The first song I fell in love with
I grew up in Newark, New Jersey, with five brothers and one sister, so there was always music in the house. I remember my mom singing Willow Weep for Me when I was five or six. There was something about the sadness in it that really moved me.

The first single I bought
I heard Why Do Fools Fall in Love by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers on the radio and bought it from a local record store. I was singing in the hallway of our building when a neighbour leaned over and asked: “Gloria, was that you singing?” She thought it was the radio. That was the moment I decided I was going to be a singer.

The song I do at karaoke
I’ve only done karaoke once – about 20 years ago, for my birthday. Someone dared me to get up and sing I Will Survive as if I were drunk. I thought: if you’re going to do it, you might as well commit. So I did – and I nailed it.

The song I inexplicably know every lyric to
Every Little Bit Hurts by Alicia Keys. I sympathised with the unrequited love in the lyrics, having suffered the same feeling as a young girl.

The best song to play at a party
Crazy in Love by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, because it’s a fun song that makes you want to move your body the moment it comes on.

The song I can no longer listen to
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel by Tavares, because my ex-husband used to sing it to me. Now I can’t listen to it without it reminding me of him.

The best song to have sex to
Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye because it’s got a sexy groove, the right tempo, and the words have the right vibe.

The song that changed my life
Never Can Say Goodbye was my first major hit, and it changed everything. Suddenly there were more shows, bigger audiences and opportunities to travel the world. It took me from being someone with a dream to someone who was living it.

The song that gets me up in the morning
Great Is Thy Faithfulness. It’s a traditional gospel song, but I love the version by Carrie Underwood.

The song that makes me cry
Amazing Grace: my version opens my last album. Every time I sing it, it touches something deep in my spirit. It reminds me of how God’s grace has carried me through my life.

The song I want played at my funeral
A song I wrote called I Want to See You. It’s about reunion – about seeing your loved ones again in heaven. That’s the message I’d want to leave behind.

Gloria Gaynor headlines Boogietown in Walton-on-Thames, on 11 July.