A diva is someone who is a perfectionist, who does her best in her craft.

People with no humor, they're outta my life.

When I look into the crowd, I see young and old, black and white - it's amazing that I'm able to connect with so many different kinds of people.

I keep showing decade after decade that I am a real performer.

I'll perform all the way to the grave.

I love Canadians because I don't see very much racism in Canada.

I can't do some of the songs that younger girls like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce are doing. They have their own place and I have my own place.

I never thought I would be singing for the world.

You don't have to be an angel, just be someone who can give.

I'm 60, and I did 60-year-old women songs. I'm not trying to be the Hip-Hop Queen, although I am the original Hip Hop Queen.

I'm very shy in a crowd.

I just sing the stuff that makes me smile, makes me feel like I didn't sell myself out.

You've got to know business before you go to show business.

I was very shy. I'm still shy.

So if diva means giving your best, then yes, I guess I am a diva.

I'm very spontaneous.

Women are dominating the charts, and women are doing it for themselves. We're kicking butt and taking no prisoners.

So if anybody wants to get me something, get me 60 crabs - one for each year. I don't want no diamonds, I don't want no shoes, I don't want no party. I want some crabs.

All I can tell you really is if you get to the point where someone is telling you that you are not great or not good enough, just follow your heart and don't let anybody crush your dream.

I'm no different than you.

I've had 60 years of ups and downs, and all of the downs that I've had, I'm happy that I've had them because it's taught me to appreciate all the ups.

A diva is someone who is a perfectionist, who does her best in her craft.

I was a shy kid with a broom handle that I pretended was a microphone.

I don't feel as though I have to prove anything to anybody.

I have to go 150 percent or nothing at all.

I decided to always sing in the back with the chorus and never went up front because I had trouble performing.

I truly respect the people who are working. If they want an autograph from Patti LaBelle, they are going to get it. I have never separated myself from them. I never think you are better than the next one.

Inaction may be the biggest form of action.

You find yourself approaching middle age, playing another scuzzy rock club.

For everybody, I think that we all, when we look at this situation of race, we need a change of heart, and I said it before. I believe the heart change comes from repenting of your racism, repenting of your bias, repenting of your prejudice and understanding that, you know what, God sees us all the same.

Statistics are like women; mirrors of purest virtue and truth, or like whores to use as one pleases.

I don't think you can be from the Caribbean and not know a certain amount about the apocalypse.

When it comes to American Indians, mainstream America suffers from willful blindness.

I hate to advocate drugs alcohol violence or insanity to anyone but theyve always worked for me.

The new disease was named chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and the NFL fervently and repeatedly denied that such a thing had anything to do with the league or its players.

Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years that put me in this position today.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost

The Germans and I no longer speak the same language.

I have a knack for writing tribute songs for people who will never know about them.

For the Absolute, as we now know, all life is individual, but is individual as expressing a meaning.

Our invisibility is the essence of our oppression. And until we eliminate that invisibility, people are going to be able to perpetuate the lies and myths about gay people.

I don't really relax. When I sleep, I relax.

I am an inventor of music.

I don't read newspapers, and I've said I don't watch the news. I love books, but I don't read much. What I do is I get people to read to me, and I put the stories in my head.

I just see myself as a guy who's trying to make a film or, make art.

The very essence of the creative is its novelty, and hence we have no standard by which to judge it.

At night when I cant sleep I play blackjack online until I get tired or I lose my money.

What do I have to cheat for? I've always been playing against people older than me anyways. So what do I have to cheat for?

I will be very grateful that I get to go out and play a song and get well paid for it.