordings that can inspire and potentially make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-m-always-on-the-prowl-for-the-kinds-of-recordings-that-can-inspire/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I saw footage of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley just hanging out together in Memphis when they were young guys getting started at Sun,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-saw-footage-of-johnny-cash-and-elvis-presley-just-hanging-out/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [There's every other guitar player and then there's Chet. He transcended musical boundaries for more than fifty years. God only lays Chet Atkins on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/there-s-every-other-guitar-player-and-then-there-s-chet-he/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I wish I could have been in the control room at Capitol Studio A listening to the playback of 'Wichita Lineman' the first time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-wish-i-could-have-been-in-the-control-room-at-capitol-studio-a/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [Well, I've always said that country music has always shared a very unique relationship with gospel music - the hooting and hollering, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/well-i-ve-always-said-that-country-music-has-always-shared-a-very/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [Where better than the church for people like me, George Jones and Johnny Cash to go to get ourselves in shape enough to sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/where-better-than-the-church-for-people-like-me-george-jones-and/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [There are two kinds of people, there's those who like Johnny Cash, and those that will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-there-s-those-who-like-johnny-cash-and/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I don't have many regrets in my life. But I have one. I would have stayed sober all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-don-t-have-many-regrets-in-my-life-but-i-have-one-i-would-have/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [Nobody in my school knew who Bill Monroe was, or Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and barely Johnny Cash. Nobody spoke that language. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/nobody-in-my-school-knew-who-bill-monroe-was-or-lester-flatt-and-earl/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I can't remember when I didn't have an instrument around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-can-t-remember-when-i-didn-t-have-an-instrument-around/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I've been promoting the idea of a Jimmie Rodgers documentary for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-ve-been-promoting-the-idea-of-a-jimmie-rodgers-documentary-for-years/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [Well, I was dedicated to God before I was born by Momma and Daddy, and I was raised in a very traditional Southern Baptist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/well-i-was-dedicated-to-god-before-i-was-born-by-momma-and-daddy-and/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I loved the Rolling Stones. I heard a little bit of country music creeping around the edges of some of their songs. Being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/i-loved-the-rolling-stones-i-heard-a-little-bit-of-country-music/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) [Explore all 109 Marty Stuart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. 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"But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I went out on the road when I was 12 years old, playing with the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers. 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