Women Singers From The United States

"Paramore wouldn’t be the band they are today without the vocal talent and creativity of lead singer Hayley Williams. From the moment their debut album, All We Know Is Falling, released in 2005, her name has been synonymous with women who defined alternative music. With over 15 years of making her mark on the scene, Williams has continued to support other women by providing them a platform and showcasing their artistry on Instagram. She’s a force in the music industry and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon."

"Music is therapy for me. It's my outlet for every negative thing I've ever been through. It lets me turn something bad into something beautiful."

"I saw Amadeus when I was nine years old and fell in love with Mozart. The part of Mozart's Requiem called "Lacrymosa" is my favorite piece of music ever. I always wished we could cover it, but with programming and guitars and make it cool. It's our moment to try all the things I wanted to and couldn't, so I started messing with it in Protools. Terry wrote some riffs and turned it into this awesome metal epic."

"Zendaya: "Thank you, Cher. Thank you for being an advocate, for being an ally, for painting the way for so many humans of all kinds to live in and speak their truth and to have the courage to be as daring and as open-hearted as you. Cher once said, 'You should never be inhibited by what people expect you to do.' And those are words I hope we can all learn to live by.""

"Bob Mackie:"

"Whoopi Goldberg: "Elvis. Sinatra. Cher. There have been a handful of entertainers who are instantly recognizable by just one name. She not only marches to the beat of her own drum honey, she is a one woman band. In a word—she's Cher.""

"Marc Jacobs: "[Working with Cher] has been a dream of mine for a very, very long time. [Growing up,] other boys were out fascinated by other things, [but] I was like, no, I'd really much rather see what Cher's wearing this week.""

"Olympia Dukakis: "I think she's been through so much, and she’s been very aware of people controlling her, so that she's really on guard. I think that’s what working in this business taught her.""

"Peter Bogdanovich: "[Cher] doesn't like men. That's why she's named Cher: She dropped her father's name ... She can't act. She won Best Actress at Cannes because I shot her very well. And she can't sustain a scene ... So I shot a lot of close-ups of her because she's very good in close-ups. Her eyes have the sadness of the world. You get to know her, you find out it's self-pity, but still, it translates well in movies. I shot more close-ups of her than I think in any picture I ever made ... Cher doesn't like me ... because I didn't like her. She was always looking like someone was cheating her ... But finally, after about seven weeks of this, we started getting to like each other ... and then when I sued the studio, she sided with the studio, of course. That was that.""

"Sarah Paulson: "I smelt Cher. I smelt the back of Cher's head ... Because I really love Cher; I think a lot of people love her for her music which I do, but I think she's one of the great actresses, I really do. So I was in her presence and I really wanted to go up to her but I was too nervous, so instead I went to the back of her and sort of pushed my nose between her hairs, parted it, and just hung out there for the count of, 'One-one thousand, two-one thousand'. She was about to turn around so I jumped and went back.""

"Tori Amos: "Cher has been able to show people that as she ages, she’s still sexy and sensual.""

"Drew Barrymore: "She's strong and comedic and incredibly brave, but shows vulnerability. I think she's the epitome of rock & roll.""

"Shania Twain: "She is the most diverse artist ever. I loved watching her go through all these evolutions in her life. She's funny. She's great at everything she does.""

"Meryl Streep:"

"Nicolas Cage:"

"Rob Halford of Judas Priest: "She has the most beautiful voice with a unique, rich texture that sets her apart. There's only one Cher—in her voice, her image, her humanitarianism, and her philanthropy. Her incredible longevity in music, coupled with the staying power she’s demonstrated, is truly remarkable. To remain an icon with such influence and respect is no small feat. She’s an extraordinary woman. I've always wanted to sit down with her, share a cup of tea or a meal, and just talk about life. She's so sincere, sweet, and genuine in everything she does.""

"Christina Aguilera:"

"Debbie Harry: "[On meeting Cher in the corridor of the BBC] She just walked past me and said, 'You go, girl!' All I could say was, 'Wow.' It was like a blessing from the pope!""

"Beyoncé: "I love that in the seventies Cher and Diana Ross looked like superstars and never played it safe. When they were onstage, they gave you drama—and I love drama.""

