I have to believe that I know what's best for me. For instance, I choose all my songs. I never record anything I don't want to record. No one tells me what concerts to do.

Yes. I do about 70 shows a year, in the past year I've been to Italy, Australia, Japan, China, just about everywhere. I do it because I love singing. The money is a bonus.

People perceive opera and classical as elitist - I disagree. I've always tried to mix the two, make it more accessible.

Marilyn Monroe was supposedly a size 16, which is probably why I love her style; it suits me better.

You learn your lessons from the mistakes you make, not the things you achieve.

I sing a mixture of everything from opera, folk music, Broadway. It's a mix of things.

Everything in my career is my decision - every picture, every outfit. You get one chance at this, and I never saw myself as being a puppet.