Even as a little child, I've always had that comedian kind of attitude.

My mother always wanted me to be a jazz singer, but I always wanted to be raunchy.

I was a sloppy kid, wanted to be just wild.

I like to shop, but I don't like to go out to dances.

A lot of people think the blues is depressing but that's not the blues I'm singing. When I'm singing blues, I singing life. People can't stand to listen to the blues, they've got to be phonies.

The two things you can't fake are good food and good music

My mother used to play nothing but Billie Holiday.