As a child I always wanted to be a singer. The music my mother played in the house moved me - Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Mahalia Jackson. It was truly spiritual. It made you understand what God was. We are all spirits. We get depressed. But music makes you want to live. I know my music has saved my life.

Cause I'm no better than you, you, or you. And I can't get on no throne and preach, 'cause I'm not God.

I remember a time when all my fans were crying and sad and going through hell. Now, we're trying to uplift each other and accept ourselves for who we are, even if nobody else does.

I started speaking about what I was dealing with through my music, and 4 million women responded and said, 'Us too, Mary.' And I didn't know that everyone was hurting like I was hurting. I had no idea.

I like French fries; I like mashed. I love potatoes.

The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.

You either learn from your experiences or go back and do the same thing, and I learned from my experiences.