Great Singer, or Great Voice?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 8 Dec 2006 7:14 pm

Better than Aretha, Mike....?

As a matter of personal taste, yes.

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Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 8 Dec 2006 8:02 pm

We could probably all name examples of both for days. (And I, for one, second Mr. Cohen's nominations for great singers with lousy voices)

As far as country music goes, though, I don't know if there will ever be a worse singer I would love more than Gary Stewart.

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 8 Dec 2006 9:11 pm

I agree with Andy Greatrix. Jody.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 9 Dec 2006 7:32 am

...+1 on Gary Stewart,Chris!Not really a great singer...but he SOLD those songs...he was probably my all-time favorite.

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Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 9 Dec 2006 1:12 pm

So, There are many singers not blessed with a great "voice" that are considered GREAT singers, because of the soul, technique, accuracy of pitch, taste, delivery etc. So based on many of the opinions listed here. a great voice is NOT a prerequisite to create a great and even popular singer. So if the voice a person posesses can be used metaphorically to describe the inherent "voice" or tone of an instrument then it seems as if the "player" is the largest contributor to any musical event, vocal or instrumentally. Just as the "voice" of any given Steel Guitar can be raised to great heights at the hands of a great player! Conversely a bad player can sit down to the best PP guitar on the planet and sound like fingernails on a chalkboard. I'm with Johnny Cox, you either got it or you don't no matter what instrument you play, your voice, or a steel guitar.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Dec 2006 5:17 pm

I don't know if there will ever be a worse singer I would love more than Gary Stewart.

Gary Stewart...as a "worse singer"?!

As a long-time fan of Gary's, I have to disagree. Though some of his songs were sung leaning heavily towards the styles of others ("Your Place or Mine" - definitely Jerry Lee Lewis, and "An Empty Glass" - definitely Ronnie Milsap), Gary had a powerful set of pipes, and he could sing on key. His hit song "Drinkin' Thing" was voted The Best Country Song Of All Time by Country Song Roundup magazine back in the late '70s, and his hit song "You're Not The Woman (You Used To Be)" displays a vocal power and range that few of today's crop of bicep and bun-oriented "hat acts" could match.

Though most of his '80s and later stuff was rather lackluster and beset with an annoyingly evident vibrato and sometimes hoarse voice, Gary was arguably one of the best honky-tonk singers country music has ever seen.

IMHO, of course.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 11 Dec 2006 6:13 pm

Donny - I'm not sure but I think you may have taken my post (and Steve's) incorrectly. Just in case you did, let me clarify... You won't find a bigger fan of Gary Stewart than me. My point was that he was great despite falling down on so many of the attributes usually judged to make a singer 'great' (His voice 'wobbled', he was pitchy sometimes, his timing could be weird, etc.) Did any of that keep him from being amazing? Not a bit!

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 11 Dec 2006 7:36 pm

I'm with Chris and Steve on this. Gary is absolutely one of my all-time favorite country/honkytonk singers, but I wouldn't argue that he had a "great voice", by my definition of the word.

I think that was part of his charm - there were times where it seemed like he was taking it to the very edge, but somehow managed to keep it reeled in. He had amazing emotional power to put across a song, but in a lesser singer, I think his pitchiness and wobbliness alone would have counted him out.

But many of my favorite singers do not have what I call "legit" great voices. Vive la difference, it's the soul that counts. IMO, of course.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 11 Dec 2006 7:55 pm

...maybe I said it wrong...Gary WAS a great singer...if you rate singers by emotion and putting a song across...I think if he sounded like Ray Price(who I also consider a great singer),his music wouldn't have had the"punch"that it carried...I remember the first time I heard"Drinkin'Thing"...Gary sounded just like a guy sitting in a tavern alone drinking at the bar while his wife was all over town...I think he WAS the greatest honky-tonk singer.

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Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 11 Dec 2006 7:56 pm

...and then there was Paycheck...

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Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 12 Dec 2006 5:30 am

Another example that a "good voice" and "success" are not neccessarily synonymous.......Willie Nelson

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 12 Dec 2006 12:01 pm

Absolutely Paycheck, Steve. He had the ENTIRE package, everything. Chops, tone, delivery, ballad, up tempo, anything. And PLEASE lets not forget Gene Watson.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 12 Dec 2006 1:31 pm

I love Willie Nelson,too..."Yesterday's Wine"-as good an album as was ever recorded in Nashville-and the first country"concept"album.Gene Watson got a standing ovation the last time I saw him at the Grand Ole Opry...he is a HOSS,ain't he?

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Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 12 Dec 2006 1:40 pm

This discussion seems to have veered back to just country music singers - far too limited a genre!

RR

Stephen Gregory · Post by **Stephen Gregory** » 12 Dec 2006 7:34 pm

I agree, and really the whole voice vs singer (player) thing was meant to be analogous or metaphoric to the Steel Guitar tone (hands vs instrument) debate.

erik · Post by **erik** » 16 Dec 2006 4:58 pm

I just picked up the Bradley Barn Sessions CD and it may be the best George ever sounded. I compared it to his "Best Of" CD from the Sherrill 70s years and it sounds much better and clearer, and virtually flawless.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 16 Dec 2006 5:06 pm

erik,how would you rate George's voice on"Bradley's Barn"compared to the Sherrill stuff?Have you heard any of his records from the'60s?That is my favorite GJ stuff...if you haven't heard it give it a listen...you'll like it.

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Mitch Daniels · Post by **Mitch Daniels** » 16 Dec 2006 5:41 pm

FWIW, I really dig:
Mose Allison
Randy Newman
Jimmy Gray
Greg Allman
Ray Price
Earnest Tubb

All time favorite singer...EVA Cassidy

erik · Post by **erik** » 17 Dec 2006 6:26 am

Steve, I think I already answered your question. Much better on the latter recording.

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Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 17 Dec 2006 6:32 am

No erik...you made a comparison between the'70s Sherrill records and the"Bradley's Barn"CD...you didn't say anything about the'60s Mercury,Musicor,or United Artists material...just wondering if you had heard the earlier records and what you thought about George's voice.

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[This message was edited by Steve Hinson on 17 December 2006 at 12:47 PM.]

Robert Murphy · Post by **Robert Murphy** » 17 Dec 2006 3:27 pm

Good voice, great tone? Nobody on the planet could deliver a song like the KING Elvis A. Presley

Eddie Lange · Post by **Eddie Lange** » 18 Dec 2006 8:51 am

Yeah Erik, I gotta go with Steve on this one, Musicor Jones is hard to beat. Things Have to Pieces, Say Its Not You, Sweetheart Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong.....gives me chills

Eric Jaeger · Post by **Eric Jaeger** » 18 Dec 2006 12:16 pm

Country singer with great pipes, chops, and soul?

Dolly Parton.

erik · Post by **erik** » 18 Dec 2006 4:07 pm

Yes, I am familiar with some of his earlier work.

erik · Post by **erik** » 18 Dec 2006 4:09 pm

double post

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[This message was edited by erik on 18 December 2006 at 04:09 PM.]