Chaka Khan quotes:

But really, we also need to learn how to love one another as women. How to appreciate and respect each other.

I'd been in a vicious cycle and circle of people and couldn't see my way out. So I picked myself up one day about 15 years ago and moved where I didn't know anyone.

But me and my sister knew all the Doris Day and Frank Sinatra songs, too.

Getting a degree, being on Sesame Street... those were like real accomplishments to me.

You've just got to follow your own path. You have to trust your heart and you have to listen to the warnings.

One of the album's songs features Mary J. Blige, but I don't want to talk too much about it yet. I think you will hear the music that's been playing in my head when it comes out

When I was in my twenties, it felt like I was riding wild horses, and I was hoping I didnt go over a cliff.

Your moment of clarity comes when you face your fears. Sobriety gave me back me - my life. Self-medication kills you slowly. You can never get a handle on that. It's a highly destructive force that has to be dealt with on a spiritual level as much as a physical one.

My philosophy is familiarity breeds contempt.

I would have been an archaeologist or something, maybe a historian. There are a lot of things I would have liked to have done differently, but everything that happened to me made me the person I am today. No matter how negative it seemed at the time or whatever hardship it seemed to have been at that time, Im just the sum of all those amazing experiences.

Well. I'm probably not loving myself like I should, but I'm really trying.

One of the album's songs features Mary J. Blige, but I don't want to talk too much about it yet. I think you will hear the music that's been playing in my head when it comes out.

In my thirties, I felt I had hold of one of the reins some of the time.

I've been collaborating with Ira Schickman on some songs, and there will be many other, great musicians involved.

Painted faces, sun burnt skin, fixed expressions, smiles worn thin.

Walking through this life really is walking through fire.

I'd like to work on putting art programs back in schools.

If I wanted to fight to make a better world racially, I wouldn't be in the music business. You dig, if I were going to be a freedom fighter music is the wrong field.

I want to give some positive messages and to empower some people.

The bickering and fighting and hating that women do with each other - it's going to kill us as a race of people.

To me, this degree was an acknowledgment of my work in music.

I think the whole reason for my life is in there somewhere.

You know, it's just tough to get together and do work with somebody.

I've always struggled so much just to appreciate myself.

When I was in my twenties, it felt like I was riding wild horses, and I was hoping I didn't go over a cliff.

There are a lot of people I would have liked to have collaborated with, and would still like to.

You've just got to follow your own path. You have to trust your heart and you have to listen to the warnings. ... You can't argue with the universe. It's not about that. It's more about relaxing and knowing that you can handle it and feeling empowered. Knowing you have the power to do whatever the hell you want to do. That's what it's about. It really is.

As you get older, though, you realize there are fire extinguishers. You do have an ability to control the flames.

I control my life and I have never let success run away with me - I've taken it and ran. And the only thing that could threaten my stability is me - I'm my only threat and my own worst enemy. Beyond that, I don't feel successful. I'm nowhere near where I plan to be as far as my goals.

It's time for those of us who have a voice to speak out for life, for love and for justice using the same media we've used throughout our careers.

I love to sing. It's the easiest thing for me to do.

I won't become a household word, or achieve the fame I deserve in my lifetime because of the way I look.

If I pop everyone who calls me a diva then I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison.

A song is not going to change this damn world. Instead of making people mad about this shitty situation, it's going to make everybody happy. It's a false thing. It's like a lullaby as opposed to a gun. People need to be slapped into reality and music just doesn't do that.

My mother was into opera and my father was into jazz, so there was a lot of jazz in the house where I grew up.

Being a singer is a way for me to get to a platform to do more.

I mean, I'm not unhappy, but there's still so much I want to do.

Every personal experience of my life impacts my music. I can only give what I have. And when I receive, I give it back. I often fix it or color it differently or give it in my way, but thats what its about.

There is no perfect love - that's something I'm very realistic about.

I loved him [Prince], the world loved him.Now he's at peace with his Father.Rest in power, Prince , my brother.

I have some scars... lots of internal ones. But they're all scabbed over.

I'm an extremely determined person. I'm very serious about what I do.

It sacrifices people's lives and their essences at the drop of a dimeI had a manager once say to me, You know you're worth more money dead than alive.

I like to work spontaneously.

My mom took me to see Goldfinger. My mom took me to see To Sir, With Love.

If I love a song, I make it mine.

I have a lot of charity work I'm into right now, and selling my Chakalates - supporting that whole effort.

I was born and raised in the University of Chicago area and had an uneventful middle-class Catholic childhood. I had a heavy Catholic upbringing and Catholicism is terrible - it's the reason there were slaves. Mass every morning at seven o'clock during Lent. It's a totally negative, man-made religion.

I can only give what I have. And when I receive, I give it back.

Spirituality has played an amazing part. Its been paramount in my life.

Every personal experience of my life impacts my music.

I'm a woman and I'm a backbone...everybody needs one.

America breeds ambition and while that can be a good thing, sometimes it's not. Ambition also breeds competition and that can be a very bad thing. People become chronically preoccupied with competing and don't know when to stop. It can become unhealthy.

If we could just see how related we all are, how we're really all in the same place.