I was going through some emotional turmoil. You can tell by the tunes on the album that I was going through a break-up of my marriage. It was the only way I could express myself.

Then, when I had the opportunity to go to Africa and visit the villages, I heard the real, raw, true rhythms and realised the origins of the old Negro spirituals I grew up with in the South.

If you enjoy the fragrance of a rose, you must accept the thorns which it bears.

When my agent told me he had a voice-over job I thought it was a Disney thing.

I always keep my head down, working, doing things, moving forward. That's what I've done all my life. Then you stop and realize what you've done.

I love soul. But I love a tune that has some meat in it. Something I could hang my hat on. Because music is universal.

I don't sit back and count up what I've done. There's just always something else to do. There's always a challenge ahead.