My mother was a lupus patient. I was a child with the lupus gene.

Stay cool, stay humble, stay beautiful, and just do the work

I was able to endure and play a special part in music history. And I always managed to keep working, even if I wasnt a big solo artist.

My family is part Creole, and were Indian, and were also very, very black. My father was so black, he was blue.

I have always said every good thing is divinely sent from heaven.

I felt like if I just gave my heart to what I was doing, I would automatically be a star.

Carole King is one of my dearest friends. Were like family.

I got put out of my church choir because my pastor said, 'We can't have baby sister singing the blues and coming in here and singing on Sunday morning.'

Pardon me if, reading that, I want to laugh, because you want to relieve me of a fear I've never had. I've never thought that, as they say, you eat little children.

I have an extremely strong, masculine mind and a feminine sensibility level, which is kind of an unusual combination. Both men and women tell me things and I can relate on two levels simultaneously.

Be nothing which thou art not

We’re wasting our time trying to deal with Baghdad, It’s better to call for independence today.

What creates reality is not reality, but you.

Sisters ruin everything. It's in their job description.

We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs.

Eminence without merit earns deference without esteem.

You can't change what happened.

If people don't like [my film], the ship's sailed. There's nothing I can do about that.