"In Africa," S. B. once remarked, "if you do well, people close to you will hate you."

My father was a management genius. But what I really wanted was a dad.

I'm going to search for my star until I find it. It's hidden in the drawer of innocence, wrapped in a scarf of wonder.

Everyone who knows me will know the truth, which is that my children come first in my life and that I would never harm any child.

My life is very complicated. I have a lot of things going on. I am juggling a lot of responsibilities. There is so much going on that it is astounding, it really is.

I never think about themes. I let the music create itself. I like it to be a potpourri of all kinds of sounds, all kinds of colors, something for everybody, from the farmer in Ireland to the lady who scrubs toilets in Harlem.

I try to be kind and generous, and to give to people, and to do what I think God wants me to do.