Blue oblivion, largely lit, smiled and smiled at me.
I was never one of those surly teenagers who doesn't smile. My lovely godfather said it was always lovely to see me because I was the only teenager who smiled. And I was so in awe of him, I thought it was one of the best things anyone had ever said to me. So it made me want to live up to what he said.
When I first asked my boxing coach, two-time Olympic champion Hector Vinent, what made the Cuban style of fighting distinct from the rest of the world, he smiled and told me to sit on a bench in Prado and watch the Cuban women walk.
Destiny smiles upon me but without making me the least bit happier.
My parents raised me to treat people the way you would want to be treated and to be polite. Sometimes, when I get nervous or insecure, I might overcompensate and might not be totally true to what I am feeling inside. But I get nervous and maybe too smiley and polite.
There have been times in my career when people thought I was a pushover, especially as they saw me as this smiley guy.
My label, my genre, my everything is happy sad - I do a smiley face with eyes on both sides. So basically to me, it's totally okay to be happy and sad at the same time, it's totally okay just to be sad, it's totally okay to be happy.
I've actually got turned down for a lot of roles because I'm not bubbly enough. People have told me to be more 'up', but I can't, really. I find it hard to be smiley and giggly all the time.
It's two guys in particular. Norman Smiley, he got his hands on me the day I walked in the door - started teaching me the fundamentals and teaching me things that I use - but Billy Gunn, that guy has helped me evolve more than anyone.
People see me high-fivin' and smiling on the court, and they don't think that's me. But it is. I just want to go out and be myself.
I read a book every night. I really am that nerd, so when I get to go to the Smithsonian and get to go in the back rooms and play with stuff, things like that, for a guy like me, that's amazing.
When I look someone in the eye, they are immediately smitten with me.
My voice has always been kind of distinct - even when I was four years old, my mom told me that people would be like, 'Why does your daughter always sound like a chain smoker?' I've always had this deep, raspy voice.
I love to smoke things; there's usually something always in the pot outside. That smell of something in the smoker just reminds me of home.
I'm a pretty decent cook. I like to grill. I have a smoker that I love. I love me some steak. And I'll make a huge salad with a ton of vegetables.
When I first got to Motown, Smokey was already a fixture there. To me, he is one of the greatest songwriters and poets, so anything they ask me to do for Smokey is going to get a yes.
Everybody who I ever cared about has told me that they like my music: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Al Green, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson. Everybody that matters.
I love Motown, that whole era. Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson. I just put on Pandora, and put it on Motown, and it makes me smile; makes me smile so much.
Get me well so I can get on television and tell people to stop smoking.
I am happy with my skin, and I'm proud of my skin, which is why I wear it so boldly. But if a job wanted me to, say, try a smoky eye and cover the vitiligo around my eye, I wouldn't have a problem with that.
