Growing up in a multicultural family, I never really felt that I was different - even though I was from most of the kids in my school. Especially with music, I try to just approach it as an equal.
It would be ridiculous for me to say I am unlucky, but, like any other family and any other girl, I've had my ups and downs.
What little family I got is in Mississippi. A whole lot of them died before I left, and my sister died a long time ago, before my mama did.
I came from an intellectual family. Most were doctors, preachers, teachers, businessmen. My grandfather was a small businessman. His father was an abolitionist doctor, and his father was an immigrant from Germany.
I come from a family who prided themselves, both sides, on memory. And I was told growing up, constantly, that I was born with a really good memory.
Being at home with my family always inspires me. I find it hard to be inspired when I'm on the move. I'm not creative when I'm jet-lagged and sleeping in strange hotels.
My point of view is that if I love a certain kind of beauty, I want more of that beauty. I don't need 200 different beauties.
Hema Malini and Nutan were my childhood crushes! I met Hemaji once when dad took me to the set of a film. Both these ladies stole my heart with their beauty and grace.
I've been a fashion model for 15 years and designing is just an extension of my career. I still plan on modeling lingerie, but at the same time this is a business transition that I plan to have around for a long time.
Catfish is not playing guitar no more, he's doing like a home-front thing. He had been in the business around ten years before I got in it, so I guess he's had enough of it.
I never dreamt of being a musician for my livelihood. I certainly never would have wanted to be in the business that I'm in, meaning the fame and the glory, the glitter, the rock star, the famous part.
Sometimes I feel 15; other times, I feel fully grown and mature and handling all my business. It can waver from day to day, hour to hour.
I'm really private, and also, when I'm home, I'm home. I don't like people in on my business. I believe that you can be overexposed.
Apple really has no presence in business, and we think Vista's going to have a huge presence in business. We think we're going to help the corporate IT stack save money.
The record company really pissed me off when they told me to lose weight. I couldn't be bothered with looking a certain way. So I left the business. I don't regret it.
I got to show off in front of my husband, who married me as I was stepping out of the business, so he had no idea that I could strut my stuff on the stage.
I think of these things as obstacles rather than opportunities, because if they were opportunities it means I actually took the business of doing them seriously. To take myself too seriously is the gentle kiss of death.
My background was computer science and business school, so eventually I worked my way up where I was running product groups - development, testing, marketing, user education.
The present government is very insistent that business sponsorship should replace government sponsorship of the arts. Business sponsorship won't happen unless you make tax concessions, which they won't.
Because my business life is so busy, my home is really my sanctuary. That is where I reflect and spend quality time with my girls.
I worked with practically everybody in the business in all of the years in NBC, but I worked personally many years with people like Crosby and Sinatra, so of course that was a great ground school for me.
