I struggled with being in the public eye, losing my anonymity when my star rose quickly in the late 90's. But I need the challenge of showing up and getting up there to spill my guts and connect with my loyal folks.

For me music is a vehicle to bring our pain to the surface, getting it back to that humble and tender spot where, with luck, it can lose its anger and become compassion again.

But at the age of 44, I sure hope to be a better businesswoman. I want to get the music straight to my fans.

I see my albums as working diaries, as living scrapbooks of me and my life.

I wanted to be a cheerleader, like my sister was - all the most popular and beautiful girls are cheerleaders and I wanted that, and it demolished this vision of myself. That's when I found the piano, when music saved me; that's when I first attempted to write my own songs.

Just watching my cats can make me happy.

I like doing the crossword puzzle in the New York Times, not watching E! on TV.