I embraced being a pop artist, but I like doing it on my own terms, at my own pace.

I didn't want to do something that was easy for me.

Blues and soul and jazz music has so much pain, so much beauty of raw emotion and passion.

You can never be too perfect, too thin, too curvy. I'm very confident and happy with my body.

It's definitely a dream come true to be recognized and to be able to sign autographs. But, it's also a lot of hard work and can be draining. If you don't know already, you will quickly learn who your real friends are.

After I had my son, Max, I knew I wanted to get involved in causes that help children.

It's been quite a roller coaster ride, but I've grown and learned a lot about myself. The greatest thing is being able to interact with fans and touch people's lives... for that I give thanks.