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The initial song I fell in love with
My earliest memory is entering a space at nursery school where they were spinning Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. I was captivated by the audio textures, and Lennon yelling: “Full speed ahead!” When it arrived at the chorus, I remember thinking: “This must be music!”

The very first 45 I bought
When I was eight years old, I won a competition at school to choose a new vinyl to play at the mini disco we had on Fridays. My instructor took me to a local store, and I opted for Come Back My Love by Darts. The first single I bought with my own savings was Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney's Wings from a record shop in Lancashire. It was No 1 at the time, and I selected it when my father noted that it was by a former member of the Beatles.

The song I do at karaoke
I candidly do not enjoy public singing and steer clear at all costs. But if I had to, I’d choose Summer Wind by Ol' Blue Eyes.

The piece I oddly know every lyric to
I just discovered that I can recall pretty much every word to The Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al, and each track on Graceland by the legendary songwriter.

The ideal tune to play at a soirée
It hinges on the point of the party you are at. For the beginning it would most likely be I Heard It Through the Grapevine by the soul legend. As the night wears on, I’d work through the Artist, the Stones and David Bowie, and when it gets lively, Phat Planet by the electronic act, Born Slippy .NUXX by the techno pioneers, and Ascension by Gorillaz, which is an undeniable hit.

The song I can no longer hear
I strangely detest Mr Brightside by the Killers.

The ideal song to have sex to
Come Together by the Beatles.

The LP that changed my life
When I was 12 and beginning to learn the six-string, I’d only listen to classic rock ’n’roll, and was obsessed with Elvis, the rock pioneer, the killer, Fats Domino, the glasses-wearing icon and the rockabilly star. Then my childminder brought round Let There Be Rock by the Australian rockers. It was still rock’n’roll, but it was high voltage rock music. As soon as he placed the vinyl on the turntable, I was a fan for life.

The track that wakes me in the morning
What’d I Say parts 1 & 2 by Ray Charles.

The track that makes me cry
Virtually any music makes me emotional. Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles all make me cry because of the melody and utter perfection of the voices. But The Ocean by Richard Hawley strikes a chord consistently.

The music I’d like performed at my final send-off
The King. If I’m given a cremation, I’ll have Burning Love. If I’m buried, I’ll have Way Down.