God didn't give up on me. I am somebody in God's eyes... Let me be a prime example of how I've been through the storm and the rain, and I made it over.
Fantasia Barrino
I always say you've only got one life to live, and you're not promised a tomorrow. So, you might as well just have a good time with it.
Have a little faith. Don't give up.
Working out started as something mental. It was a way to release and let some things go.
R. Kelly is different - music is always going through his brain. I remember we'd be having a conversation, and he'd choose a word I said and write a whole song to it.
I want to still be singing at 70 years old. I want to be open to the dreams I haven't even dreamed up.
'Cause when I had my child, people tried to make me feel like life was over for me, and I started to believe that.
I wanted people to see me, to change their minds about me.
I work out every day, sometimes twice a day.
I love Pilates, yoga, and spinning.
You've got to make it a good example for those kids regardless of how much you mess up.
Everything in life is a fight. Everybody wants this microwavable life, and it doesn't work like that. I'm here to say, 'See what I went through? Look at me now.'
When I'm out on the stage, it gives me this rush and anything that's on my mind and everything I'm going through is forgotten about.
I like to play dress up, I'm in love with fashion.
I've been singing in church since I was little; my grandmother is a pastor.
When I realized I was having trouble reading, I was too embarrassed to ask for help. Some teachers believed in me, but I just wasn't focused on school - I was into the music and trying to please my dad.
My lips are big, but my talent is bigger.
You can't tell me that dreams don't come true. My life is proof that they do.
It's always good when you can bring two artists together who are totally different.
I've never been in a competition before, and I said I'm going to go. I think - I just love to sing.
I want to do all types of music, music for all people. I want my music to be encouraging, to help people.
I'm very soulful. I grew up singing in church. When I sing a song, I like to feel what I'm singing.
I've been wanting to sing for a long time. I've been singing all my life, and I've tried different record companies, but it seemed like - it was such a struggle and so hard to get out there. So, I said, 'I'm gonna go on American Idol and see how far it takes me.'
I been through some things but I worked hard to get to where I'm at.
I feel like a good mom. I'm a strong woman now... Don't look down on me. Pray for me because I'm trying.
I caught a lot of flak for being a young mama.
I want people to just to see, all you got to do is have a little faith.
I seemed so different from other kids; I grew up in church and felt a connection with God, and a lot of kids my age really didn't understand that.
I think my purpose was just to get out and sing. I love to sing. I wasn't even in it for the - you know, the prize. I was, like, 'Hey, man, I'm going to sing.'
I want real love.
When I was a child, I used to dream about being onstage in front of thousands of people, and it happened. It's not about the fame; it's about people being touched.
I didn't want to be the type of mother where my child came to me, and I can't even help her with her homework.
I stopped going to church for awhile.
I wanted to be like some of the other young ladies that were in my school. I used to get picked on in church. Nobody wants to hang out with me. I want to hang out with the cool girls, and I started to take the wrong turn and do things I knew wasn't right.
I never started out as an R&B singer. I grew up on all types of music - jazz, rock, pop, country, folk - and I wanted to bring that to my stage.
I was very insecure growing up, and even though I'm not that girl anymore, I think that the passion, that not feeling pretty and being insecure, is where my soul came from. And from early childhood, I let it free onstage.
I wanted people to know that I've been through the rain. I've been broken into pieces; I had a daughter at such a young age. There were times people would say, 'That's it for her.' But that didn't happen.
People root for me in such a way that when they come to a show, the experience of not knowing what's about to happen is a great thing.
A lot of times, we get into relationships, and we go in, and we take our old ways. If we take that old baggage into something new, it will never work.
My main thing is family first. This industry can get you so caught up that you're so busy chasing, wanting to be number one and wanting to be the richest that you lose sight of what life really is about.
I'm a true country Southern girl that has always been built around family, cookouts and gatherings and being together on the holidays, singing together and laughing together. So whenever God opened doors for me to be able to travel the world and sing and do all the great things that I've done, I didn't want to lose that part so family first for me.
I always tell people, 'Stop coming to me and telling what people are saying about me.' I don't care anymore. I always get the people that come to me and say, 'Girl, I just want to tell you... ' and I'm like, 'Nope.'
You can't go into something good until you let go of all the bad stuff because you'll find yourself steady bringing up all the old in a new situation.
True story - I had index cards; I would write things on them and post them on the mirror in the bathroom. And I would speak it. Because you have to speak life. You have to speak what you want. You have to watch what you say because it's power in your tongue.
It's hard to be patient. It's hard to sit back and actually wait and allow everything - just let it be.
