I sign a lot of autographs and take a lot of pictures. That's why I've always got to keep my hair done now.
I thought about that the other day after I went to the grocery store and had to sign fifteen autographs before leaving. On one hand, it's just so flattering. On the other hand, sometimes it would be nice to get the bread and leave, you know?
I wanted to be the perfect artist. I'd do three hours of media interviews a day, going to every radio station I could squeeze in. I'd sign autographs after the show until everybody left.
When mom and dad were at the height of their careers, and things were super-crazy, and they couldn't leave their houses, there wasn't social media. It was all about autographs. Now, everyone's the press. I feel fame is perforated: it can be glorious, but it can completely destroy a human, too.
There was a shop in Birmingham called Autographs, where I'm from in Birmingham. My uncles and dad used to shop there. They played professionally, too. When I started, I went to Autograph, and they had brands like Rick Owens. There are loads of brands, like my go-to brands that I will go to if I want to buy jeans, like DSquared or Balmain.
When I was living on the street I would be standing out in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater, leaning against my car and signing autographs and nobody had any idea that I was living in it.
If I had the hand strength to sign autographs for everybody in Kansas City, I would... but its just impossible to get to everyone.
Groupies to me, were people who followed you around. Familiar faces who were always there, asking for autographs. We have more of those now, but they're not sexual.
I learned a lot from observing Wayne at the Rogers Cup. He was offered a cart across the grounds, but he wouldn't take it; he walked and stopped and signed autographs for people, and I thought that was amazing.
I try to sign for as many kids as possible. Kids come first, and I'll always sign for a kid before an adult. It's funny, because I was never big into autographs as a kid. The only player who I ever wanted an autograph from was Dave Winfield.
