I was stranded in Disco. I went to dozens of darkened places with enough flashing lights to drive the average person mad. I felt lost in the pulse of sheer panic.

The morning after my high-school graduation found me up early job hunting. The dream of college I put on the back burner.

Berry Gordy turned his house into a studio and discovered over 30 acts in the city. And we're famous all over the world.

I have always thought music as a way out of the ordinary mundane obligations of life.

My mother recognized my artistic talent and looked for someone to teach me to grow my abilities. She found an artist on the street who sent his daughter, Umba, over to begin teaching me when I was only three years of age.

I can understand why immigrants would want to bring the rest of their extended family here, including older ones who will benefit from our health-care system.

My family is very creative. My grandfather played the guitar in Cuba. My sisters, my mom and two aunts would do harmonies, so I would see them and think, 'I want the attention.'

Unions have been under attack for quite some time, and I think a lot of the jobs that we need to create in this country need to be union jobs. People want to be able to get a job that they can rely on to feed their family and pay their bills.