"You have to respect your audience. Without them, you're essentially standing alone, singing to yourself."

"My public image is so low-key, but I get to travel the world and still have an audience and it's really amazing. I don't take that for granted."

"Spend time reflecting on your emotional and physical existence and how that applies to the voice. You have to apply that wisdom and experience when you sing - it's what comes through."

"When women make their image about youth and sexuality, and not about intellect, that's kind of a dead-end road. So I think it's a combination of self-entrapment and entrapment by society."

"Tommie Aaron taught me how to have a good attitude, to be easy going and not get uptight."

"I have a notebook that is filled to the brim with my dreams and ideas and goals and aspirations."

"I would have answered your letter sooner, but you didn't send one."

"I don't know what's going to happen. I'm flavor of the month at the moment, but somebody else is going to roll around the corner in three months' time. I just want to keep working. I can't stop!"