If you stick around long enough, people start referring to you as a survivor. Suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of several prestigious awards.

A song has to become as much a part of you as a tailored suit.

Detroit is full of talent.

A large family makes you accept sharing your parents.

The morning after my high-school graduation found me up early job hunting. The dream of college I put on the back burner.

I went from elementary school to proper training, operatic training, and I went on to the Motown University and learned a lot of things from some wonderful people.

I was stranded in Disco. I went to dozens of darkened places with enough flashing lights to drive the average person mad. I felt lost in the pulse of sheer panic.

I worshipped Berry Gordy for the creative dreams he had made come true.

Lead singers not only do the majority of the work, but their personalities are singled out and taken as the general attitude of the unit.

I don't worry about being in a hurry any more, because my faith in God will always deliver me on time.

I pray for miracles. I have always found prayer to bring quick results.

You can't very well live in a castle while your kin is on the poor side of town and barely have enough food. Some want you to get to the top and rely on you making it for them, too.

The world I was born into was one filled with music.

Good and bad - this is the story of my life.

After years of making wrong decisions in my life, in 1977 I found out that it was all right to be square, simple, and sober.

Berry Gordy turned his house into a studio and discovered over 30 acts in the city. And we're famous all over the world.

There are times in show business when you work so much you think you will pop your cork, and then suddenly you can't find any work.

If you stick around long enough, people start referring to you as a survivor. Suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of several prestigious awards.

I have always thought music as a way out of the ordinary mundane obligations of life.

God uses singers in a mighty way, and I am grateful.

Divas need their furs!

Going on with life, it only gets more and more intense as time goes by - and the challenges only multiply.

Disco music in the '70s was just a call to go wild and party and dance with no thought or conscience or regard for tomorrow.

I still marvel at how God turns dreams into reality.

I will always dance in the street.

Most performers spend half their earnings taking care of family members.

You cant very well live in a castle while your kin is on the poor side of town and barely have enough food. Some want you to get to the top and rely on you making it for them too.

Disco music in the 70s was just a call to go wild and party and dance with no thought or conscience or regard for tomorrow.

The morning after my high school graduation found me up early job hunting. The dream of college I put on the back burner.

Awards are only a publicity gimmick.

Awards were made in Hollywood, in whatever the time it was created. They're to promote each other's movies. You give me an award, I give you an award and people will believe that we are great movies and they'll go to see them. It's still the same.

A couple of guys won Academy Awards for the things that I turned down. Today, after coming to terms with everything, after being in therapy for a long time-there are areas where I will compromise.

To my mind, the most important aspect of the Nobel Awards is that they bring home to the masses of the peoples of all nations, a realization of their common interests. They carry to those who have no direct contact with science the international spirit.

Great, big, serious novels always get awards. If it's a battle between a great, big, serious novel and a funny novel, the funny novel is doomed.

Smith and Carlos aside, I object to using the Olympic awards stand to make a political statement.

My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.

If you are looking for smart judging based on merit, skip the Academy Awards next year and pay attention to the Independent Spirit Awards.

The flattery is nice, but awards don't add up to writing quality songs.

Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.

Awards are so unnecessary, because I think we get so much out of our work just by doing it. The work is a reward in itself.

A lot of my joy this year has been to give away awards to young people, no matter of race, creed or color, because they were a terrific violinist or a terrific dancer.

The Nobel awards should be regarded as giving recognition to this general scientific progress as well as to the individuals involved.

I think I've done pretty well. I've had about 46, or 47 nominations from my movies, and my films have won about 12 awards, so I don't have any complaints.

It's very validating when you are new in the industry to get awards. It boosts your self-esteem.

Also, I've already won all the awards.

I dress up for awards, but only if somebody else is going to pay for the clothes. And shop for them, too!

Awards don't really mean much.

I've never been in this business for the recognition or the awards. I just want to do good work, grab a decent paycheck, and move onto the next job.

Between speeches and awards, you can find something to do every other week. It's hard to write. Your focus gets splintered. Once you put one thing in your calendar, that month is gone.