Mary J. Blige

“I truly enjoy Bono. I think he is an amazing person; I love him.”

“In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took responsibility for every part of my life....”

“So as long as I'm a human being and I'm not perfect, I'm able to say I'm having some growing pains. Because in order to sustain where you are once you made such a breakthrough that everyone...”

“I had to learn how to trust my gut. Trust what I know to be right... not right, but not waver on who I am. Know who I am, know what I want, and know it. Not waver on it and be secure in that...”

“I used to think I was ugly. I thought I looked like a camel. A person who doesn't love themselves, they will see anything that pops up on their face. I've seen squirrels, I've seen a bird, a...”

“I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in all of my hotel rooms.”

“My main exercise is cardio. The treadmill is fine, but running outdoors gives me the best results. I try to log 6 to 8 miles a week. I could be in the worst mood, but when I do my cardio, I...”

“Music is where my love is. I don't think the acting thing is going to start outweighing that, but I think it's going to start being a good chunk of something I want to do.”

“I have to have lemon and honey. I have to have apple cider vinegar, Braggs. And I have to have either Red Vines or Twizzlers. These things, you know, are the things that help my vocal perfor...”

“When you come from so many damaged places you don't ever want to spiral back there, so you gotta continue to check yourself.”

“I like to do interior design, I love to quilt, I love to see different colors together, and I love to match things up.”

“I wish I had known that education is the key. That knowledge is power. Now I pick up books and watch educational shows with my husband. I'm seeing how knowledge can elevate you.”

“There's not enough time to be disrespecting... Life is too short.”

“When you know what pain is, and when you have to make a choice, you learn that it is a decision. People think it's a fairytale thing, love and happiness, but you have to work hard. And then...”

“I don't think I'll do foster care or adopt, to be quite honest.”

“I like French fries; I like mashed. I love potatoes.”

“Sometimes I frown and I don't realise it.”

“It's not just songs and glamour. It's sweat, blood, broken toes, and mistakes... It's life.”

“The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things.”

“I listen to gospel music.”