The allusion was that I was actually naked. I loved that. It always, kind of shocked people enough that they became mine immediately.

What kept me sane was knowing that things would change, and it was a question of keeping myself together until they did.

I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.

It's a good time for black people to be alive.

Life is short. People are not easy to know. They're not easy to know, so if you don't tell them how you feel, you're not going to get anywhere, I feel.

The allusion was that I was actually naked. I loved that. It always, kind of shocked people enough that they became mine immediately.

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that was written for Simone, she confronted the band's lead singer, Eric Burdon. "So you're the honky," she said, "who stole my song and got a hit out of it?