Tiffany Darwish

I guess getting used to sleeping on the tour bus has been the hardest thing - that and settling for whatever food you can get on the road.

I hope my career will be long-term. It's not something I'm taking for granted, but we try to plan that way.

I want to take acting lessons first. But I'd love to find the right film, a 'Breakfast Club' kind of thing.

Like, it's fun for me to sing 'I Think We're Alone Now.' But when 'Could've Been' comes out as a single, that's a ballad and really shows my voice; then people will say, 'Hey, this girl really can sing.'

From the time I was 2, I told my mom I was going to be a singer. And she'd say, 'Sure, honey, and tomorrow you'll want to be a dancer.'

I write a lyric, but when I reread it, I think it's awful and either hide it or crumple it up.

I pinch myself daily.

At the end of the day, if you're still kickin', and you're still doin' what you love, and you still have a dream, that's all you need.

There was a lot of turmoil in my family.

I took being a mom very seriously.

When you become a mega-icon overnight, there's no way to keep that intensity continually going.

I've always wanted to be a singer, since as far back as I can remember.

My parents were divorced when I was 2, so I don't remember much about them being together.

Some artists don't want to be involved in anything outside the performing. They'll say, 'You make the decisions and tell me what to do.' I want to be in on all of it. If there's a meeting where commitments are made that I have to carry out, I want to be there.

When I was growing up, I wanted to dress like a lot of my idols, but I simply couldn't afford it, or my mother would say, 'Too much make-up' or 'It's too old for you.' So all I've ever worried about is that my fans could relate to me, and as a teenager with the same tastes and interests.

Over the years, I grew up as a person and made mistakes and had a great time and had a baby, kind of grew as a person and as an artist.

As a performer, you're constantly re-branding.

Singing pop music was not something I planned, but I managed to do it.

It was Stevie Nicks who made the biggest impression and really resonated with me. I found her intriguing and liked her voice. Her songs were kind of mysterious, and she was a woman in a rock band.

When you're a little girl, living your dreams, even tiny little stages in someone's backyard are amazing.

I have a stepfather who isn't around just because he wants to be with my mother and sisters. There's more to it. He's around for the money. He's proven that in a lot of ways. And my mom loves him. And that's not wrong. But when it interferes with my career and my business and becomes a threat to me, there's a problem.

I shop all over. I love to shop.

My image is jeans. An oversize sweat shirt. T-shirt. A pair of boots or sneakers. Very simple. And that's what I feel comfortable in.

My image in general is real casual.

I think of God as, well, sort of a friend or something I need. Like the way I need my fans.

Let's face it: Robert Plant is hot!

I'm all about showing people what I can really do in country music. Give me a mic and let me perform, and I'll prove it to you.

I want to play the Grand Ole Opry for sure. And I want to meet and play with people like Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill.

I actually did my first tour at the age of 10 with my dad, and it was as a country singer. We toured through Alaska, and he took me to sing at places like county fairs, hoedowns, backyard barbecues, you name it. We were usually passing around the hat for gas money to get to the next gig.

'I Think We're Alone Now' is one of the all-time great songs.

'I Think We're Alone Now' just makes people feel good. It became a teen anthem twice. How cool is that?

I grew up on the West Coast during the '80s. But I wasn't a 'valley girl,' since I grew up in Norwalk, which was filled with Latina girls.

New Jersey was like home for me the first time I was there.

Before I even got signed as a teen, I was singing with people like Hoyt Axton and Mickey Gilley. I worked with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

I think the biggest thing, for me, was just to be recognized as a songwriter.

I wanted to be known as a better musician more than anything.

I am a redhead and was a tomboy for many years.

I've always really been a big fan of rock music. I wanted to record rock music when I was 14 or 15, but I was too young; it would have been ridiculous.

I toured all over the world, I have die-hard fans, and I had my dreams come true.

I love everything by Led Zeppelin.

My best friend was crazy about Culture Club. She had posters everywhere. She joined the fan club. She knew everything about them. No one else sounds like Boy George, and I have great memories of singing along in her bedroom.

For a lot of people, I will always be the mall girl, and that's OK. That was my start. But I can do so much more than that.

Obviously, I wore a lot of crazy things on stage. That's just how it goes.

I'm a live performer, through and through. That's when I really get to shine.

I didn't want to record 'I Think We're Alone Now,' because I thought it wouldn't show that I could actually sing.

It's annoying when people go, 'I didn't know you could actually sing.'

Because my early music was heavily produced, people assume my voice was also heavily produced.

I'm not a one-hit wonder who got lucky. This really is my life. I was born with this talent, and this is what I meant to be. I'm totally grateful.

I went to Nashville when I was 10. Tried to get a record deal. Everybody was like, 'You're 10. It's not gonna happen. Come back later.'

I do love the social-media aspect of working records nowadays. You can do a video and put it up on social media, and people check you out who would never check you out before. I think it's much cooler that you can just get the product right to the fans.