Jay, Kevin and myself are all rooted in black music. Although people like Dolly Parton, Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel had a definite influence on me, I was also heavily influenced by artists like Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis and Bob Marley. I wanted to honor those people with this record, hoping is would appeal to people of all colors and maybe bring us all a little closer. I don't care if I get criticized for it, that's what moves me. It was important for me to have us sing together on that particular song, symbolically unifying black and white.
Music is like that e. e. cummings's poem about the tiniest hands.
It works its way into your heart to touch you and make you feel. That's all I'm trying to do. Shortly afterward, she was invited by Peter Gabriel to perform on his 1992-93 world tour, which was followed by their release of '94s Harbinger that followed. Despite her exposure to various music and world-renowned artists, Paula maintains that her greatest influence has been her family. That's probably how it will be when I have kids.