The exciting thing about a songwriter is that, you know, particularly if you're a songwriter and an artist and you play the parts and you're producing it and all that, you have various times you have to critique what you do.

My father really was not the dominant person who raised the family, it was my mother who raised the family.

For as long as there's life, for as long as we have things happening in the world, for as long as people haven't been able to work it, for as long as people are not trying to work it out, for as long as there's crime, destruction, hate, bigotry, for as long as there is a spirit that does not have love in it, I will always have something to say.

Mama gives you money for Sunday school, you trade yours for candy after church is through.

My mother gave me an understanding that as good as you think you are, you're not so great. There's always room for improvement. The reality is when people don't have someone to give them a sense of guidance, and say, "Hey, man, that's not happening," it's really hard.

I'm living a life. I have nine children.

If we begin to stop spewing the negative and really move into using our voices and our pens and our abilities that we have to reach millions of people to the positive, we can make a difference in the world.