I was considered one of RCA's brightest young people. Then one day, I found out we'd been sold. They didn't even consult me.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
You can't deny RCA's past and its history. I was also on Capitol Records, so I have that past history.
In 20 years I had sold more records for RCA than any artist except Elvis Presley.
The only reason I got into broadcasting was, I needed money to pay for my junior and senior years at college, and they hired me, those fools!
I was signed to RCA to be a country singer.
I went door-to-door selling cable television subscriptions when I was in college. Not to date myself, but cable was just coming on. I had terrible territories, and they would give me $25, if I got somebody to let them come and just put the little cord in their house.
I started singing when I was 18 and landed my first record deal with RCA when I was 26 after a lot of grafting singing in pubs and clubs.
I feel very lucky to get to fly the flag of RCA Records and Sony Music.
I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros.
By the age of 17, for me, we had got an recording contract, and, boom, I was gone.
I was signed by L.A. Reid on Arista Records when I was 16. He understood me and believed in me. Arista folded and I got put on RCA or whatever, then there were new people there, and every six months it changes and more new people come in.