I am sure that no one here has ever heard of him unless you were a member of the Hollywood United Methodist Church in the early 1970's. He could bring tears to the eye of a statue with his singing of 'The Old Rugged Cross' or 'How Great Thou Art'.
The point being, there are millions of singers that we have never heard of who are just as talented as the famous ones that are listed in the posts above. They just never had the publicity or stage to make their mark.
Sinatra, Carmen McRae, Nat King Cole/Tom Jones
Willie Nelson
George Strait
Barry White
Lock the doors, light the candles and just keep the lemon drop martinis in the fridge!!....Could listen to all three on a patio at the coast all night just listening to the wind and the waves....ahhhh!, I gotta get Mr. YGTG to do this after we finish building our home!!
Jack Haley, The Tin Man from The Wizard Of Oz
Bing Crosby
Louis Armstrong
I’d toss in Michael Sadler of saga, head dell of Boston, and Roy khan of kamelot. Great voices all
LOTS of great vocalists listed on this thread.
But the question is, can they do it live?
Elvis - The King (of rock and roll).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwqbuus8QPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBY17ni7Unk
Mike Matijevic - Steel Heart and voice behind the movie Rock Star
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZICSurN65WY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa7QYqaHsCg (recorded a few weeks ago)
Scott Stapp - Creed. Buckle up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kpF19GTC0U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UuEs1vU7OI
4 later enjoyment. Thanks
Luciano Pavarotti.
No one else comes close.
All of mine have been taken (Jim Morrison, Roy Orbison, Elvis, etc) so I’d just like to add Smokey Robinson.
Freddie Mercury
Steve Perry
Dennis Deyoung
Jay Black of Jay and the Americans, Franki Valli of The Four Seasons, Roy Orbison of Roy Orbison.
Jolson.
Bing, until about 1936.
Al Bowlly.
Harold “Scrappy” Lambert.
This is a “no-brainer”. First of all, we need to separate genres, so that there are no “apples to oranges” comparisons.
The three genres I will address are: a. