He really changed the way that people sing,

Everyone in my record collection -- Sam and Dave, Marvin Gaye, all the Motown acts, Ruth Brown, all the legendary people from the '40s, '50s and '60s -- have still never received any royalties, ... because they still owe money.

Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.

People say, 'Gee, you don't really do political music.' Well, I sing a lot of songs about how men and women and lovers treat each other, and none of us want to be talked down to or belittled or ignored or disrespected... So I'm proud to be a feminist.

I've been lucky enough that I can gather all sorts of experiences and find inspiration by traveling around and by spending time with people I admire.

I'm really careful about not slamming my politics home in my shows, but I don't try to hide, either. The arts can be a great way to bring people together. I don't preach from the stage. I try to stay positive on solutions.