“Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that god gave me to use. I’m happy with that.”

I sing to the realists, people who accept it like it is. I express problems. There are tears when it’s sad and smiles when it’s happy. It seems simple to me, but for some people, I guess feelin’ takes courage.

Soul is a constant. It’s cultural. It’s always going to be there, in different flavors and degrees.

Being the Queen is not all about singing and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much to do with your service to people. And your social contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.

I’ve always felt that rock & roll was very, very wholesome.

My heart is still there in gospel music. It never left . . . I’m gonna make a gospel record and tell Jesus I cannot bear these burdens alone.

As a parent you try to maintain a certain amount of control and so you have this tug-of-war … You have to learn when to let go. And that’s not easy.

Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.

Yes, I’ve always been fashion conscious.

R&B is not a fad; it’s the truth.

The milk of kindness flows through my body, I shall follow Jesus to the Taco Bell and give thanks.

Music changes, and I’m gonna change right along with it.

If a song’s about something I’ve experienced or that could’ve happened to me it’s good. But if it’s alien to me, I couldn’t lend anything to it. Because that’s what soul is all about.

If you disrespect everybody that you run into, how in the world do you think everybody’s supposed to respect you?

I’ve been around long enough for people to know who I am and what my contributions are. They know me as more than just an artist. I think they know me as a woman as well.

Parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home.

We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.

The greatest gifts my parents gave to me were their unconditional love and a set of values.

Your life is an opportunity to give the gifts that your soul wants to give.

Today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.

Grace means undeserved kindness. It is the gift of God to man the moment he sees he is unworthy of God’s favor.

Wine, madam, is God’s next best gift to man.

Surrender is a gift that you can give yourself. It’s an act of faith. It’s saying that even though I can’t see where this river is flowing, I trust it will take me in the right direction.

Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.

Be grateful for who you are and whatever you have. Everything you have is a gift from God.