he said, "david ruffin. do you know him?" i said, "i knew david ruffin when he was sober." and the song came up from there, you know? >> hinojosa: bettye, you talk about, you know, your life, and people talk about your life as this story of kind of redemption and triumph after the struggle. do you see it the same way? you know, when you stand back and look at your life, is it really this story of triumph, and what is the message then of bettye lavette's... not her music, but of her life, for the rest of us? >> it is redemption. i feel absolutely redeemed. and i had the opportunity, fortunately enough, to see all the people that i wanted to see me and have them see how i held on. i won't go on to name them all, but i've been put in three very big situations where there were people there who i grew up with, who have just been very, very big all of my struggle. and they had a chance to see me in a size six, and they weren't, with a very strong voice, and their's wasn't. and that was redeeming. >> hinojosa: wow. so you're kind of looking and saying... >> yeah, and then, you kno