Lionel Richie told me forget about the critics. But if you come back with hit after hit, you don't have to worry about anything.

There's only one thing that everyone in this world has in common: whether you want to love somebody and you want to be loved in return.

I do not wear my emotions on my sleeve; I write about them.

I started as a writer and when I sent my demos out everyone wanted to know who was singing and if that person wanted a record deal.

Back in college, when I got kicked out of school, I was still in school, I'd just written the song that got me my record deal. If I hadn't gotten kicked out of school I wouldn't be where I am now. Three months after that, I got my record deal and the rest is history.

I've always been serious about music. After you've done it for so many years, you get back to the basics.

When somebody shows up and they believe in you, it makes all the difference.