“Because of my register, Miles Davis' trumpet playing has always been a...” — Philip Bailey Quote

Because of my register, Miles Davis' trumpet playing has always been a big influence on my singing. I've always been intrigued by the way he can start anywhere and make it right.

Jazz has always been my first love. It has this timeless effect on me. It's pretty odd that I didn't become a jazz musician. I went another way because I needed to earn a good living to support my large family.

I can't imagine my loved ones being in this world without anybody to turn to, without any support or encouragement, guidance in any shape, form or fashion. But there's such a large population of people and that's their plight. Through no fault of their own. Sometimes parents die, sometimes parents can't take care of them - all kinds of misfortunes.

When we came up, groups and bands and performers were interested in being their own thing. They wanted to make sure that they had their own identity.

I was working with the likes of Steve McQueen, Matthew McConaughey, Viola Davis, just running the gamut.

Ossie Davis was a man with great integrity, great honor and someone who I feel has done us all a great service just by being on the Earth.

Viola Davis, she does have a lot of TV acting jobs, and she's also a very, very accomplished stage actress.

I was very impressed with Davis Guggenheim's 'An Inconvenient Truth.' He's inspired me as one of the newer, cutting-edge documentary filmmakers. I see those films, and I'm just instinctively drawn to them.

Words cannot express my gratitude to Mark Davis and the Raider Nation.