You never can overwhelm an instrument. You will never get out all that's in an instrument. An instrument will bring you to your limits.

I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear.

Do it right or don't do it at all. That comes from my mom. If there's something I want to do, I'm one of those people that won't be satisfied until I get it done. If I'm trying to sing something and I can't get it, I'm going to keep at it until I get where I want it.

Even though I'm not Jewish...Israel is one of the few causes I feel good about supporting.

I'm not a jazz singer, blues singer or country singer. I'm a singer that can sing rhythm & blues, that can sing jazz, that can sing country. There's a big difference. In other words, I'm not a specialist.

Music to me is like breathing. I don't get tired of breathing, I don't get tired of music.

I never said I was a genius. I never said I was a cornerstone. I've never said I'm a legend in my own time. You never heard me say nothing like that.