Music Has Been A Burden And A

I Applied For A Scholarship To Curtis Institute Of Music In Philadelphia. I Knew I Was Good Enough, But They Turned Me Down. And It Took Me About Six Months To Realize It Was Because I Was Black. I Never Really Got Over That Jolt Of Racism At The Time.

I Do Not Believe In Mixing Of The Races. You Can Quote Me. I Don't Believe In It, And I Never Have. I've Never Changed. I've Never Changed My Hair. I've Never Changed My Color, I Have Always Been Proud Of Myself, And My Fans Are Proud Of Me For Remaining The Way I've Always Been. I Married A White Man One Time, But He Was A Creep

My Job Is Not Done. I Address My Songs Now To The Third World. I Am Popular All Over Asia And Africa And The Middle East, Not To Speak Of South Africa, Where I'm Trying To Go To See Nelson Mandela.

By The Time I Was Eight I Was Taking Classical Piano Lessons And I Wanted To Be A Concert Pianist. But That Didn't Work Out. I Graduated From High School And My Formal Education Ended.

Funk, Gospel, Blues Is All Out Of Slavery Times, Out Of Depression, Out Of Sorrow.