She’s the Virgin Mary of soul,” I explain to my friends at my band’s gig the night before I am to interview Mary J. Blige. Everyone agrees. Including the three shots of tequila and four bottles of beer, which seem to settle right into my stomach. And my brain. Quite comfortably.

The next morning, of course, is a different story. While Mary’s angelic voice still rings true in my head, the alcohol blurts out with disturbing cries from very south of heaven.

I arrive at her hotel near New York’s Central Park in almost perfect condition. Except for the shakes, nausea, headache and complete nervousness about meeting the voice behind the golden clouds.

Eventually her publicist and bodyguards bring me before the woman behind the best hip-hop/R&B/soul CD I’ve heard in years. Mary’s new album, Love & Life (Geffen Records), which last month debuted atop Billboard’s album chart, is right up there with her groundbreaking 1992 debut, What’s the 411?, and her wonderful follow-up My Life. So there I am, in front of the woman who writes songs for Aretha Franklin and is best friends with Elton John. When I open my mouth to finally speak, some pretty strange stuff comes out.

But it’s all okay. Like I said, she is the Virgin Mary. So maybe I’ll be absolved. If not, it was still worth it.
Ouch!

Sorry to shake your hand so hard. My band played last night, and I’m a little hung over.

[Laughs] Oh, my! Do you want some coffee?

I had some, thanks. I’m just trying to get my brain together.

That’s cool, man.

Okay—I’m looking at your name here. What does Mary stand for?

[Pause] Mary.  

Doh. The new album is great and your voice has never sounded better....

Thanks!

And sexier….

Wow!

And steamier. So I’m wondering where you got all this inspiration. What’s going on in your life that makes you sound so hot now? Got something new?

Yeah. [Laughs] Confidence. Confidence and love for me. And that drew to me someone even sexier, and that’s my fiancé. He’s really a smart guy and, well, you know, skip the sex part, but he has just like blown me away. I’m attracted to his mind; I’m attracted to his confidence in himself.

Whoa. How long have you guys been together?

Three years. We’ll get married in however long it takes.

Cool. The song on your new album ‘Let Me Be the 1’ features you and 50 Cent. Has anyone ever told him his correct name should be 50 Cents?

[Laughs] I don’t even know what you are talking about.

Moving on...how was it working with Sean Combs again? It has been quite a while.

It has been a great learning experience. I learned a lot about myself working with him again. I learned I need to calm the emotion down when I want to get my point across. From a business standpoint, it has been great watching him. He is a teacher and a businessman. And I’m not talking about just the studio—I’m talking about business. I’m talking about papers and things that I didn’t know. So he has schooled me about a lot of stuff.

You’re from the Bronx, right?

I was born in the Bronx but lived in Yonkers.

Same difference. Yankees or Mets?

Right.

No, whom do you like better? The Yankees or the Mets?

I don’t watch baseball. I’m not into it, so I don’t really care.

The answer is the Yankees.

Okay...the Yankees! [Laughs]

You recorded a lot of this new album with Puffy in Miami. How was that?

Well, it was cold here, so it was beautiful to be in Miami. It was hot so I got to lie out in the sun, then go to the studio. While I was there I hung out at the Mandarin Oriental. They have a pool out there and a spa and it’s beautiful and quiet.

Find any good places to eat?

I found myself going to Larios a lot. Larios is that Gloria Estefan Cuban restaurant. Every time I go to Miami I find myself there. The food is excellent.

What about shopping?

Oh, the Bal Harbour mall is a very dangerous place for me. There are too many things there I want.

Last year you did the VH1 Divas thing in Vegas. What did you think of the town?

It was too hot! [Laughs] It was 107 degrees and too dry. I mean, it’s great shopping. No, excuse me, it’s the best shopping. You find things that you’d have to go all the way to Europe for! There’s this mall in the Bellagio, and that mall is dangerous!  

Find any good places to eat?

We didn’t really get a chance to hang out. When we got there we went shopping [laughs], then did our work, then more shopping, then we went home.

Did you at least hang out with Cher and the Dixie Chicks?

No...but I did get a chance to have a conversation with Céline Dion. I have come to find out she is a very nice lady. A beautiful, beautiful person. I didn’t know big stars like her were like that. Elton John was also very nice to me.

You did ‘Bennie and the Jets’ with Elton.

Right. Elton is my friend. He calls to check on me. I consider him a friend.   

So you’re this girl from Yonkers, and here you are singing with Elton John. Does that just sorta blow your mind?

I didn’t have to act or pretend to get Elton John to be my friend. I just had to be Mary. And he likes me. Elton is so real you have to be a real person in order to even sit and converse with him.

How do you keep yourself real when you are in an industry that is so unreal?

To be honest with you, the only time I have a lot of the industry around me is when I go out into that world. The MTV Awards, or this award or that award. There is that circumference around me, but my little world is me and my fiancé.

You were on Strong Medicine on the Lifetime channel. I love the Lifetime!

I love the Lifetime, too! But I hated that show. I hated what I did on that show. I gotta get an acting coach.
Since we both love the Lifetime, wouldn’t it be cool one day if you could work with some of their stars, like Tim Matheson or Meredith Baxter?

Yeah, definitely! Definitely!

On the new album you work with Method Man, Jay-Z, all those guys. Anyway, there’s this video game called Def Jam Vendetta, where some of them act like wrestlers and kick each other’s asses....
Yes....

Well, shouldn’t you be in there kicking everyone’s ass? After all, you are Mary J. Blige.

I’m not really a game player. In real life, I don’t play games. [Laughs] In real life, I joke and have a sense of humor. Beating up my peers is not a game to me.

But it’s a video game.

Even in a video game. If I’m going to play, I’ll be a superhero. I’ll go and save somebody.

Which superhero?

Wonder Woman. I always wanted to be Wonder Woman. I used to love Lynda Carter.…

Don’t forget her golden lasso.

I used to dress up like her for Halloween. And Kiss. 

That old rock band?

Yup! The one with the tongue that was always out.…

Gene Simmons?

Yeah. [Laughs] That was me. My sister was the calmest one.

Ace Frehley. I always thought he was kinda a sissy.

The mask already had the tongue sticking out. My sister and I would always wear those masks!

Just for fun, like around town?

[Laughs] No! Just for Halloween! I used to love Kiss! Really!

So you’re a closet Kiss fan?

I’m a closet lot of things!

Okay—last question. On November 19th you are doing the Victoria’s Secret Holiday show. Can I please, please, please with sugar on top, be your personal bodyguard for that event?

No! You’re hung over right now. How are you gonna be my bodyguard? Please!