"I did all my real growing up in France, which I was almost not allowed to do at home. They liked my voice, they found me sexy, they didn't know anything about my childhood. In England, you’d come on to a bright cheerful song, do a bit of comedy, finish on a big ballad and wear a sparkly dress. That was about it. Suddenly I saw people like Aznavour and Piaf, songs coming from your heart, your soul, your guts, your sex, whatever, songs about everything, life and death, love and hate, wow! I realised you can use all of you when you perform."

"I was with Karen Carpenter in Vegas. We were invited to Elvis's dressing room and I had to drag her away. She was such a sweet girl but I could see what was going on. I met him a few times after that, and he flirted very heavily with me. I was supposed to do a movie with him and that was stopped right away by my husband!"

"I had almost no education. I hardly went to school. I’d be away for weeks doing films, then I’d come back and have no idea what they were talking about. Of course the other kids loved it: ‘You may be a well-known star but you don’t know how to do algebra.’ It was a nightmare."

"I am not really a reminiscing type person. I am not nostalgic at all."

"It was a strange life, I suppose, but it was the only one I’ve ever known. What is a normal childhood anyway?"

"My tattoos symbolise something to me, after all they will remain with me forever."

"Sailing is not a romantic song"

"In order to become Aretha Franklin you really have to be able to assess an inheritance and find yourself able to use it."

"What made her talent so great was her capacity to live what she sang. Her music was deepened by her connection to the struggles and the triumphs of the African American experience growing up in her father’s church, the community of Detroit, and her awareness of the turmoil of the South. She had a lifelong, unwavering commitment to civil rights and was one of the strongest supporters of the movement. She was our sister and our friend. Whenever I would see her, from time to time, she would always inquire about the well-being of people she met and worked with during the sixties.When she sang, she embodied what we were fighting for, and her music strengthened us. It revived us. When we would be released from jail after a non-violent protest, we might go to a late night club and let the music of Aretha Franklin fill our hearts. She was like a muse whose songs whispered the strength to continue on. Her music gave us a greater sense of determination to never give up or give in, and to keep the faith. She was a wonderful, talented human being. We mourn for Aretha Franklin. We have lost the Queen of Soul."

"Hopefully, these characters bring us closer to a sense of self: honest and honored. Icons: Toussaint Louverture to José Martí to lesser known heroes, Atahualpa and Denmark Vesey. We lace our visions with Celia Cruz and Aretha Franklin."

"You walked in on the sly Scopin' for love In the crowd, I caught your eye You can't hide your stuff.You came to catch You thought I'd be naive and tame You met your match I beat you at your own game."

"Step n' move your hips With a feelin' from side to side Sit yourself down in your car And take a ride.And while you're movin' Rock steady Rock steady baby. Let's call this song exactly what it is (What it is -what it is - what it is)"

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T Find out what it means to me R-E-S-P-E-C-T Take care … TCB Sock it to me, Sock it to me, Sock it to me."

"Speak your name And I'll feel a thrill. You said I do, And I said I will.I tell you that I'll stay true, And give you just a little time. Wait on me baby, I want you to be all mine. I just get so blue.Since you've been gone, baby (why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)"

"People walkin' around everyday, Playin' games and takin' scores. Tryin' to make other people lose their minds. Well be careful you don't lose yours.Oh think (think) Think about what you're tryin' to do to me. Woo-hoo think (think) Let your mind go let yourself be free.You need me (need me) And I need you (don't cha know) Without each other There ain't nothin' we two can do."

"I want to be what he wants when he wants it, and whenever he needs it And when he's lonesome and feelin' love starved I'll be there to feed it I'm givin' him a little bit for each day He turns me right on when I hear him say(Hey baby let's get away, let's go somewhere far) (Baby can we?) Well I don't care."

"You've got a face for a smile, you know A shame you waste it when you're breaking me slowly."

"And I'll just keep changing These colors, colors, colors, colors I'm not in the same place That I was, I was, I was, I was But if somebody tells me I'll go back to my old ways I'm gonna say, no way I'm out of the doorway I'm hearing them all say I'll go back to my old ways Not going back to my old ways (ways...)"

"If happy is her I'm happy for you"

"So young when the pain had begun Now forever afraid of being loved."

"I can be manipulated only so many times Before even 'I love you' starts to sound like a lie."

"I'm a lightweight, easy to fall easy to break."

"I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken."

"Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite Don't tell your mother Kiss one another Die for each other We're cool for the summer"

"You have a hollowed out heart, but it's heavy in your chest I try so hard to fight it, but it's hopeless You're hopeless."

"We were so in love back then now you're listening to what they say."

"I throw all of your stuff away Then I cleared you out of my head. I tear you out of my heart And ignore all your messages. I tell everyone we are through."

"I knew better than to let you break my heart The soul you'll never see again won't be showing scars You still love her I can see it in your eyes The truth is all that I can hear every time you lie."

"Somewhere we went wrong We were once so strong Our love is like a song You can't forget it at all."

"The mirror can lie it doesn't show you what's inside And it can tell you you're full of life It's amazing what you can hide just by putting on a smile."

"You've given me strength to find home."

"I can't set my hopes too high 'Cause every 'Hello' ends with a 'Goodbye'."

"We got it all destined to fall."

"Girls can be mean"

"I lost my virginity in a rape. I called that person back a month later and tried to make it right by being in control, and all it did was just make me feel worse."

"We were hooking up but I said, ‘hey, this is not going any farther, I’m a virgin and I don’t want to lose it this way.’ And that didn’t matter to them, they did it anyways. And I internalized it and I told myself it was my fault, because I still went in the room with him, I still hooked up with him."

"I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was, like, super closeted off."

"Now I know who you are Yeah, I see I should have known it from the start."

"The Christian, southern girl in me didn’t see it that way because sex was not normalized as a child or in the south. And, you know what, fuck it, I’m just gonna say it: my #MeToo story is me telling somebody that someone did this to me, and they never got in trouble for it. They never got taken out of the movie they were in."

"What I see in the mirror [is] someone that's overcome a lot. I've been through a lot and I genuinely see a fighter. I don't see a championship winner, but I see a fighter and someone who is going to continue to fight no matter what is thrown their way. I have a lot of confidence now because I have said the things I believe in. I know I can hold my own on a first date with someone, in a conversation with someone. That's what I see when I look in the mirror — a strong woman."

"You're a train wreck, but I wouldn't love you if you changed."

"I won't change anything in my life."

"I don't fall easy often I never had a love like you before."

"You'll change inside when you realize The world comes to life and everything's bright From beginning to end when you have a friend by your side."

"Why be afraid to make an honest mistake?"

"Cigarettes and chocolate milk These are just a couple of my cravings Everything it seems I like's a little bit stronger A little bit thicker A little bit harmful for me."

"I really do fear that I'm dying I really do fear that I'm dead I saw it in your eyes what I'm looking for I saw it in your eyes what will make me live."

"I did go from wanting to be someone now I'm drunk and wearing flip-flops on Fifth Avenue."

"And you will believe in love And all that it's supposed to be But just until the fish start to smell And you're struck down by a hammer."