I thought of singing and acting as a living-making. I was able to take care of myself and a few of my friends.
You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way.
I found out along the way that they like you a little imperfect.
I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.
50 years old is like springtime to me.
I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.