When I was five years old I was molested and just, you know. I remember feeling, literally right before it happened, I just could not believe that this person was going to do this to me. That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault - it led me to believe I wasn't worth anything.

I decided to start my own label because so many people with talent come to me wanting to know how they can get in the music business.

I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them.

Negative words are powerful boomerangs so be careful what you say about people and yourself.

The music business is really, really small. The real music is becoming almost extinct, if you don't stay true to who you are.

I do consider myself part of black history.

When I`m going to do a Christmas album I had to put my mind in Christmas mode. I had to go back to being a child and remembering all of that. When I go to do a project, I'm serious about it, so I wrap my world around it, and it becomes Christmastime for me and I'm singing songs like it's Christmas day.