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.

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

I would like you to know, I am a doctor of music.

Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.

It was always Marx, Lenin, and revolution - real girl's talk.

I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.

Since I was three I've been playing the piano. I've been onstage. My mother is an Evangelist and I used to play the piano at her revival meetings.