Like all soul singers I grew up singing in church but sometimes I would leave early and sit in the car listening to gospel band The Blind Boys of Alabama. Hearing their lead singer Clarence made me connect the idea of church and show business and see how I could make a career singing music that stirred the soul.
I think opera has gained a kind of glamorous appeal. It's a live performance that aligns all of the arts and when it is represented in the media in film in particular it is presented as something that is really a special event whether it's a great date or something that's just hugely romantic.