I grew up not understanding what was true and what was not true. It gave me a sense of unreality. I was told that this man [mom's lover] was not my mother's lover - when he was. I was told he was there as a male babysitter for my brother so that he would learn sports and other manly things.

Worrying too much about other people's ears and not my own, I lost my way.

As a singer I tried on all these hats, these voices, these clothes, and eventually out came me.

You know, people want to honor me, and on the one hand I just don't want to be a poster child; but on the other, I want to do something classy and great - something where the residuals will go to the cause.

I've learned that nobody's perfect, and I don't expect myself to be perfect anymore.

You don't have to prove to me you're beautiful to strangers, I've got loving eyes of my own.

Well, I make every song I sing personal. I've never chosen a song that wasn't.