Alberta Hunter

“You're never too old to do what you want to do.”

“I'm going to sing the blues and I'm going to make you like it.”

“You can’t do good work if you’re not choosing your own music. You have to be able to do what you want.”

“When you are not chirping, you are dead.”

“God gives you a gift, and it's up to you to use it.”

“I'm a good example of what a person can do if they just keep on trying.”

“My mother told me two things. One was to be a lady and the other was to be independent.”

“I never think about age. I just do my job. If I can’t do it, I quit.”

“The audience is my life. They are my blood.”

“Got the 'Downhearted Blues,' gee, but I'm feelin' bad. Got the 'Downhearted Blues,' the worst old feelin' I ever had.”

“Honey, I'm a show.”

“To me, the blues are almost a religion. It's like the songs of Zion.”