My mom would give me a piece to play but I wouldn't do any theory because when it came time to do it I would sneak back upstairs and watch TV. So I had these kind of nonchalant lessons for years then it just started soaking in.

I would go visit my mom on Sundays and my brother was working on stuff. I'd go in there and sing a little melody then we started working with words and the next thing you know it was just born organically without really trying.

My mom started smoking when she was 11. She went to the hill next door to try her first cigarette. She set the entire hill on fire but it didn't deter her.

My mom cooked pot roast with noodles and frozen vegetables. Or she'd make spaghetti or hot dogs, or heat up TV dinners. Before I started modeling at age 19, I was 5'8" and weighed 165 pounds.

My mother kept asking me 'When are you going to do a gospel album?' And I've always wanted to do a gospel album. Everybody was going on about it so mom started hounding me more.

My mom had started to go to work when I was nine or ten so I was aware of women trying to find their own identities by working. But I was still influenced by men to such an extreme. I wanted to play their games and wanted to compete in their world and be like them.

My mom passed away a day before high school started and her dream was for me to be a full rock and roll guy and play drums in a band.

Ever since I was a little kid I've felt comfortable in a suit. It all started when my mom bought me a three-piece Pierre Cardin suit. I wore that thing everywhere. Eventually I realized I was going to be the kid who got beat up in school but I kept wearing it.

I didn't understand that I could sing until I was like 11 or 12. My mom heard me singing around the house and she said What are you doing? You really can sing! So then I started going to school and singing to the girls.

I started cooking when I was about 10. I have memories like when I was 6 or 7 with my mom and when I was 12 I started getting real serious about cooking.