That is why we fly from the inner void, since God might steal into it. It is not the pursuit of pleasure and the aversion for effort which causes sin, but fear of God. We know that we cannot see him face to face without dying, and we do not want to die.
Every day has its emotional difficulties. I miss my mother whether I’m singing her music or not.
Everything that happened to me as a child involved music. It was part of everyday life, as automatic as breathing.
There’s no excuse for the young...
Music has been a burden and a joy for as long as I can remember.
I feel more alive now than I ever have in my life. I have a chance to live, as I’ve dreamed.
I was not reluctant to become a singer. Singing has been an activity I’ve done my whole life, without thought.
How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?
The allusion was that I was actually naked. I loved that. It always, kind of shocked people enough that they became mine immediately.
Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.
I applied for a scholarship to Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. I knew I was good enough, but they turned me down. And it took me about six months to realize it was because I was black. I never really got over that jolt of racism at the time.
I think the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. I don’t think the black people are going to rise at all; I think most of them are going to die.
I am particular about the seating of the audience – also about how much money they pay – but most of all where they are seated. If I am going to sing something intimate, who am I going to sing it to?
I don’t like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.
It’s time to take a look at my failures and stop calling them successes. Now I can start working at something that can use me best.
I don’t like drug addicts and she sounds like a cat.
Once I understood Bach’s music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world.
Music is a gift and a burden I’ve had since I can remember who I was.
I look forward to doing my own show, not someone else’s. That’s always been my dream.
I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.