Billie Holiday on Vocal Technique

Honest to God, I think this is the best advice for singers that I've ever read. I'm classically-trained, I've sung on stage and in the studio, but never have I heard anything that gets so urgently to the heart of a singer's mandate.

Technique? Whatever. Acrobatics? Whatever. Repertoire? Whatever.

Whatever you're doing, if it gets in the way of your telling the truth to your audience, throw it out. It's not easy, but it is simple.