“My aunts and uncles were like: ‘You’ve got such a great voice – why don’t you try out for American Idol?’ I’d say: ‘Because I’m a songwriter, not a puppet.’ Even if I won and became really successful off a show like that, I’d be miserable. I’d rather be a poor singer/songwriter doing what I love than get rich from selling my soul.”
—Mark Foster
And I Am Telling You (Snippet)
Amber RileyAmber Riley singing “And I Am Telling You” for her audition. Did you know she’d never sung that song before her audition?
I sang “Sweet Thang” by Chaka Khan and [Robert Ulrich] was like “Well, do you think you can sing ‘And I Am Telling You’?” and I froze, cause I’ve never sang that song. Never attempted to sing anything that big because I never thought of my voice as big like that, and when I opened my mouth I was so surprised at what came out. I was like “woah”. Like, I surprised myself when I sang it. I didn’t think that it was going to come out good (laughs). But I sang it, and he kinda took me around to all of the other casting directors and made me sing for them. ~ Amber Riley during her interview with Julie James
Radioactive
Marina & The DiamondsMarina & The Diamonds - Radioactive
