I'm On A Diet. It's Very Strict:

My Size Has Helped Make Me An Amazing Performer Too. The Cliche Of The Funny Fat Friend: I Absolutely Was That Character - I Am That Character... It's A Complicated Bag Of Tools I Acquired, And I've Put Them All To Work Onstage.

I Was Given Baby Doll Toys Myself, And They Proved A Stark Reminder That My Life Was Expected To Revolve Around Childbearing - Just As My Mom's Had Before Me, And Her Mom's Had Before Her.

I'm On A Diet. It's Very Strict: All Hot Dogs. Just Sausages, Constantly. It's Working Out - I've Gained Fifteen Pounds!

There Is Something To Be Said For People Who Have To Work Hard, Be Creative, Produce What They Have With Little - Or No - Means. Those Of Us From Poor Homes Have The Advantage Of Thinking For Ourselves And Of Knowing That When Times Get Hard, Things Could Always Be Worse.

I've Never Had A Very Quiet Voice. I Tried In Choir To Make It Smaller, And It Just Didn't Work Out. And I Listened To A Lot Of Soul Music When I Was Growing Up On My Own Accord. But I Was Mostly Into Mama Cass And Gladys Knight, And They All Had Big Voices Too; Just Different Than Mine.