“Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.”
“Falling out of love is like losing weight. It’s a lot easier putting it on than taking it off.”
“The man who gets me is getting one hell of a woman.”
“I sing to the realists. People who accept it like it is.”
“Sometimes, what you’re looking for is already there.”
“We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.”
“Music changes, and I’m gonna change right along with it.”
“Soul is a constant. It’s cultural. It’s always going to be there, in different flavors and degrees.”
“Trying to grow up is hurting. You make mistakes. You try to learn from them, and when you don’t, it hurts even more.”
“I think women and children and older people are the three least-respected groups in our society.”
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.”
“Women absolutely deserve respect. I don’t care who they are or what they do.”
“Love is like a flower. You’ve got to let it grow.”
“Sometimes, it’s easier to define yourself by others than to define yourself by yourself.”
“Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.”
“My faith always has been and always will be important to me.”
“I think the hardest thing is losing someone you love. It can change your life forever.”
“I’m the lady next door when I’m not on stage.”
“Who hasn’t had a weight issue? If not the body, certainly the big head!”
“Good times bring joy. Bad times bring strength.”
“I sing to the realists and dreamers alike.”
“I don’t think I was a catalyst for the women’s movement. As much as I may have been on the forefront, it was just because of who I am and what I was about.”
“I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.”
“Everyone wants to know about my style and how it came about. It’s a mix of God-given talent, hard work, and being true to myself.”
“There’s a lot of work that goes into reaching your dreams.”
“You cannot define a person on just one aspect of their life.”
“The way I feel about music is that there is no right and wrong. Only true and false.”
“I’ve been called the Queen of Soul. But the queen is only as good as her subjects, and the subjects are my fans.”
“I’ve never been afraid to say what I feel.”
“When I do something, I give it my all.”
“Every stage has been a school for me.”
“I have always felt that music lifts people, soothes them, and it strengthens them.”
“I’m not going to change the way I feel about music. It’s my passion, and I’m here to share it.”
“Let’s be real. Love is everything.”
“I’ve always been a crusader for civil rights, human rights, and women’s rights.”
“Singing is a way of escaping. It’s another world. I’m no longer on earth.”
“The best thing about a concert is when the fans are engaged and singing along with you.”
“I like working with people who love the craft as much as I do.”
“I think of music as medicine.”
“Respect yourself, and the rest will follow.”
“Great artists inspire; they don’t copy.”
“What makes a queen isn’t the crown—it’s the attitude and work behind it.”
“A song can inspire change and make you believe in the impossible.”
“Your passion is your power. Don’t let anyone dim it.”
“Soul is about depth, feeling, and meaning. It’s timeless.”
“There’s no expiration date on being fabulous.”
“The only way to get what you want is to work for it. Dreams take effort.”
“I’ve always been my own person. I like to pave my own path.”
“Music can heal a broken heart and lift a weary soul.”
“Real power comes from within. It’s not something you can buy or borrow—it’s earned.”