Most artists are notoriously insecure, and I fall into that category.

As soon as you get off stage, that's the most dangerous time for a singer to kiss people because your vocal chords are receptive to any kind of germ.

When you're away for a long time, tastes change, fans move on. You hate to think about it, but it's an ugly fact of life.

Time has nothing to do with the gifts that the gods give you; it's what you do.

I would say that my peak was making my first million at the ripe age of 29, after the first album.

I used to sing at funeral homes for families that didn't have a vocalist. I didn't get paid. I needed to sing.

My father worked on assembly lines in Detroit while I was growing up. Every day, I watched him do what he needed to do to support the family. But he told me, 'Life is short. Do what you want to do.'