ANITA BAKER

My father worked on assembly lines in Detroit while I was growing up. Every day, I watched him do what he needed to do to support the family. But he told me, 'Life is short. Do what you want to do.'

Completeness? Happiness? These words don't come close to describing my emotions. There truly is nothing I can say to capture what motherhood means to me, particularly given my medical history.

Typically, the theme of my albums, if there is a theme, is, 'How does it feel?' And that always leads to love songs. It just does.

I don't think being black has held me back at all. Being black makes you strong.

Historically, in my generation, all of my heroes and heroines have had issues and problems. We all do.

I don't let people use me. That's why I like a small number of people in my life. The more people in my life, the more complex it becomes, so I just try to keep it at a minimum.

I'm used to getting up at 7, getting breakfast, getting the kids off to school, and doing the mommy thing and the wife thing and the daughter thing.

Long tresses down to the floor can be beautiful, if you have that, but learn to love what you have.

Applause felt like approval, and it became a drug that soothed the pain, but only temporarily.

You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family.

I think there's no sacrifice too great for family, whether it's career, singing, whatever.

I used to sing at funeral homes for families that didn't have a vocalist. I didn't get paid. I needed to sing.

If I could be doing anything, I'd be laying on the floor in my birthday suit eating junk food and watching something dumb on TV.

Chris Brown is brilliant. That cat is crazy brilliant, and I wish him the best.

I need my career. That's what validates me.

I made numerous attempts to find a way to do it all, to be a creative singer, songwriter, producer, and to be the mother, daughter, sister, lover, wife. And the thing about music is, with me, that she's a harsh mistress. She does not come to me in the midst of stress.

I don't even have voice mail, and people get all out of shape about that. But, you know what, I don't want to transcribe your message; I want to talk to you. And that kind of freaks people out a bit. They go, 'Oh, who has time to talk?' and I'm like, 'Well, I'm gonna make time.'

I'm picking and choosing in terms of the stress factor. If it's not fun, I'm not going to do it.

I love radio, but it's a very limited thing today. Everything has to be edited down to 3:59, and too bad if I didn't make my statement in three minutes and 59 seconds. Everybody's song has to make its point so quickly.

I have as many pictures of my vocal cords as I do of my children. I have a great ear, nose and throat doctor, and we look at them - if there's some redness, maybe I'll take a little time off.

When you're away for a long time, tastes change, fans move on. You hate to think about it, but it's an ugly fact of life.

Time has nothing to do with the gifts that the gods give you; it's what you do.

I'd love to be the political voice of my generation, but that's not my gift.

As soon as you get off stage, that's the most dangerous time for a singer to kiss people because your vocal chords are receptive to any kind of germ.

It's impossible to write and produce a record when your parents are dying. I really tried, I really, really tried, but it just wouldn't come.