There are certain people who have become better artists, but they're brilliant at marketing. I think someone who's been phenomenal like that is Madonna.

I'm proud of my mentors. Ray Charles is the strongest influence on me as a singer

When your car is about to go off a cliff, it’s a weird time to be thinking about gas mileage and drag coefficients; better to take the right control action—look out the window and steer or use the brake until you’re back on course.

Someone told me there was a publisher that could find a good home for my songs, but I didn't want to give up my pursuit of a career in the business as an artist

Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.

But I'm not superstitious. I don't really eat dinner before I go on stage, because digesting a lot of food kind of shuts you down. And I try not to get involved in emotional conversations with anyone beforehand either, so I've got a clear head.

When you have great songs that are going to live longer than the composers, everything you can do to bring those different elements and nuances out, serve the song