I found out along the way that they like you a little imperfect.

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

My identity is very clear to me now, I am a black woman.

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.

I've seen so much. And I've heard so many great performers. There are performers now that couldn't work back in the days when I came along.

A little nepotism never hurt nobody, honey. If you got it, use it. Press on with it. Remind them of it.

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