Fantasia Barrino

“R. Kelly is different - music is always going through his brain. I remember we'd be having a conversation, and he'd choose a word I said and write a whole song to it.”

“I seemed so different from other kids; I grew up in church and felt a connection with God, and a lot of kids my age really didn't understand that.”

“I want to do all types of music, music for all people. I want my music to be encouraging, to help people.”

“My main thing is family first. This industry can get you so caught up that you're so busy chasing, wanting to be number one and wanting to be the richest that you lose sight of what life really is about.”

“I like to play dress up, I'm in love with fashion.”

“A lot of times, we get into relationships, and we go in, and we take our old ways. If we take that old baggage into something new, it will never work.”

“I wanted to be like some of the other young ladies that were in my school. I used to get picked on in church. Nobody wants to hang out with me. I want to hang out with the cool girls, and I started to take the wrong turn and do things I knew wasn't right.”

“You've got to make it a good example for those kids regardless of how much you mess up.”

“I want to still be singing at 70 years old. I want to be open to the dreams I haven't even dreamed up.”

“When I'm out on the stage, it gives me this rush and anything that's on my mind and everything I'm going through is forgotten about.”

“I stopped going to church for awhile.”

“You can't tell me that dreams don't come true. My life is proof that they do.”

“You can't go into something good until you let go of all the bad stuff because you'll find yourself steady bringing up all the old in a new situation.”

“I always say you've only got one life to live, and you're not promised a tomorrow. So, you might as well just have a good time with it.”

“'Cause when I had my child, people tried to make me feel like life was over for me, and I started to believe that.”

“I caught a lot of flak for being a young mama.”

“True story - I had index cards; I would write things on them and post them on the mirror in the bathroom. And I would speak it. Because you have to speak life. You have to speak what you want. You have to watch what you say because it's power in your tongue.”

“When I realized I was having trouble reading, I was too embarrassed to ask for help. Some teachers believed in me, but I just wasn't focused on school - I was into the music and trying to please my dad.”

“I think my purpose was just to get out and sing. I love to sing. I wasn't even in it for the - you know, the prize. I was, like, 'Hey, man, I'm going to sing.'”

“I wanted people to know that I've been through the rain. I've been broken into pieces; I had a daughter at such a young age. There were times people would say, 'That's it for her.' But that didn't happen.”