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I went through all the musicians in my life who I admire as bright, intelligent, virtuosic players.

As an artist, I feel so fortunate to be able to learn from all these great musicians that came before me, when some people have nobody that came before them.

In the midst of hardship, it was the music that restored my soul.

When I left politics in the early Eighties and started writing and recording, my idea was that I could have an influence further down into other generations. That Natives could come into the culture through arts and music.

I progressed through so many different styles of music through my teen years, both as a player and a vocalist, particularly the jazz and pop of the early 20th Century.

Well, I am very happy that I was able to play a part in bringing music from the streets onto the radio and into modern culture, I worked very hard and always believed in the sounds I was creating.

I was introduced to soul music at a very young age - my mom was a soul singer.

People need to put my music in a perspective where they use other established artists from the past, and almost all the names I see related to my music are great musicians.

Like all soul singers, I grew up singing in church but sometimes I would leave early and sit in the car listening to gospel band, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Hearing their lead singer Clarence made me connect the idea of church and show business and see how I could make a career singing music that stirred the soul.

Had I not become entangled with music, I would have become an author much earlier.