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.
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 was a shy kid with a broom handle that I pretended was a microphone.
Women are dominating the charts, and women are doing it for themselves. We're kicking butt and taking no prisoners.
Women are strong now. Women are dominating the charts, and women are doing it for themselves. We're kicking butt and taking no prisoners.
I decided to always sing in the back with the chorus and never went up front because I had trouble performing.
I clean my house, although I have help. I'm on the floor getting spots. I can't stand a dirty house. I'm a cleaning fanatic.
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.
A diva is someone who is a perfectionist, who does her best in her craft.
So if diva means giving your best, then yes, I guess I am a diva.
I've been shut down, run down, talked about, dogged out, but that never stopped me from the being the true me that's here and will be here.
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 know how to put it on when it comes to interviews and performing because I have to. But I'm pretty laid back.
I don't tweet, Twitter, email, Facebook, look book, no kind of book. I have a land line phone at my home - that's the only phone I have. If my phone rang every day like everyone else around me, I would lose my mind.
I think the race situation is getting better as far as people respecting each other goes. I think the race situation with entertainment is not that much better.
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.
