“Growing around great musicians, you just can’t help it. I identified with it immediately. It was something that was so natural to me that when I started singing, it was almost like speaking.”

Learning to love yourself, is the greatest love all.

I am not self-destructive. I am not a person who wants to die.

There can be miracles when you believe.

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

I broke my heart for every gain, to taste the sweet I faced the pain.

Sometimes you’ll laugh. Sometimes you’ll cry. Life never tells us, the when’s or why’s. When you’ve got friends, to wish you well. You’ll find your point when. You will exhale.

When the night falls, my lonely heart calls.

Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do. It’s my decision. So the biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.

You can fool people. You can fool anybody anytime of the day, but you can’t fool yourself. At night, when you go home, you’ve got to be straight up with you.

If I fail, if I succeed, at least I live as I believe.

I have priorities. Maintaining my daughter is my first.

I’ve got a good man. He takes care of me. I don’t have to be scared of anything because I know he will kick every ass… disrespect him and you’ve got a problem.

I love to sing, but it’s just not fun anymore.

My daughter is my greatest inspiration.

I decided long ago never to walk in anyone’s shadow; if I fail, or if I succeed at least I did as I believe.

I have a mother that’s very strong and family that surround me and constantly tell me they love me.

There’s a lot of great movies that have won the Academy Award, and a lot of great movies that haven’t. You just do the best you can.

We must understand that the highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest measure of discipline.

To write that essential book, a great writer does not need to invent it but merely to translate it, since it already exists in each one of us. The duty and task of a writer are those of translator.

Do not dispute with anyone in any matter as far as possible. For in argumentation lies much harm and its evil is greater than its benefit.

Don’t dream to be something but rather dream to do something great.

War brings out the worst and the best in people. Wars do not make men great, but they do bring out the greatness in good men.

Rice is great if you’re really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.

Everything great in the world comes from neurotics. They alone have founded our religions and composed our masterpieces.