OT: Distinctive Male Voices

[JordyG]

Joe Cocker: I danced to this song with my Daughter at her wedding and I cry everytime I hear it.

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Well damn Coco if you ain't an old softee like me. Meanwhile I get softer everywhere as time goes on.

 

[JordyG]

Love 'When Sunny Gets Blue'...one of the greats, but never been a big Mel Torme fan. Prefer these versions myself



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Agree 100% on Johnny Mathis. One of the most under appreciated voices of the last 60 years.

Trust Frodo to choose style and substance.

 

[JordyG]

+1000. Louis was the most important American cultural figure of the 20th C.

I wish I could like this post twice.

 

[bags27]

And before there was Louis and Dylan, here are 2 immortals from an earlier day:

 

[Waquoit]

Don Pardo

 

[delawarehusky]

Willie Nelson, Michael J., Burl Ives and one of those Gibbs bros

 

[uconnfan68]

Barry White? No mentions?

 

[Intpseeker]

Great, great call. But while we're doing great tenors signing "The Italian National Anthem", here's the most celebrated AND DISTINCTIVE version (called "the slow version") by perhaps the 20th Century's greatest tenor (after Caruso and before Pavarotti),

If you're doing two and three, you've gotta do #1. I love music. It moves me. It makes me feel. These three blow me away, and it feels wonderful:

 

[OneTrickPony]

Maybe I missed them, but Gene Pitney, Lou Christie, Frankie Vallie, Bryan Highland, Mel Torme, Louie Prima, Smokey Robinson...

 

[JordyG]

Maybe I missed them, but Gene Pitney, Lou Christie, Frankie Vallie, Bryan Highland, Mel Torme, Louie Prima, Smokey Robinson...

Gotta be honest OTP. I saw Gene, Lou, Frankie (twice), Brian, and Smokey (4x) all before the age of 13. Mel I wish, but I was way too young. On TV though many times, Prima too. When it came to smooth and high without falsetto, Smokey was unsurpassed.

 

[Intpseeker]

Wicked Wilson:

 

[CL82]

Marshall Tucker's Doug Gray - at his peak, just great, kinda like a smokey bourbon:

I met him when they played at Jorgensen. It was right after the Caldwells' dad died. The whole band was down, but they put on a good show with two 'encores.'

 

[johnnyc]

 

[CL82]

Fred Schneider

 

[Intpseeker]

Barry White? No mentions?

 

[JordyG]

Wicked Wilson:

Tell you a related story. When I was in the music business I met a few people who knew The Wicked One. All said he was a mean, nasty drunk. As the story goes he once decided to get drunk in a predominantly white biker bar where he proceeded to insult either a biker, his girlfriend or his ride. This guy said Wilson then received the worst beating he'd ever seen someone take. A few days later Mr. Wicked was back on stage doing his "Midnight Hour". Maybe all he wanted to do was ride around with Sally?

 

[Waquoit]

Bunch of white guys beat up a solitary black guy. Great story.

 

[bags27]

The distinctive voice and style that changed modern pop and hip hop in every aspect:

I saw James do this at the Apollo. Jaw dropping energy and passion. If you look closely at his pants, you can see that the knees are worn: the guy was really physical on stage.

 

[Intpseeker]

I saw James do this at the Apollo. Jaw dropping energy and passion. If you look closely at his pants, you can see that the knees are worn: the guy was really physical on stage.

I never had the pleasure, but when I went off to college, the guys from the NYC area used to talk about this part of his act. Of course, the story had to be dramatized with much falling to the floor, shaking off the help and the robe, and wailing rounds of "please"! Thanks for the memory.

 

[Scud49]

Can't believe we have gone this far and no one has mentioned.........Van Morrison!

 

[bags27]

What the heck.... the question didn't limit it to Americans, right? Or is this opening the door too wide?

 

[Slipperman]

Marc Jordan..

 

[Slipperman]

Colin Carter..

 

[Kaizen]

 

[Kaizen]