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Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige Quotes

Singer-songwriter

Mary J. Blige is an American singer-songwriter renowned for her emotional voice and unique musical style, often referred to as the 'Queen of Soul'. Born on January 11, 1971, she has made a significant impact in the R&B and soul genres with her fusion of R&B, soul, and pop elements. Blige's music career began in the early 1990s, and she has since achieved widespread commercial and critical acclaim.

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All Knows People Ifs Want Believe Song Giving I Can Thinking Mary

Famous Mary J. Blige Quotes

“I can go out raw with nothing, and my fans would still be happy, but I feel that I owe it to them to give them almost like a Broadway musical at this point in my life. I have to give them something more, so I do have to think of different ways to do it.”

Thinking Way Giving Feels Stills I Can Different Fans Musical Different Ways Broadway Broadway Musical

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I cannot save the world, that's not what I'm trying to do. I guess I'm just trying to walk the walk and be an example to those that want it. Not everybody does, but if Mary J Blige can come out of that same hole you were in, then you can do it too - that's my goal: to do that without saying it, but actually live it.”

Ifs World Want Trying Doe Goal Can Do Walks Example Holes Mary You Can Do It Save The World Mary J Blige

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I grew up watching MTV, when Journey was huge, when Pat Benatar had 'Love Is a Battlefield,' and my friends and I used to cut school to watch this woman in the video. We loved Pat Benatar.”

School Used Love Is Watches Cutting Journey Huge Grew Grew Up My Friends Video Battlefields Mtv

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I had to learn how to trust my gut. Trust what I know to be right... not right, but not waver on who I am. Know who I am, know what I want, and know it. Not waver on it and be secure in that. And I still struggle with it. But I really... I can't be moved. You can't move me, and that all comes with loving myself, and I'm like my best buddy.”

Knows Want Stills I Can Moving Struggle Moved Who I Am Secure Guts Buddy Loving Myself Best Buddies

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I have to have lemon and honey. I have to have apple cider vinegar, Braggs. And I have to have either Red Vines or Twizzlers. These things, you know, are the things that help my vocal performance.”

Knows Helping Red Performances Apples Honey Vocal Vines Lemons Vinegar Cider Apple Cider

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I just want fans to walk away knowing that no matter what's going on, no matter how happy you are, no matter how sad you are, we did it. We're strong in this. We've come a long way, and life is not just one thing.”

Way Want Long Matter Life Is Strong Walks Knowing One Thing Fans No Matter What Just One Long Way

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I like hanging out with me, and I've accepted everything about me good, bad whatever it is. That's why I'm able to, that's why no one can tell me anything negative about myself.”

Able Negative Accepted Hanging Out

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I started speaking about what I was dealing with through my music, and 4 million women responded and said, 'Us too, Mary.' And I didn't know that everyone was hurting like I was hurting. I had no idea.”

Knows Said Ideas Hurt Millions No Idea Mary

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in all of my hotel rooms.”

Needs Stills Rooms Drink Singing Nervous Tea Hotel Concerts Honey Candle Lemons Hotel Rooms Scented Candles

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I think women should band together to get us more respect in all the businesses that we're in because, you know, if we turn 40, we're nothing and nobody. We all should band together and just say we're not gonna go down like that.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Should Together Turns Band

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I used to think I was ugly. I thought I looked like a camel. A person who doesn't love themselves, they will see anything that pops up on their face. I've seen squirrels, I've seen a bird, and I've seen all kinds of animals on my face. But that is the result of self-hate. I've learned to say: 'You know what? I am a beautiful black woman'.”

Thinking Knows Kind Persons Self Beautiful Faces Used Hate Black Animal Results Bird Ugly Pops All Kinds I've Learned Black Women Squirrels Camels Self Hate

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I wish I had known that education is the key. That knowledge is power. Now I pick up books and watch educational shows with my husband. I'm seeing how knowledge can elevate you.”

