“I wanted to be a teacher. I love children, so I wanted to deal with children. Then I wanted to be a veterinarian. But by the age of ten or eleven, when I opened my mouth and said, 'Oh, God, what's this?' I kind of knew teaching and being a veterinarian were gonna have to wait.”

“Whitney Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” was constantly on my FM Walkman radio around that time. I think that made me cry because I associated it with absolutely no one.”

“When I decided to be a singer, my mother warned me I'd be alone a lot. Basically we all are.”

“When I decided to be a singer, my mother warned me I'd be alone a lot. Basically we all are. Loneliness comes with life.”

“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.”

“I like being a woman, even in a man's world. After all, men can't wear dresses, but we can wear the pants.”

“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside.”

“My mother taught me that when you stand in the truth and someone tells a lie about you, don't fight it.”

“God gave me a voice to sing with, and when you have that, what other gimmick is there?”

“I wanted to be a teacher. I love children, so I wanted to deal with children. Then I wanted to be a veterinarian. But by the age of ten or eleven, when I opened my mouth and said, 'Oh, God, what's this?' I kind of knew teaching and being a veterinarian were gonna have to wait.”

“I have nothing! Nothing! If I don't have you.”