Roy Acuff was a big hero for me, and I was so sad when he passed. It's hard as you get older to lose your friends and family.
People often say that having a family makes you make safer choices. It's been the total opposite for me. It's really made me want to make bolder choices.
I am always exhausted; I am always trying to find more time to be with my family, which is why they travel with me so much.
I realised when I sang at family parties and Christmases I'd suddenly get everyone's attention, and, being the youngest of three, I thought what a brilliant attention-seeking ploy it was.
My mother was from West Bromwich; my grandfather was Pakistani. I had an aunt who started trying to trace the family tree and stopped when she saw what turned up.
I grew up playing music and enjoying good food, friends and family in my own backyard.
Eventually, when I sell enough units, as they say in the record business, I will stop touring. I'll concentrate on what I like to do... stay in the studio.
We are a business, and you do a little of what you think's right, pay your bills, and attract... a single record attracts attention to your concerts and your albums.
We've never performed the song live outside of recording it in the studio. That was a dream come true because Whitney, she's an icon and she's been one of my main mentors in this business.
There are very few people that I deal with from a business side that it's just strictly a one-sided business relationship. I think that's important.
We went through this business of me writing out all the parts for these old songs from Gravity and Speechless and we'd been performing that, but we don't do that any more.
I'm all in favor of banks that play their part in community endeavors, private individuals looking for loans, people who want to start up a little business, and that's what banks are for.
By 1969, when I celebrated 45 years in the music business, I also had 45 people in our musical family.
Most of my relationships have been like that - with record companies. I've never had a legitimate business relationship with a company. I've always had a personal relationship with someone in the company.
The proposal is the only thing that the guy has control over in the entire wedding deal. It is your one chance to make this moment stand out, not only for you, but for her.
My mom and dad put my brother and sister through university and they were very keen for us to have an academic background just to give us a chance.
I can wear a sexy dress to any red carpet event. My wedding is my chance to go all the way and wear a princess silhouette.
What's cool about Twitter is that you can make a joke about something very of-the-moment or random that I wouldn't be able to joke about in stand-up.
I have actor friends, but they're not famous. I feel like if you're an actor or - famous, you have to overly prove that you're a normal, cool person.
If you're going to walk out of the house in jeans and T-shirt, what can you do to make that interesting? Is it putting on a bright-colored pair of high-tops or a cool leather jacket?
I am the oldest of seven. Do my siblings think I'm super cool? I wish they thought I was super cool!
