I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud.

I mean, I am fully aware of my influence and my responsibility to society in general representing the gay community. But in the same time, I don't represent the entire gay community because it's a vast, vast community, as one can imagine.

My voice and the styles and genres I sing all express my appreciation for what I hear.

When women make their image about youth and sexuality, and not about intellect, that's kind of a dead-end road. So I think it's a combination of self-entrapment and entrapment by society.

I think that the older I get and the more comfortable I get with myself, the more I realize that art is about relinquishing control of your emotions and being vulnerable and innocent.

I'm a singer and as long as I can sing - which, thank God, is something that I still seem to be able to do - I'd like to carry on making records.

My public image is so low-key, but I get to travel the world and still have an audience and it's really amazing. I don't take that for granted.