Elton John's opinion turned the label's opinion around, all in a day.

I kept my babies fed. I could have dumped them, but I didn't. I decided that whatever trip I was on, they were going with me. You're looking at a real daddy.

I don't know if it's my music, my lyrics, my sound, and knowing the music business the way I do-all I can say is, my career has lasted way longer than I expected.

Blacks own so little of the music business it's pathetic. But I see that changing soon. Black artists, black businessmen and women will unite.

We like it up here, ... The audience is very receptive.

There's people making babies to my music. That's nice.