My mother was the first singer I had contact with. She sang constantly to us around the house, in church.

Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let's get that straight. OK? We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack.

I would stay in my room for days, for days at times, just trying to get it together, to know what my next phase was going to be.

I was aware of people staring at me. No one moved. They seemed almost in trance. I just stared at the clock in the center of the church. When I finished, everyone clapped and started crying.

There can be miracles when you believe.

My mother taught me that when you stand in the truth and someone tells a lie about you, don't fight it.

I think over the years, being a mother, I've matured in so many ways.