Book Shows Wish Known Watches Seeing Keys Husband Picks Educational My Husband Knowledge Is Power Knowledge And Power

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I'm my worst critic, and I like the fact that I can listen to myself now and make fun of myself, listen, make changes - 'Oh, man, that's messed up. Okay, I need to work on that; I need to work on this.'”

Men Needs I Can Facts Fun Worst Okay Critics Making Changes Messed Up

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I’ve done well, I’ve been disappointed, and I think it all goes back to you. Of course the labels are going to be the labels. It’s the music business. You are a business. That’s what they do. So you’ve got to protect yourself.”

Thinking Wells Done Courses Protect Labels Disappointed Music Business Protect Yourself

Author:Mary J. Blige

“It hurts a lot when you cannot really comprehend what a person is saying in a meeting, or you don't even understand what you're reading in your contract.”

Persons Reading Hurt Meetings Contracts It Hurts

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Just don't let the hype of what people are saying and how much they love you, y'know, just take the compliment and be thankful that people are complimenting you, but don't let it consume you; don't let your circumstances around you and the way people view you make you act a certain way.”

People Knows Way Certain Views Love You Circumstances Compliment Being Thankful Hype

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Life is full of trials and tribulations. It's dramatic when you don't treat people right when you're in the tribulations, but I know now how to get out of it. You have to make a decision to say 'No more', and then you know what to do when the trials happen.”

People Knows Happens Life Is Decision Treats Trials Dramatic Tribulation Trials And Tribulations

Author:Mary J. Blige

“My main exercise is cardio. The treadmill is fine, but running outdoors gives me the best results. I try to log 6 to 8 miles a week. I could be in the worst mood, but when I do my cardio, I feel much, much better.”

Giving Feels Trying Running Results Week Worst Fine Exercise Give Me Miles Mood Treadmills Cardio Cardiovascular Exercise 8 Mile

Author:Mary J. Blige

“No one intimidates me because I'm not trying to do what you do, because I can't do what you do. I can only do what Mary J. Blige can do, so that relaxes me right there, and it gets me out of the competition and that whole thing.”

Trying I Can Whole Can Do Competition Relax Mary Because I Can Intimidating Mary J Blige

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Nowadays, with the state of the music business, for any artist, whether you're up-and-coming or you've been in it for awhile, you have to explore different revenues and different ways of expressing yourself.”

Way Different States Artist Different Ways Revenue Music Business Express Yourself

Author:Mary J. Blige

“So as long as I'm a human being and I'm not perfect, I'm able to say I'm having some growing pains. Because in order to sustain where you are once you made such a breakthrough that everyone is looking at you, now everyone is like, 'Ooh, is she gonna make a mistake?' Yes, I'm going to make a mistake. Yes, I'm still gonna do things.”

Humans Long Made Stills Able Pain Order Human Beings Perfect Mistake Growing Where You Are Breakthrough Not Perfect I'm Not Perfect Growing Pains

Author:Mary J. Blige

“This music business can suck all the love out of you, all the compassion for people - you can start to think you're better than them. But I want to continue to let people know that I'm no better and no worse, I'm just like you.”

People Thinking Knows Want Compassion Like You Music Business

Author:Mary J. Blige

“When someone comes up to me and says, 'Mary, you helped save my marriage', or, 'Mary, you helped me get out of this abusive relationship', I'm in it, really in their lives. And I'm so passionate about my feelings, but also about showing people the way through theirs.”

People Way Feelings Passionate Come Up Mary Abusive Abusive Relationship

Author:Mary J. Blige

“You can't get around pain and opposition, but you can try to be joyful in the trial, and thank yourself for the trial, and thank God for the strength to get through it.”

Trying Pain Trials Opposition Thank God Joyful

Author:Mary J. Blige

“We are all spirits. We get depressed. But music makes you want to live. I know my music has saved my life.”

Knows Want Spirit Depression Saved

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I blame my mother for nothing, but forgive her for everything.”

