Favorite Singers

[shawnbm]

I love all of these threads in this Off Topic Forum for us tennis fans. Now, some of your favorite singers. I have many and it depends on the field of music. I will break mine down, but feel free to do as you please.

Opera--Placido Domingo (what timbre and range across so many languages) and Benimiano Gigli (sweetness in the voice); Montserrat Caballe and Joan Sutherland come to mind for the ladies

Country--George Jones (simply the best--what more can you say?), Waylon Jennings (great Outlaw country); Willie Nelson (love his phrasing and versatility); Patsy Cline (so influential) and Tammy Wynette (ditto)

Jazz--Al Jarreau (love him); Ella Fitgerald (scatting virtuoso of females) and Billie Holiday (perhaps my favorite of them all in jazz)

Standards--Frank Sinatra (no need to explain); Tony Bennett (ditto); Jo Stafford (most under appreciated of the great singers from the forties and fifties known as GI Jo); Linda Ronstadt (better singing standards than pop IMHO) and Barbra Streisand (for the obvious reasons)

Rock--Levon Helm (of course ); Don Henley (and Glenn Frey); John Lennon (best voice of the Fabs); Donald Fagen (the quirky off-key voice of Steely Dan)

Rap--Chuck D (of Public Enemy--politically charged and powerful); and Ice Cube (the best rapper of them all IMO)

R & B--Frankie Beverly (Maze and the smoothness); Teddy Pendergrass (now that is the way a man sings to a woman--nobody close to the Teddy Bear); Gladys Knight (simply one of my favorite voices ever); Amy Winehouse (talented she was) and Dusty Springfield (another sultry voice)

Others in different fields--Janis Ian, Astrid Gilberto, Roberta Flack, Glen Campbell, Richard Manual, Luciano Pavarotti, Johnny Paycheck, Boz Scaggs, Diane Krall, Joan Monhait, George Harrison and a number of others

 

[ClayDeath]

cool thread general shawnbm.

I will have to think of a few. I tend to like the female singers the most.

on the mens side it has to be Julio Iglesias and his son. and Sinatra.


u2 lead singer bono is also quite good.


some of the heavy metal bands singers also come to mind. some of them have just incredible range.

 

[shawnbm]

I do like some Metalica and James can bang there as a lead singer. For heavier rock, I always thought the Native American singer for The Cult could belt. So could Annie Wilson of Heart--that is a big voice.

Now, since you brought up some Spanish singers, general clay death, I will tell you I have a very fond spot in my heart for Julio and others like Joan Manuel Serrat. I also like Johnny Ventura (merengue master) and both Ruben Blades and Hector Lavoe (on the salsa side). Rocio Jurado had a huge voice and I liked Rocio Durcal and Paloma San Basilio for their interpretations of great Mexican songs. Speaking of Mexicans, there is Javier Solis and Vicente Fernandez, of course, as well as Los Panchos (loved their sound, as well as the Argentine, Maria Marta Serra Lima).

 

[ClayDeath]

speaking of Spanish singers and as I have suggested that I tend to like the female singers the most, I am quite impressed with shakira and Christina aguilara. both have decent range.

and both are talented enough to sing in English as well.




have you ever heard of a band called "the gypsy kings" general shawnbm? I picked up their all time greatest hits a while back. their lead singer is incredible. I cant remember the name now.




anyway that queensryche lead singer for all those years--jeof tate--was an exceptional singer. totally exceptional voice.

we will think of more as move along.

 

[shawnbm]

speaking of Spanish singers and as I have suggested that I tend to like the female singers the most, I am quite impressed with shakira and Christina aguilara. both have decent range.

and both are talented enough to sing in English as well.




have you ever heard of a band called "the gypsy kings" general shawnbm? I picked up their all time greatest hits a while back. their lead singer is incredible. I cant remember the name now."

(below is my reply clay death)

As a matter of fact, general, I have seen the Gypsy Kings at least four times over the years. Although most (and certainly the lead singer) are of Spanish stock (not sure if they were actual gitanos), they are actually from France! You are correct, though, that the lead singer (whose name escapes me) sings well. If you like flamenco and gypsy sounding music, listen to Rocio Jurado, Chiquetete and Isabel Paloma--the last two were cousins if memory serves me well.

 

[ClayDeath]

interesting general.


i will certainly check out rocio juardo, chiquetete, and Isabel paloma.


i don't understand Spanish but i do like the Spanish music a lot.

and flamenco and gypsy guitar is right up my alley.

 

[kskate2]

I'm a huge music lover so this list will grow as I think of others. Won't divide them into genres.

