I was brought up by a single mom in a poor town in Arkansas and while some aspects of small-town life were really positive – like the fact that everyone there is really sweet and hospitable – there is also this close-minded mentality, and that naturally made me want to rebel. – Beth Ditto

When I moved out of my moms house at 18 I was almost as sad to leave her sewing machine behind as anything else. – Beth Ditto

Aretha Franklin was a teenage mom, a musician who came from an incredibly Christian background, but there was a lot of love, which is really inspiring in a feminist way. – Beth Ditto