How widely have you traveled? "You know, I've been around the world so many times I'm dizzy. I've been, most recently, to Asia, before that I was in Paris and Istanbul, and then I was doing those cruises for a while. I went to Russia. I think I deserve to be called 'international' because I've spent so much time abroad."

What's the average age of the passengers on those cruises? "The ages are quite varied--I'd say between 40 and 65, 40 and 100. Some people know they're going to die, so they decide to go on a cruise, finally. I got a little antsy on those cruises; when you go into ports of call you only get to stay a couple of hours, then off you go to another city."

Has anyone keeled over before your eyes? "No, but I've given several people heart attacks--and that is not a laughing matter. Usually because they misinterpreted something I was doing."

Like what? "Like once the zipper in my dress broke--I was on a date--and the guy thought I was making a come-on to him. I said, 'Oh my gosh the zipper just broke on my dress,' and he said, 'I'm having a heart attack.'"

How old was this man? "Oh, he was in his 60s. He had a heart condition anyway. That was back in the early days, when I was in San Francisco, singing at a bar called the Orange Duck. In my salad days."

How old were you at the time? "I was 20, or 19. I wasn't legal."

And you were dating a guy in his 60s? "Yeah, well, I had a crush on him. He was a guy in the bar who... it was the beginning of my career. He reminded me of my father and I was homesick. He was an old Italian man."

Did he survive? "I remember I had to call the fire department. As they were hauling him away on a stretcher, he pulled a handful of money out of his pocket and said, 'Take a taxi home.' That's the story of my life."

Is that the worst date you ever had? "Well, I considered it one of the best."

Interview by Bret Fetzer