For many years, I've wanted to do one, and I've always mentioned it to the chieftains, and they would say things like, 'Oh well. Christmas albums don't sell,' and things like that. But that's not the point. Christmas albums are important. The music is important. The season is important.

I've met my share of guys who have insulted and assaulted my intelligence with their stories and games. I say hello and goodbye!

The love of my life? I'm much too young to answer that question.

Music changes, and I'm gonna change right along with it.

It's so glamorous, you have to see it. (describing the $92 million Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).

Well, 20 Grammys is not bad.

RandB is not a fad; it's the truth.

Don't say Aretha is making a comeback, because I've never been away!

And I was booked once to go on 'Ed Sullivan' and I got bumped and ran out the back door crying.

Men don't like eating out of cans. And I don't like eating out of cans too much, either.

I didn't really want to sing at first, but my dad insisted that I do.

Prince is gone. But the music will go on.

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

Well, Babyface brings his savoir faire to every project. He's a very easy producer to work with, very detailed in listening to everything.

Sam Cooke had a huge influence on me. He left the gospel field at one point and went into the secular, and he had this huge hit, 'You Send Me.' Irma, my older sister, and I heard 'You Send Me' on the radio while we were driving through the South one night. We had to stop the car. We got out and danced around the car out on the highway.

I picked up some wonderful things just listening to other pianists that I appreciate, and that would be Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Vladimir Horowitz, and Art Tatum. Those are the pianists I really enjoy and admire.

Judy Garland is a singer with a capital S. And talk about soul. This woman was soul personified. Judy Garland is a class by herself.

I love to sing. It's just a natural thing for me.

'Rocking With Leroy' used to come on when I would come in from school. It was a very, very big RandB broadcast of the day when I was a young girl. And I would come in and put my books down, lie down on the floor, and listen to 'Rocking With Leroy.'

Cause a rose is still a rose,
Baby girl, you're still a flower
he can't lead you and then take you
make you and then break you
Baby girl, you hold the power.