PP Arnold: ‘Rod Stewart and I had a close call with the law in the 60s. A nosy landlord let the police into my flat’

Born in California, PP Arnold, 77, joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue as a teenager. In 1966, the group arrived in London to support the Rolling Stones but Arnold stayed, going on to become a solo artist. She had hits with The First Cut Is the Deepest and Angel of the Morning; later she appeared in musicals. In 2019, she released an album called The New Adventures of … PP Arnold, and in 2022 she performed at Glastonbury. The paperback of her memoir Soul Survivor, and her single of the same name, are out now. She lives in London.

When were you happiest?
Escaping an abusive teen marriage and being blessed with the opportunity to create a new life for myself and my two young children in London at the height of the swinging 60s.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Oprah Winfrey, as Maya Angelou and Tina Turner are no longer with us. These women are Afro-American queens who, despite growing up in the racist south experiencing physical, emotional and sexual abuse, rose to the top of their professions and are an inspiration to women everywhere.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
At this time in my life, I quite like myself but, for a large portion of my life, I deplored being shy.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Arrogance combined with egotism and selfishness.

Describe yourself in three words
Loving, sincere, honest.

What makes you unhappy?
Being misjudged and underestimated.

What is your most unappealing habit?
I tend to say “you know” a lot, which irritates me as much as it probably irritates others.

What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
My father was a very macho, controlling man and we clashed a lot. He told me that I would never be able to keep a husband with my attitude. He was right! I’ve had two short, unsuccessful marriages.

Would you choose fame or anonymity?
Fame. I like recognition for my work.

What was the last lie that you told?
I told a friend that I couldn’t talk because I was catching up on my admin when I was actually watching How to Get Away With Murder on Netflix.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
I love chocolate and I like to shop.

What does love feel like?
Warm and safe.

What was the best kiss of your life?
Mick Jagger’s soft, sexy lips.

What is the worst job you’ve done?
I worked in a Helms Bakery assembly line that separated egg whites from the yolks and from time to time a box of rotten eggs would come through. Need I say more?

What has been your biggest disappointment?
It has been in myself, for allowing individuals who I relied on to make important decisions in my life that left me alone to pick up the pieces.

How often do you have sex?
Not often enough.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Money.

What has been your closest brush with the law?
Rod Stewart and I had a close call back in the 60s when a nosy landlord, on suspicion of drug possession, let the police into my flat.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To live your best life every day, because tomorrow isn’t promised.