"I needed to sing — desperately. My voice poured out more easily because I was no longer singing for anyone's approval…"

"A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down."

"There is a growing strength in women but it's in the forehead, not the forearm. Men will always be attracted to women…"

"Why should I go when it's going so good? … I lived through the garbage. I might as well dine on the caviar."

"So long as it doesn't get to the point where you don't remember whose opera you're listening to, I'm willing to exper…"

"I've always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up. I'm not about to change now."

"My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once i…"

"Art is the signature of civilizations."

"I really do believe I can accomplish a great deal with a big grin, I know some people find that disconcerting, but th…"

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."