"Gregg Allman, ex-husband: "I was really glad that she never asked me what I thought of her singing, because I'm sorry, but she's not a very good singer. When she talks, she has the sexiest-sounding voice, and I tried to tell her that that's the way she ought to let it out when she sings. If she sang like she talked, good God. I guess Bono must have been on her every move, because he saw the gold mine in her. Without her, he would have been nothing[.]""

"You know, we had such a strange relationship. The day we got our divorce, he grabbed me, bent me backwards and kissed me, and we were hysterical. I couldn’t keep angry with him for some reason. I had a lot of anger, but I couldn’t stay angry."

"I love standing on the stage and singing. The feeling you have in your body when you sing."

"Gwen Stefani: "[Cher] proved there's nothing she cannot do. She's a role model for showing us how to be strong and true to ourselves [and] a woman who is truly the definition of the word Icon.""

"A lot of the biggest entertainers are shy. I’ve always been shy. But once I’m on stage and get hold of an audience, I know I can bring the room together as one. No matter how many thousands of people, I can bring it to where they are all friends. If you have a heartbreak or a sickness, for 90 minutes I can make you forget."

"I love having boyfriends. A girl can wait for the right man to come along – but in the meantime that doesn’t mean she can’t have a wonderful time with all the wrong ones."

"Don’t buy into the idea that women aren’t strong enough to do anything they want on their own."

"Try to be in as many relationships as you can."

""WTF is MDNA?"

"I love men! I think men are the coolest, but you don't really need them to live. My mom said to me, 'You know, sweetheart, one day you should settle down and marry a rich man. I said, "Mom, I am a rich man.""

"You don’t pay bucks to stand and look at someone. They’ve got to deliver something...And I’ve worked my whole life to keep my strength in my body. There are 20-year-old girls who can’t do what I do."

"Lady Gaga: "[On the outfit Cher wears in the music video for the song "If I Could Turn Back Time"] I dress like that! That's my everyday look. Maybe just sort of subliminally when I was younger, without even realizing it, one day I knew that [Cher] was the kind of woman I would become.""

"Follow this you bitches."

"Women are the real architects of society."

"You don't have to be smart to act — look at the outgoing president of the United States."

"Pink: "[On writing for Cher's Closer to the Truth album] It's such an honor. I finally feel like a songwriter. And I'm such a fan.""

"In the heyday of Barbra Streisand, it's hard to remember that every Jewish teenage girl of my generation whose nose "looked Jewish" longed for another chance."

"Why the fuck don't you shut up and just sing?"

"While I was waiting for them I made a few more phone calls, one to Barbra Streisand, whom I haven't seen since my election. I met her in a restaurant during the campaign when she came up to me and said she had a young son and wanted to do something for peace. She gave a fund-raising event for me in her new house in Manhattan, did a show and radio spots for me, and even came out on the streets and campaigned with me. “Ya betta win,” she used to say. She was great, and I really feel indebted to her."

"I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me."

"To have ego means to believe in your own strength. And to also be open to other people's views. It is to be open, not closed. So, yes, my ego is big, but it's also very small in some areas. My ego is responsible for my doing what I do — bad or good."

"A person who's a bitch would seem to be mean for no reason. I'm not a mean person. Maybe I'm rude without being aware of it — that's possible."

"Secretary Madeleine Albright was a good friend of mine for the last 28 years. I am so sad about losing a good friend and a great woman in this fragile world of ours. May you rest in peace dear one..."

"The world needs more people like Madeleine, whose instinct was to connect with others and build on what we share, rather than destroy lives and cities, like what’s happening in Ukraine today. Madeleine became very close to Colin Powell, her successor as secretary of state, who died last October"

"“Doubt can motivate you, so don’t be afraid of it. Confidence and doubt are at two ends of the scale, and you need both. They balance each other out.”"

"Diana Ross is a big inspiration to all of us. We all grew up watching everything about her - her mike placement, her grace, her style and her class."

"So I'm not worried about the emotions I carry with me, because I'm happy that I have them I think it's good for the work I do. The emotions that are not healthy are the ones you hold inside, like anger."

"You know, you do need mentors; but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself."

"“I really, deeply believe that dreams do come true. Often, they might not come when you want them. They come in their own time.”"

"“My travels led me to where I am today. Sometimes these steps have felt painful, difficult, but led me to greater happiness and opportunities.”"

"You can't just sit there and wait for people to give you that golden dream, you've got to get out there and make it happen yourself."