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

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.

I know people I feel are extremely talented, but I don’t know that I’ve ever heard any geniuses.

I saw the Supremes when they were still singing in little black skirts and white blouses.

I love producing, writing. I rarely write with other writers unless I have a real great respect for them. Like Burt Bacharach, or Carole Sager, or Stevie Wonder. Somebody like Smokey – like that. Otherwise, I choose to write alone.

Gospel goes with me wherever I go. Gospel is a constant with me.

I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.

I’m never tired of going to the studio. I enjoy recording and documenting everything and trying new things.

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.

Trying to grow up is hurting. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don’t, it hurts even more.

I donate heavily to the church and various churches in the Detroit community and food banks.

I remember singing around the house to records that were playing. All kinds of music. And the great James Cleveland was often in our house, and I grew up with his sound as well.

I think the hardest thing is losing weight. That’s the hardest thing more than anything else.

The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom.

If a lump of soot falls into the soup and you cannot conveniently get it out, stir it well in and it will give the soup a French taste.

When I saw you, when I saw you I could not breathe, I fell so deep. When I saw you, when I saw you I’d never be, I’d never be the same.

Find the lead domino, and whack away at it until it falls.

What more felicity can fall to creature, than to enjoy delight with liberty?

I do not want no pretty woman. First thing you know, you fall in love with her-then you got to kill somebody about her. She’ll make you so jealous, you’ll bust!

Families are always rising and falling in America.

When you start falling for somebody and you can’t stop thinking about when you’re going to see them again, I love that. Women are beautiful. They deserve to be cherished and respected.