Throughout my career, if I have done anything, I have paid attention to every note and every word I sing - if I respect the song. If I cannot project this to a listener, I fail.

Hell hath no fury like a hustler with a literary agent.

If power doesn't mean that you have the opportunity to work with the people that you love , then you haven't really got any.

It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me.

I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.

The cigarettes you light one after another won’t help you forget her.

A friend to me has no race, no class and belongs to no minority. My friendships were formed out of affection, mutual respect and a feeling of having something strong in common. These are eternal values that cannot be racially classified. This is the way I look at race.