17 Quotes by Quint Davis

People were afraid to come to New Orleans, and we needed a beacon.

I have 2,000 gospel singers and 35 Mardi Gras Indian tribes. You can't just call an agent and order them up.

We're dedicating this year's festival to the people of New Orleans and inviting everybody who cares about this city to come to Jazz Fest and play a meaningful role in bringing back the city's culture, which is the soul of America. Jazz Fest 2006 will be a homecoming party for thousands of New Orleans musicians, Festival chefs and craftspeople, and we want the world to join us in welcoming them back as we present the celebration of a lifetime.

We had a lot of rooms blocked for months.

At that time, 1970, not many white people had seen black gospel in its full glory. Gospel was not common at blues festivals or jazz festivals. So, you know, we got on kind of a mission there to bring gospel on down to the front of the bus, as we called it.

It was touch and go for most of the time. If Shell and our other sponsors had not come through, it would not have been possible. It would have just been too much.

A full-fledged Jazz Fest will generate an average of $200 million for the state of Louisiana and the city.

The money being used to build these homes for New Orleans musicians was raised by New Orleans musicians. Our pact with them was to help New Orleans' musical community.

Anybody who comes to this year's festival will bear witness to the healing power of music.