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The first song I fell in love with
Mum and Dad played mostly gospel music. Secular music wasn’t the thing. As a three-year-old, I would stare at Jesus Gave Me Water by Sam Cooke going round and round; I’d be hypnotised by the power, dexterity and raw passion of his delivery.
The first single I bought
I Feel for You by Chaka Khan had zoomed to No 1. I lost my mind at the “Chak-Chak-Chak-Chaka Khan” bit. Because I was a good girl, and had done all my chores, I begged Mum and Dad to go uptown and buy it from Our Price in Wolverhampton.
The song I do at karaoke
I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston, because, frankly, I’m a show off. It’s a song that you aspire to do well, because there’s so much technicality involved in it. You need range and breath control. Because I’ve got that in my arsenal, I do it.
The song that changed my life
I lost my mind and heart when I heard Little Red Corvette by Prince when I was nine. I saw the video and thought: He is the most incredible man I’ve ever seen. I’m gonna marry him when I’m old enough. Did I? Sadly, no.
The best song to play at a party
Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott absolutely bangs.
The song I secretly like, but tell everyone I hate
I don’t care what anyone says. Who Do You Think You Are by the Spice Girls is an absolute bop.
The best song to have sex to
This is appropriate because we just lost him: Untitled (How Does It Feel) by D’Angelo. How does it feel? And it’s a long song.
The song that gets me up in the morning
I’ll shower, and then loudly sing along to Anotherloverholewn-yohead by Prince, which annoys my eight-year-old black-and-white terrier, Zain, who hates my singing completely. I took him to the studio, but when I started singing, he ran to the door, whining to be let out.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
I can sing every word of You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon. It went in by osmosis.
The song I’d like played at my funeral
It’s another bloody Prince song, I’m so sorry – Mountains. I love how the chord structure ascends and the vocals – “It’s only mountains and the sea / There’s nothing greater than you and me” – feel like an ascension. I’d like to think, when I shuffle off this mortal coil, I’m going to be ascending as opposed to descending. I think I’ve been a good girl.
Beverley Knight stars in Marie & Rosetta at Sohoplace, London, 28 February to 11 April. She tours the UK in June.
English (US)