Interview: Tamia, Singer and Songwriter - Page 5

I love performing in South Africa. The thing about being independent is the approach is different. I was ready with my deal with Gallo Records in South Africa before I was ready with my deal in the United States with Image Entertainment. Because of the Internet, the world has become so much smaller, so it just happened that way.

How do you want to be remembered 10 to 20 years down the road?

Honestly, I think that your kids are your legacy. No matter how great a singer I become, if people said, "Yes, she was a great singer but she was a bad mom," I would heartbroken. I would rather be remembered as a good mom, someone who tried to keep the balance, especially when it comes to family. That means a lot of juggling, trust me. It is not as easy as saying it, but life is about balance—finding it and holding on to it.

On a personal note, how is your battle with MS going?

It is going very well. I'm doing well.

Are there any particular foundations in the United States that you would like your fans to support or just be aware of?

My husband and I support different foundations. A lot of them are kid-related. I'm involved in the MS Society. I think it's important that people get as much awareness as possible.

Are there any other social issues that you would like your fans to rally behind?

Kids are a big one. They are our future. Anything that has to do with preventing child abuse is close to our hearts. When we had our own children, we came to understand how parents influence their children's lives. So we will always remain strong on child issues, child advocacy.

Since you brought up Grant before I did... [laughing] How do you feel about your marriage being idolized in the press as the picture-perfect relationship? Do you ever feel the burden of being a role model?

We just live our lives. Life is not picture-perfect. I have MS. Sometimes you get thrown curve balls and you just play the game. It is not a bed of roses all the time. It is about how you choose to look at things. It is easy to be nice and polite and friendly when life is going great, but you show your true colors through adversity. I am not saying that we are perfect; we are definitely not. We both are fighters. That is just what we do. If you have a battle, you want one of us on your team for sure.

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

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