I have a noble history of being rejected by a lot of places, only to discover that the one that finally lets me in is in fact the perfect fit.

At this stage in my career, I don't have to take any big risks. You want to take a calculated risk, not one that leads to people saying 'yes, but there was that one time when she made that big mistake.' It's always a shame when that happens, especially if you've gotten by for decades without anything hugely tragic.

I'm American. I'm eclectic. I'm going to follow my musical passions. And if people don't like it, and it hurts my legacy, I'm not going to worry about that.

Because everything about the voice interests me, I felt it would be fascinating to learn a completely different style of singing.

I have not changed with the accomplishments. I've remained the same. If I had changed, great. You know, but I haven't.

A lot of bad behavior in singers is caused by nerves.

My mother was the worst kind of stage mother. She would make me and my younger sister and brother little duckling costumes and put us in kiddie shows.