Vonda Shepard

“Having drive is a big part of success, along with integrity. You need to have a clear vision of what you want and take the steps to achieve it, even if that sometimes means playing gigs in tiny clubs.”

“I was born singing. My father tells this story about when I was 3 weeks old, how I would rock in the crib and sing in the crib all night long. My crib would roll across the floor in the middle of the night. Finally, my father nailed its legs to the floor.”

“My nature is to worry about everything too much.”

“James Ralston, my guitar player, has performed with Tina Turner for about 22 years. Jim Hanson on bass has played with Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell and Bruce Springsteen, and they're fantastic musicians and amazing singers they get a really cool vocal sound together.”

“We've been waiting for a format like triple-A where you can hear Crowded House, Joni Mitchell and R.E.M.”

“My nature is... well... I'm a searcher by nature. I'm constantly searching for something; that's why I have a song called 'Looking for Something.' How do I do it? I read a lot of spiritual books; I meditate.”

“There was a singer-songwriter who slept on our couch for a year when I was about 7 or 8. She used to sing these songs for us, and I loved it. It was magical to watch her.”

“The biggest similarity between me and my character is that we've both played clubs for 20 years. In real life, the clubs aren't quite as controlled - and my hair isn't quite as in place as it is on 'Ally McBeal.'”

“My stint with 'Ally McBeal' is something I never planned nor expected.”

“My advice is if you have to do music, then do it! There's no choice in your heart and your soul - unless you have that kind of great need, desire and determination, it's pretty tough out there!”

“I'm not just a chick singer who sings high all the time.”

“Playing clubs is the ultimate - you see the faces; you hear the 'clicking' glasses - I love all that atmosphere and seeing people's mouths singing the words to the songs.”

“I can't really stop doing the music because it really feeds me.”

“I have played lots of clubs since I was 14, but I always did my own music.”

“I had a hard-core cult following of at least 12.”

“I thought nothing would ever happen for me. My whole life had been geared toward being a singer, and it wasn't clicking.”

“I could have become a mime or a juggler, but I became a singer-songwriter instead.”

“Although I don't come from a musical background, I was given piano lessons along with my sisters, but I wasn't what you would call a good student. I tended to write songs rather than do scales.”

“I seem to be drawn to the really romantic songs.”

“Ally McBeal walks down the streets crying, looking for the right man. I don't do that.”