The first album I ever bought
At my 10th birthday party, I got not one but three copies of Andy Gibb’s album Shadow Dancing. He was so hot! So sexy! But since I had three copies, I didn’t need to buy it. The first one that I used my own money to buy was Kenny Rogers’s The Gambler. It was No 1 on the radio, and I wanted that record.
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My karaoke go-to
Anything by Pat Benatar: Love Is a Battlefield, We Belong – not Hit Me With Your Best Shot, because that’s too overdone. She’s one of my favourite female vocalists of all time. It’s something that you can really sing.
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The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
Skid Marks on My Heart by the Go-Go’s. The Go-Go’s changed my life. I saw them 11 times when I was young. I’m seeing them again in December. They really were the first all-girl band.
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The last song I streamed
Jolene by Dolly Parton. It makes me happy every time I hear Dolly’s voice, and the guitar at the start – I’ll keep it on loop sometimes. Miley’s cover is amazing.
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The best song to have sex to
Pony by Ginuwine. It’s predictable: it’s the Magic Mike song. But I don’t play music when I have sex. I’ve been married for 25 years, we’re lucky if we do it. Maybe I should put it on.
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The song I put on at a party
There’s one song that gets everybody on the dancefloor at family parties: Celebration by Kool & The Gang. Every wedding, every party, every anything – you put on “Celebrate good times, come on!”, everyone’s on their feet.
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The song I want played at my funeral
I haven’t thought about that, thank God! Elaine Stritch’s version of I’m Still Here, from Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, because I’m going to haunt my family and everybody in my life – I’m never going to leave them alone. I’m going to badger them for ever.
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The song I can’t help singing along to
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’. But I’m a singer, so any song that comes on I’m gonna sing.
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The song I pretend to hate that I secretly like
Jersey Girl by Bruce Springsteen. I hate Bruce Springsteen because he has no voice. Every person in New Jersey is going to hate me. When I was growing up there, Bruce Springsteen was shoved down my throat and I was like: “This guy cannot sing, I don’t get it.” But when Jersey Girl comes on, I secretly love that.
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The song I tell people is my favourite song
I do not have a favourite song. There’s no way I could pick. That’s like when people ask me if I have a favourite musical – it’s like gay Sophie’s Choice.
