I loved all those classic figures from the '30s and '40s... Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth. They had such glamour and style. I loved the movies of those times too - so much attention paid to details, lights, clothing, the way the studios would develop talent.

Now when I enter a carriage, it almost empties. But there's always one brave enough to stay.

My husband used to shout at my mother, 'What is wrong with your daughter? I'm married to a man.'

I would have rebelled against parental authority, no matter what. When I was 15, I started painting my face and making my own clothes.

I never thought I was going to be a singer. That was an accident.

There're lots of musicians in my family, too. My mother sings incredibly well. I've got to make a record with my mother's voice on it. She sings a lyric soprano. We do the opposite. I'm a baritone. She's a star singer in her church. She always does her solo.

Most performers take themselves too seriously. They forget there is a difference between the characters they play on the screen or stage and themselves, but the public doesn't forget there is a difference. They see how silly it is if you try to be the same person all the time.