I can still count on one hand the number of men I`ve slept with.

Never, never listen to anybody that tries to discourage you...

Never, never listen to anybody that try to discourage you.

I don`t think anyone knows as much about what`s right for me as I do.

My heart has never been broken, I`ve never broken anyone else`s.

I do not think I reinvent myself. Wearing my hair differently or changing my style of dress is playing dress-up. I don`t take it too seriously.

This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don`t ever give up! Never ever listen to anyone, when they try to discourage you, because they do that, believe me!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel... hopefully its not a freight train!

I don`t mind being compared to Whitney, there are people miles worse to be compared to.

I`m not one of those people that goes into details of my personal life on national TV to get attention. Some things are better left unsaid.

There was a time when all I was allowed to do was go to gay clubs, because my quote-unquote husband was so afraid of me being around straight people.

I`d rather be onstage with a pig - a duet with Jennifer Lopez and me just ain`t going to happen.

Whatever you`re going through in your life, don`t ever give up.

I hope to be around past the 90`s. I don`t want to just be categorized as one of this era. My goal is to have a career that stands.

If critics have problems with my personal life, it`s their problem. Anybody with half a brain would realize that it`s the charts that count.

Someone said I never paid any dues.I feel my whole life was struggling, because we were poor. We were alone, we had nothing--no security. I feel I have paid my dues. I`ve been paying my dues all my life.

In this world, I call the shots and I think I know best.

Basically, I started singing when I started talking. Music has just been my saving grace my whole life.

If you see me as just the princess then you misunderstand who I am and what I have been through.

One day I promised God that if he would give me my voice back I would never smoke again. I got three octaves back after quitting.

I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don`t even think about what I`ve achieved, I haven`t focused on it and I wish I had, because I really want to enjoy it, and I don`t know if I am enjoying it, because I am going through my life like a bulldozer. I still haven`t marveled at it. I don`t mind being compared to Whitney, there are people miles worse to be compared to, but if you really listen there`s a difference.

I always felt like the rug could be pulled out from under me at anytime. And coming from a racially mixed background, I always felt like I didn`t really fit in anywhere.

One person could say Hero is a schmaltzy piece of garbage, but another person can write me a letter and say, `I`ve considered commiting suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and I realized after all I can be my own hero.` And that, that`s an unexplainable feeling, like I`ve done something with my life, ya know?" - Mariah discusses the importance of her music.

My mother is Irish, my father is black and Venezuelan, and me - I`m tan, I guess.

Forget the image, forget the ensemble, forget the rumours, forget the short skirts, the big hair, whatever! I owe this to the fans and I will never forget you so I want to accept this award on behalf of all of you.

I was the world`s worst waitress.

I can remember when I told myself for the first time: `I`m going to be rich and famous`. I was about 5 or 6. I was in my mother`s car, an old green dirty car. My sister was there too. She was humming; she was about 15, she had just gotten married because she was pregnant. We were on a supermarket parking lot, and I was looking at the wealthy people through the window; I told myself `I am going to be a star and I`ll buy all these things for us.`

I`d humbly like to become an inspiration to the biracial kids, who are the population of the new millennium. I`m everything and nothing at the same time: white, black and Latino. If I`ve managed to be accepted, the others can do it, too.

I rarely go to bed before 5 or 6 am. I am a girl of the night. I hate getting up before 2pm. And when I get up, I don`t have breakfast, just a slice of pizza. I`m composing my songs in bed, because I`m getting inspired when I`m about to sink into sleep. The night inspires me.

"I don`t know why, but everybody thinks that I`m short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be obliged to raise their head." - on her height.

"Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress; I liked their little ensembles.... You`ve got to throw Farrah Fawcett in there, too. I had the Farrah doll. She was my little style inspiration." -on glamor influences

There was a time when all I was allowed to do was go to gay clubs, because my quote-unquote husband was so afraid of me being around straight people

And maybe there are some people out there who think a quarter Venezuelan is not a lot... Well, I may be only one quarter, but it`s a strong quarter.

I`ve always said that my father is half black and half Venezuelan and my mother is Irish. But people don`t understand. They can`t fathom that I`m African American, Venezuelan and Irish.

They went through some very hard times before I was born. They had their dogs poisoned, their cars set on fire and blown up. It put a strain on their relationship that never quit. There was always this tension. They just fought all the time. [On her parents` divorce]

Someone said I never paid any dues.I feel my whole life was struggling, because we were poor. We were alone, we had nothing--no security. I feel I have paid my dues. I`ve been paying my dues all my life

There`s never been anything else in my life that inspired me at all. It`s crazy, but I`ve always loved music and I`ve always known this was what I wanted to do. I can`t remember a time when I didn`t want to be a singer.

What I write is all from my imagination. Fact is, I haven`t had time to experience all that, but that doesn`t mean to say that I don`t write from the heart, because I do. I put myself in other women`s shoes, I can feel their pain and joy when I think about it. It`s all the same, we`re all women.

People all of a sudden just see me and hear me having hit records and it seems to have come out of the blue. But really I have been working towards this my whole life, and this is what I say when people say I haven`t paid my dues.

I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don`t even think about what I`ve achieved, I haven`t focused on it and I wish I had, because I really want to enjoy it, and I don`t know if I am enjoying it, because I am going through my life like a bulldozer. I still haven`t marveled at it. I don`t mind being compared to Whitney, there are people miles worse to be compared to, but if you really listen there`s a difference

It`s hard to be someone that people talk about and write about, you know? They don`t know me.

I decided to make my own ski-wear range after I found there were no fashion outfits for me to wear on the piste.

I`m not vain, I`m insecure.

A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don`t think that everybody wants to hear about that all the time.

I`m not one of those people that goes into details of my personal life on national TV to get attention. Some things are better left unsaid

Butterflies are always following me, everywhere I go.

"A lot of the time they (the media) form the idea in listeners` minds. Calling me a `pop diva` without listening to my work so when I come out with an urban song it`s like, `Pop diva goes black.` I mean, pur-lease." - Mariah from Hip Hop magazine

"One person could say "Hero is a schmaltzy piece of garbage, but another person can write me a letter and say, `I`ve considered commiting suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and I realized after all I can be my own hero.` And that, that`s an unexplainable feeling, like I`ve done something with my life, ya know?" - Mariah discusses the importance of her music

"Forget the image, forget the ensemble, forget the rumours, forget the short skirts, the big hair, whatever! I owe this to the fans and I will never forget you so I want to accept this award on behalf of all of you. We`ve come a long way and I feel like I`m just getting started. Because as an artist, and most importantly as a person, I am genuinely happy to finally be free to be who I am. Thank you." - Mariah sticks it to the critics at the 1999 Billboard Music Awards.

This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don`t ever give up! Never ever listen to anyone, when they try to discourage you, because they do that, believe me!" (Madison Square Garden, 1995)

"There is a light at the end of the tunnel...hopefully it`s not a freight train!"