Music Audition Quotes

The only recording studio was in Motown - it was called Tamla/Motown at that time and we used to audition there because Smokey Robinson was at that studio and Berry Gordy was the president. I remember asking Smokey to listen to my group and he did. For the first couple of years we were just singing background. We used to back up Marvin Gaye; Mary Wells was there then, Marv Johnson, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Junior Walker and the All-Stars.

It's a guy thing, playing the guitar. Being a female and trying to go to the same auditions as the guys, it's pretty hard.

Most people don't know I grew up singing country music; that's what I sang right up until I did 'Idol.'

I knew Glenn Frey. He called me up in 1977 and told me The Eagles were looking for a bass player, preferably someone who could write and had a high voice. That was me.

Music reality shows are a good thing, especially for those seeking a career in music.

Later when I was in Mithibai College, Mumbai, I was a singer for a rock band.

Exciting underground stuff is easier to find with YouTube than it used to be. You don't have to go to the dive bar in the bad part of town to see a band you would never usually see. My personal experience with it, when I was looking for a new lead guitarist, I was able to stalk guitarists on Youtube. And instead of having a horribly embarrassing auditioning process, I could check out peoples' playing. In some ways, you go into a record shop and the selection is narrower than it used to be with pop ruling the roost, but if you look, there's so much more to be found.

I never imagined I'd meet Berry Gordy who told me when he first heard me sing, "You know, your singing's okay, but I like your harmonica playing better."

The blind audition process can be nerve-wracking.

Around eight or nine years back, I participated in 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.' The point of coming on the show was that a person coming from music family can also compete with people from all over India.