My career always took me away from home, I was always away from home and I just wanted to be at home.

You take your problems to a god, but what you really need is for the god to take you to the inside of you.

Physical strength in a woman - thats what I am.

On board the new Ironsides, I had the Marine guard stationed at the after gun, thirty-five in number, and I think it was conceded that no gun of that heavy battery was worked more efficiently than the "Marine gun" as it was called.

The choice that I made was from my best music, for the songs that I knew that the public liked. Then, when I recorded my new songs I found that my old material had not faded, it was still current, the music was good and the songs were great. I sat in my house and listened, got the chills, and I thought, how great is that? It hasn't dated, it hasn't gone anywhere, and it's great.

I never had that thing about being black. If the whole world was like that, maybe there would be more harmony and love.

I kind of felt I left a good message and memory with the people in terms of my work, and I always felt with a good record, I could always come back.