Be black, shine, aim high.

The ultimate of being successful is the luxury of giving yourself the time to do what you want to do.

Art is the only thing you cannot punch a button for. You must do it the old-fashioned way. Stay up and really burn the midnight oil. There are no compromises.

I am here and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to.

Accomplishments have no color.

Who I am is the best I can be.

I have never given all of myself, even vocally, to anyone. I was taught to sing on your interest, not your capital.

If you're not feeling good about you, what you're wearing outside doesn't mean a thing.

You should always know when you're shifting gears in life. You should leave your era - it should never leave you.

For a long time the only time I felt beautiful-in the sense of being complete as a woman, as a human being, and even female-was when I was singing.

I prefer to leave standing up, like a well-mannered guest at a party.

When you address and acknowledge unpleasant realities, your creativity begins to soar and you come up with apparently magical solutions to problems.

Worrying doesn’t change anything.Focus your energy on the outcomeyou do want and then do whatyou can to make it happen.

If you ask me to describe my relationship, I mean - words are too clumsy to accurately describe how I feel in that regard, particularly in an interview. It's a strange thing.

Perhaps we'll realize that each of us has not one vote but ten thousand or a million.

If you'd like to have a better incarnation, then have one now. If that's your attitude, just let go and meditate and try to be as wise and compassionate, as understanding as you can.

Nature never says one thing, Wisdom another. [Lat., Nunquam aliud Natura aliud Sapientia dicit.]

I treat everybody the same. You know I love to be with people: the youngsters.

I walk the world in wonder.

Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt himself by telling what is not true.

I mean, where I come from, 'communism' is not a terrible word.