Black music has increased my enjoyment of what I do. It has increased my range, my ability to reach into myself and accept myself.

It's an important thing to remember where you came from.

I was blown away by the control and the range that I was hearing. I'm listening to Pavarotti and thinking, What the hell have I been doing with my voice all these years?

You can't make everybody love what you do, but you can know how great you feel doing it.

One song will launch you, but you don't want to be a one-song artist

It's not quite the Tom Jones show, but yes, I've had undergarments. If I get a bra chucked on stage I'll hold it up so the audience can decide what to think. And I'll usually blame a guy for doing it.

The whole industry evolves around a great song