Musician Quotes

L.A. is kind of laid back, but New York, everybody is out there for that buck, you know.

It was my band. I organized the band and Dizzy was in the band. Dizzy was the first musical director with the band. Charlie Parker was in the band. But, no, no, that was my band.

It taught me something. It taught you your craft.

If you want to be a doctor, a lawyer you must go to college. But if you want to be a musician or such, study your craft. Study music.

I'm used to hearing myself. My own voice.

I'm a firm believer and I think my religion is inside.

I was still in school at the time and Cab was very popular and everybody was doing Cab Calloway so I did.

I was so enamored with the idea of being in show business so everything was bright to me. I mean, I didn't think of it as being tough and things like that.

I think a song that's got something to say. I'm not much on gimmicks. I never have been because they don't last. But I like a song that tells a story and has some meat to it, you know, that means something.

I knew exactly what I was, and there was no hang-up with me. None whatsoever. The fact that the pigment of my skin maybe being lighter brown than other people of my race, maybe some of them, but you know our race has all colors.

I just went to Harvard a little while, because I graduated from Armstrong High School in Washington and then I went up there but I didn't stay that long because I went into show business.

I don't have perfect pitch, but I have relative pitch. I'm glad I don't have perfect pitch because perfect pitch can drive you crazy.

Bud Johnson, God rest his soul of fame, a tenor saxophonist. Bud was always a big, big, big booster of mine and he always when I first met Bud in Pittsburgh when he came through there, he heard me sing and he wanted me to come to Chicago.

As a matter of fact they'd blacken us down. I guess there's a reason that according to what the Caucasian wanted us to look like. He wanted us to look-if we were Black, then he had his idea of what we look like.

You can't sing about love unless you know about it.

Prince used to call me up 3am in the morning and invite me to hear some of his new songs.

My sole focus as far back as I can remember was all about my dream to become a singer.

My mother has never been involved in my professional life. I am very close to my mother but we keep it on a mother-daughter basis and not a work-related basis.

It's very validating when you are new in the industry to get awards. It boosts your self-esteem.

It's nice to have been around long enough to be a part of people's lives. A lot of people who come to my show are real nostalgic for the '80s.

If I was still at school, I'd be looking at Britney Spears and dying to be her.

If I have no children what would be the point of living.

I'm just passionately in love with my kids.

I'm definitely a pop artist at heart.

I'm a terrible dancer. The worst.

I'd love to a duet with Luther Vandross.

I wouldn't consciously pursue trying to make something for the charts. It's just not in my scope now. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes.

I would make tea for Joni Mitchell or clean her car, anything to be in the studio and watch her work.

I was blessed in the sense that I got handed so much early on in life. I got a lot of the things people go through their 20s and 30s craving.

I used to think I had to stay frozen in time. No amount of Botox will keep up.