I had my schooling right there in the Cotton Club.

I want to sing like Aretha Franklin. Before her I wanted the technical ability of Ella Fitzgerald.

I'm not a career kind of person. When I saw new music, new trends coming in, I didn't see any place for me. And I didn't think about it as a career loss, because I was married - I have a great- grandchild now. The low points were when I lost people that I really cared about.

It's so nice to get flowers while you can still smell the fragrance.

It's ill-becoming for an old broad to sing about how bad she wants it. But occasionally we do.

In my early days I was a sepia Hedy Lamarr. Now I'm black and a woman, singing my own way.

Malcolm X made me very strong at a time I needed to understand what I was angry about. He had peace in his heart. He exerted a big influence on me.