I Picked Up The Guitar At 11,

I Found Myself In The Middle Of A Race Riot When I Was About 14 Years Old, And I Found Someone Pointing A Gun At Me And Telling Me To Run Or They'd Shoot Me.

As A Child I Always Had A Sense Of Social Conditions And Political Situations. I Think It Had To Do With The Fact That My Mother Was Always Discussing Things With My Sister And Me - Also Because I Read A Lot.

Growing Up In Cleveland, I Learned About Singing From My Mother, Who Had Once Sung Professionally And Who Admired Mahalia Jackson And Aretha Franklin.

You Got A Fast Car But Is It Fast Enough So We Can Fly Away We Gotta Make A Decision We Leave Tonight Or Live And Die This Way.

I Meet People In My Daily Life, People Who Seem To Experience Some Change And Some Growth On A Personal Level, And That Gives Me Hope.