I really worked with icons in the music business, which really had a strong effect on me. It wasn't just pick-up gigs.
Nowadays, with the state of the music business, for any artist, whether you're up-and-coming or you've been in it for awhile, you have to explore different revenues and different ways of expressing yourself.
In business, you can have one massive success that earns $50 million overnight, and that's it. You're successful. End of story. But in the music business, you have to keep on doing it.
I'm not saying I wasn't flawed or amateurish. But you can never say I did anything to appease the music business.
When I got into the music business in 1976, there weren't many women on the roster. As a woman, you don't complain; you work twice as hard, and you do your job.
I don't think piracy is going to kill the music industry. But digital technology and the ability to download will change the packaging from CDs to a single-based business.
That's why I do this music business thing, it's communication with people without having the extreme inconvenience of actually phoning anybody up.
As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving.
When I started working on my own music, I didn't have the chance to record in a big music studio, so I had to record everything myself.
I'm a musical theater guy. That's where I came from. That's where I go whenever I have the chance. It's my first love.
I love Cher Lloyd's music. I didn't actually hear her music as I was creating my own, but it's cool that we have styles that are considered to be similar.
I mean, what is music anyway? It's a form of communication - at least for me it is. And that's why I play the kind of music that I think - that I hope - can communicate with people.
I like to make the music that I really love. You're supposed to make your favorite music that no one else played, and I'd like to just keep it at that and not really change it at all.
Romantic music really stirs my soul. And, of course, I love Chinese music; it makes me feel closer to home.
I come from a world of hip-hop, but I love all types of music, and that's what Revolt will reflect. It will be home to electronic dance music, pop, hip-hop.
Baseball is meant to be a contemplative game. They play music to draw young people to the game. If young people can't come to the game without music, then they should stay home.
I love the history of popular music. I love to know what people are listening to, even if I don't like it.
Some music comes from a real place; some music comes from your imagination. It's difficult to find out what's real and what's not, especially with the gangster stuff.
There's so much you can do with laying words on a bed of music. You can completely change their meaning with the type of music or the way they're sung.
Besides my son, music is the most important thing to me. I always have music on in my car and playing at house, and I'm in the studio or performing every night. I like Beats by Dre for headphones, and Bang & Olufsen soundsystems.
Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, country music does.