Inspirational Motivational Mother Healthy Blame Suicide Forgiving Well Being Suicidal Thoughts

Author:Mary J. Blige

“The streets respect me because I kept it real with me. You gotta be real with yourself, and the streets recognize game.”

Real Games Streets Being Real Respect Me

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Then my life crashed and burned down: trials, men, drama, no self-love, no identity. A little identity, but not a lot of love for myself, my life.”

Men Littles Self Identity Self Love Drama Trials Burned

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Working in the studio is a more personal experience whereas on stage in front of a billion people, its more exciting performing live.”

People Stage Fronts Exciting Studios Billions Performing Personal Experiences Performing Live

Author:Mary J. Blige

“As far as men go, they never gave me a chance to be me; they were always scared that somebody was going to take me.”

Men Chance Scared Take Me

Author:Mary J. Blige

“The important thing is to realize that no matter what people's opinions may be, they're only just that - people's opinions. You have to believe in your heart what you know to be true about yourself. And let that be that.”

People Knows Believe Heart May Important Matter Realizing Opinion No Matter What Important Things Being True About Yourself Believe In You

Author:Mary J. Blige

“My responsibility to God is to live. That's the gift he gave me. What I do with it is up to me.”

Author:Mary J. Blige

“When I was a child I didn't care about getting an education, and I didn't finish high school.”

Children Care School High School

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I mean, I know my heart is not clean, and your heart is not clean, and none of our urban hearts are clean. But you can be washed again.”

Knows Heart Mean My Heart Clean Urban

Author:Mary J. Blige

“If you're looking for inner peace from the outside world, you're not going to get that. The inner peace starts with looking at you from the inside. Understanding that everything that comes to you is what you are. Everything from friends to boyfriends to the job you get - it's all a direct reflection of what you are on the inside.”

Ifs World Jobs Understanding Work Reflection Direct Inner Peace Outside World

Author:Mary J. Blige

“When I was five years old I was molested and just, you know. I remember feeling, literally right before it happened, I just could not believe that this person was going to do this to me. That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault - it led me to believe I wasn't worth anything.”

Thinking Knows Years Believe Persons Feelings Remember Five Happened Shame Faults Five Years Five Year Olds Molestation

Author:Mary J. Blige

“It's OK showing yourself some love.”

Author:Mary J. Blige

“For the first time in my life, I'm proud of myself”

“I'm searching for a real love.”

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I like what I see when I'm looking at me when I'm walking past the mirror.”

Past Walking Mirrors

Author:Mary J. Blige

“Negative words are powerful boomerangs so be careful what you say about people and yourself.”

People Powerful Negative Careful Be Careful Boomerang Negative Words Careful What You Say

Author:Mary J. Blige

“It's that first step-getting out the door-that's the toughest. If you can do that, you've already won.”

Ifs Firsts Can Do Steps Doors First Steps Already Won

Author:Mary J. Blige

“In your life there's peaks and valleys and sometimes we regress, and we don't even know we regress. You just have to learn how to accept all of your mistakes and learn to love yourself again.”

Knows Sometimes Mistake Accepting Love You Valleys Love Yourself Learn To Love Yourself Peaks And Valleys

Author:Mary J. Blige

“It's up to us to choose whether we win or lose...and I choose to win.”

Winning Loses God Knows Win Or Lose Only God Knows

Author:Mary J. Blige

“If you're looking for inner peace from the outside world, you're not going to get that. The inner peace starts with looking at you from the inside.”

Ifs World Inner Peace Outside World

Author:Mary J. Blige

“I care about me now. When I didn't care about me, I was, like, 'Why is this going wrong? Why is my life so bad?' But when you don't care about yourself, nobody else is going to care about you. So I learned to love myself, even if nobody else does.”

Ifs Doe Care Don't Care About Yourself I Care Love Myself

Author:Mary J. Blige

About the Author

Born: January 11, 1971
Known for: Singer-songwriter
Quotes: 146

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Knows People Ifs Want Believe Song Giving I Can Thinking Mary

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

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