Female: The Queen, Anita Baker, Natalie Cole, Adele, CeCe Winans, Patsy Cline, Mahalia Jackson, Joss Stone, Minnie Ripperton, Basia, Maysa Leak, Ann Wilson, Chaka, Whitney, Sade, Teena Marie, Annie Lennox, Ann Nesby, Norah Jones, Roberta Flack

Male: Luther Vandross, Tony Bennett, Sinatra, Buble, Maurice White of EWF, Lionel Richie, Al Green, Peter Cetera, Prince, Billy Joel, Donald Fagen, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Otis Redding, Will Downing, Geddy Lee of Rush, Pavorotti

 

[djmm]

Marvin Gaye, Will Downing, Bob Marley, Luther, Ron Isley!!

Billie, Whitney, CeCe, Deniece Williams, Ella, Sarah Vaughn ... and many more!!

 

[djmm]

Sam Cook, Eddie Kendricks ...

 

[Asmodeus]

Midnight (Crimson Glory)!

 

[shawnbm]

Love seeing some of those names, y'all! Sam Cooke, djmm! One of the best vocals I can think of was his "A Change Gonna Come".

I just love that song. Saw some references to Nora Jones (she struck me so hard with her soft voice) and even Geddy Lee of Rush!!! 2112 lives on!

 

[tented]

I love all of these threads in this Off Topic Forum for us tennis fans. Now, some of your favorite singers. I have many and it depends on the field of music. I will break mine down, but feel free to do as you please.

Shawn begins another great thread in Off Topic. Thank you, my friend.

I'll use your breakdown as a template.

Opera -- Birgit Nilsson, Jessye Norman, Joan Sutherland, Kiri Te Kanawa, Mariusz Kwiecien, Luca Pisaroni, Samuel Ramey

Country -- Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash

Jazz -- Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald (I could listen to "Mack the Knife" every day), Louis Armstrong

Standards -- Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland

Rock/Pop -- Jon Anderson (Yes), Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), John Lennon, Steve Winwood, Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Cass Elliot, Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Don Henley, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Bryan Ferry, Fiona Apple, Kurt Cobain

R&B -- Smokey Robinson, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder

 

[Riotbeard]

Folk: Tim Buckley.

Country: Hank Williams Sr.

Weird: Tom Waits, Bjork,

Singer Songwriter: Bill Callahan,

Indy: Zach Condon of Beirut (in general a very good band, even for those not into "Indy" music)

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2s0AhdFE4[/video]

Pop: Morrissey, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blondie,

Rapper: Ghost Face Killah

Punk: Richard Hell

 

[the AntiPusher]

Karen Carpenter, Barbara Streisand, Elvis and Michael Jackson. These four have voices that was given directly from God.

 

[britbox]

Good picks AP. Karen Carpenter had the voice of an angel.

Agnetha and Anni-Frid (Frida) from Abba were other faves. Dionne Warwick, Whitney (in her prime), Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox are other faves. I used to like Grace Slick (Starship) a lot also, but she's not quite in that league.

Among the chaps - I like powerful voices like Springsteen, Pavorotti etc.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Boy, way too many to list, but I will start with Seal and Sade.

 

[kskate2]

That's a good place to start Murat. I've seen both live and they put on one heck of a show.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Good picks AP. Karen Carpenter had the voice of an angel.

Agnetha and Anni-Frid (Frida) from Abba were other faves. Dionne Warwick, Whitney (in her prime), Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox are other faves. I used to like Grace Slick (Starship) a lot also, but she's not quite in that league.

Among the chaps - I like powerful voices like Springsteen, Pavorotti etc.

Agreed.. I was going to say that about Karen.. a pure angelic voice... There are some other voices that I think are great such as George Michael, Luther V,and acourse the purple man, Prince but nobody ever moved me like Michael Jackson.. His early pre Thriller tunes was just pure genius talent..

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Freddie Mercury had a magical voice. Nat King Cole is another silky smooth voice. On the heavier side, I love David Coverdale, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden.

I also like the raspy , throaty sort of vocals as well, where Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams and Joe Elliot of Def Leppard more than qualify.

 

[shawnbm]

Good picks AP. Karen Carpenter had the voice of an angel.

Agnetha and Anni-Frid (Frida) from Abba were other faves. Dionne Warwick, Whitney (in her prime), Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox are other faves. I used to like Grace Slick (Starship) a lot also, but she's not quite in that league.

Among the chaps - I like powerful voices like Springsteen, Pavorotti etc.

How I could have left off Karen Carpenter is beyond me. I may have been distracted at the time. Truly, she had the voice of an angel. God rest her soul, as her death was so sad--and so too soon.