I always tell people, 'It'll get greater later' meaning that sometimes we have to pass through whatever it is. We know that we can get through it because others have.
Success is overwhelming.
I'm not like Stephanie Mills or Whitney Houston with actual hits. My fans think everything I did was a hit.
I continually still fight every day for my life, not only still battling mental health problems but battling multiple sclerosis, which also has depression as one of its side effects.
I do think the love-gone-wrong songs go over better, only because those melodies and those lyrics have a different feel that you can grasp on if you're a torch singer like myself.
For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusively diagnosed me with M.S.
I had ballooned out to close to 400 pounds at one point. And in the '80s, we were just beginning to get on video and disco. So therefore, I did not fit in, and my record company let me go because they said, 'Look, you're just not marketable enough with the weight problem.'
I was privileged to know the late, great Miss Etta James, and I did get a chance to spend some time with her and hang out with her.
I am, you know, really fighting for myself and my life. And I think the message that I could give to anybody is that it's never too late to start your life again and dream new dreams.
A lot of times we base everything just on our immediate circumstance. We don't see a big picture for our lives. We don't love ourselves. We don't have a way of kind of gauging the future.
The music industry is a very rough industry. Many years ago, I think it was even rougher in the sense that a lot of it was predicated on image.
The biggest thing I've had to overcome was clinical depression. Your mind is the most powerful weapon you have once you can get control of your mind... I had to stop hearing the negative voices where Jennifer was not worthy of love or living.
The LGBT Community was mostly responsible for birthing my career, and I am deeply indebted to you... You have loved me faithfully and unconditionally, and for so many years you provided me with work even though my star had long since faded.
The gay community has been so faithful and good to me.
A lot of my die-hard fans think I have a lot of hits, but I don't.
I have been blind. I have been paralyzed. But each day, if I wake up, then I know He's left me here for a reason, and I have to say yes. And I have to get up. And I have to make the best of that day.
Haven't a lot of us just missed at a lot of things and thought that we wouldn't have another chance at it? So we give up early.
I have health challenges, I have life challenges, just like everyone else.
A lot of times we base everything just on our immediate circumstance. We don't see a big picture for our lives. We don't love ourselves. We don't have a way of kind of gauging the future, so we count it lost.
I'm a Broadway baby! So, therefore, I started in the theater.
