Leslie Uggams

Since I turned 18, I have never missed a vote for president. If you don't vote, you don't get the right to complain.

— Leslie Uggams

We were surrounded by people who saw that in me. Milton Berle's mother told my mother, 'She has talent.'

— Leslie Uggams

It's wonderful to get fabulous reviews, certainly. But at the same time, I know some shows that got fabulous reviews and the…

— Leslie Uggams

We used to walk to school, or take the subway. Nobody thought the worst of taking the subways. In fact, you could…

— Leslie Uggams

I remember I was doing a movie with Charlton Heston, and the director said to me, 'Why do you wanna do acting?…

— Leslie Uggams

A lot of my actor friends say 'You know what? If I ever come back in another life I'm coming back as…

— Leslie Uggams

Nobody thought in racial lines. At least, not in our neighborhoods. Everybody looked out for everybody else. Each mother took it upon…

— Leslie Uggams

Everybody wanted to play the Apollo and have that on your resume. I played the Apollo up until I was 16 years…

— Leslie Uggams

I had an aunt Eloise, my father's sister who was on Broadway in 'The Blackbirds of 1928,' then she did a stint…

— Leslie Uggams

I worked with a comic at the Apollo, and his jokes weren't so good. So people used to bring groceries to the…

— Leslie Uggams

The audience at the Apollo took no prisoners. They would boo you in a second. It was better than any schooling that…

— Leslie Uggams

My husband and I were having dinner with my son and I said to him, 'I'm going to be doing this movie…

— Leslie Uggams

My Aunt Eloise Uggams was my first inspiration. She performed on Broadway, and when I was 10 years old, I saw her…

— Leslie Uggams

TV is my true love.

— Leslie Uggams

I have no life off the stage.

— Leslie Uggams

My career is so eclectic.

— Leslie Uggams

I came from a musical family.

— Leslie Uggams

I never smoked.

— Leslie Uggams

To each generation I represent something else.

— Leslie Uggams

Some of my nicest fan letters came from white Southerners.

— Leslie Uggams

I was a ham. I loved singing and performing.

— Leslie Uggams

Oh, I love Blind Al. She says exactly what she thinks.

— Leslie Uggams

After I turned 12, I didn't work for three years.

— Leslie Uggams

I like challenges - and I also like to be different.

— Leslie Uggams

I like exploring and taking risks.

— Leslie Uggams

Most of my stuff has been in the theater world.

— Leslie Uggams

I always like to reinvent myself. I don't like to repeat the same ol' same ol'.

— Leslie Uggams

I went on 'Name That Tune' thinking I'd use my prize money to go to college.

— Leslie Uggams

I like to keep my mind sharp, so I do crossword puzzles and games on my iPad.

— Leslie Uggams

To see a musical with mostly black actors, even at 10 I knew that was special.

— Leslie Uggams

It's great material that I've been able to do, and we have 'Fallout,' which is another one that I'm doing.

— Leslie Uggams

You can't just sit around waiting for a good script. You can wait forever.

— Leslie Uggams

I've loved reading since I was a kid. Sometimes I have two or three books going at the same time.

— Leslie Uggams

My career has always been like that - somebody will give me a call, and there I go.

— Leslie Uggams

Even as a child. I got my first break very early when I won an amateur contest at the Apollo. They couldn't…

— Leslie Uggams

There was always music in our house and my mother was a Cotton Club dancer for a short time. But they never…

— Leslie Uggams

We did the duet of 'The Lady is a Tramp' and that is on YouTube. That was a fun, great experience to…

— Leslie Uggams

Back when I started getting popular when it came to my singing, I never wanted to just settle for that. I wanted…

— Leslie Uggams

You know what I pay attention to? Butts in the seats. That's what my mother used to say: 'Are there butts in…

— Leslie Uggams

Kizzy is way up there, one of my favorite roles. And today, Kizzy is part of history. 'Roots' told a story that…

— Leslie Uggams