Irene Cara quotes:

My brother, Mario, is in show business and so are all my cousins on my dad's side. We come from a family of musicians. My grandmother's sister in Puerto Rico plays five instruments.

That first apartment was a big step. It has a lot to do with being independent.

We have a tendency in this country that when we say Black it automatically means Black Americans. But that's a big mistake, and that keeps us divided. There are Blacks all over this entire world-even in Africa.

I don't like being under someone elses thumb. I'm very supportive of other female artists, especially those trying to make their own statement... trying to do what they want instead of being someone else's Barbie doll.

I don't mean to sound immodest, but I never had any doubt that I'd be successful, nor any fear of success. I was raised as a little goddess who was told she would be a star.

I'll never be that trusting again, believing accountants and lawyers have my best interests at heart.

I've had my bubblegum years and I did them well. Now it's time to come back as the woman, artist, and musician that I am without apologizing.

I'm a woman with a mission. I've learned to believe in myself, my vision and to do things the way I want them done.

When I act, I act. When I sing, I sing. I don't put one over the other. Entertaining is what I do best.

I was put into this business by my parents as soon as I could walk. I was groomed by them for this business. I didn't wake up at the early ages of 5 or 6 and say I want to be a star.

I had been performing since I was 5, so it wasn't like I hadn't been on a stage before. I was always older than my age. That's my nature. I've always been a kind of mature kid.

This has been a long and tiring battle for 10 years. And I'm glad it's finally resolved. My principles and reputation as a creative artist were involved here-it wasn't just about the royalties. I can now look foward to getting on with my career.

My fans are grown now. They are not expecting me to do the bubblegum pop I did 20 years ago, even though it was pretty substantive. It was saying more than bubblegum pop says today. I am continuing where I left off.

Here I found myself in my early 20s, at the height of my career, up against something I was totally powerless against. I had enemies I had never heard of because of this. I certainly didn't have needles hanging out of my arms, nor did I smoke anything.

I play piano and write better than I can sing.

My mother always wanted to be in show business, but her parents discouraged her. So when I started performing for the mirror she enrolled me in dancing, singing and piano lessons.

I am very intense. I can't help it. That's the way I am. You can't be in this business without being intense. The pressure and tension get to you; it can't help but show on you.

I didn't have to go to school, graduate and then go, What am I going to do? I knew from the beginning.

I haven't had a vacation in years. I'd really like to sneak off and just run around on a beach for a while.

I have a pleasant voice, but I have no great range. I will say that I know how to make a song come alive and I guess I do have a sincerity that comes across. But I do alot of things better than sing.

All of a sudden, I was hearing stories about how difficult I was to work with, ridiculous rumors about drugs and what a diva I was. I never had to go to rehab or a program.

Cara is not my real name, and I'm not going to tell you what it is. Only because I do live in New York and enough people already know who my parents are.

The situation is not good with the record companies. It's just not working out, so I don't plan to record until it's straightened out. In the meantime I'm happy doing my movies and writing the music for the theme songs, whether I sing them or not.

If something isn't working out in one aspect of my career, it's not any big neurotic, crazy phase for me, it's just something that I accept, and that's okay. I'm not going to keep banging my head against the wall.

It got to a point of where it was ruining my health and I just hated it. I hated doing it and I couldn't stop without some kind of help to get the longing for it out of my system.

The music industry had virtually blacklisted me.

I refuse to let anybody try to typecast me. It's against my nature. I like to continually do different things.

I liked performing, but not the struggle.

I knew early in life that I wanted a show business career.

Life has a balance and natural order. I'm not fighting the flow anymore. My career right now is very up. It's happening naturally and it's happening well.

Take your passion and make it happen.

Your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind

I'll be gray by the time I'm 30, but I like my hair. It looks shiny. I like the way it looks when those highlights are picked up on camera.

It's important for me to get back to my fans here and around the world. I feel very, very blessed that so many people have continued to write me and to pour out their love for me and my work.