I never sing a song the same way twice.

I've been told that nobody sings the word 'hunger' like I do.

I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old.

They think they can make fuel from horse manure - now, I don't know if your car will be able to get 30 miles to the gallon, but it's sure gonna put a stop to siphoning.

Singing songs like 'The Man I Love' or 'Porgy' is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck.

People don't understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it.

And when you're poor, you grow up fast.