‘I want That’s All Folks played at my funeral’: Luke Evans’s honest playlist

The Welsh singer and actor grew up on Roberta Flack and loved Kylie, but which soul legend does he credit for his love of singing?

The first song I remember hearing
My very early years of one to three years old, I lived in a little village called Crumlin in south Wales. My great auntie, who was in her 90s, used to sing me (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? by Patti Page.

The first single I bought
I was a huge fan of Kylie Minogue as Charlene in Neighbours, so when she became a pop star, I ran to buy I Should Be So Lucky from Woolworths in the local town of Bargoed, next to the village of Aberbargoed where I lived. I can still picture her on the cover.

The best song to play at a party
Last New Year’s Eve I was with 15 friends who’d flown in from all over the world. At midnight we played Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia, which brought the house down. Well, the boat down, because we were on a boat.

My karaoke go-to
I’ve been singing Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen for years. It just gets everybody up and dancing and, by the end of the song, most people are singing it with me.

The song I stream the most
When we were filming The Hobbit in Wellington, Aidan Turner took me to see Bon Iver and I’ve been a massive fan ever since. Skinny Love will always remind me of my time in New Zealand.

The song that changed my life
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack, which I bought from Woolworths when I was 13. The lyrics just created an emotional reaction in me as a teenager. Now I’ve listened to it thousands of times, and I copy her breathing and emotion. Part of the reason why I love singing so much is because of that song.

The song I can no longer listen to
I went to see Wicked about a month and a half ago and What Is This Feeling? stuck in my head for almost two weeks, no lie. I can’t hear it any more.

The best song to have sex to
I ain’t thinking about the music!

The song I wish I written
Being Alive from the musical Company, by Stephen Sondheim, is just a very powerful song. The lyrics move me massively every time I hear it or sing it.

The song that gets me up in the morning
Ain’t Got No / I Got Life by Nina Simone.

The song I want played at my funeral
That’s All Folks! by the Looney Tunes.

Luke’s new album A Song for You is out now; his TV special Luke Evans Showtime! airs 22 December on BBC One Wales and BBC Two.

Contributor

Rich Pelley

The GuardianTramp

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