Anita Baker

“I say if it's going to be done, let's do it. Let's not put it in the hands of fate. Let's not put it in the hands of someone who doesn't know me. I know me best. Then take a breath and go ahead.”

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

“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.”

“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.'”

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

“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.”

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

“Most artists are notoriously insecure, and I fall into that category.”

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

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

“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.'”

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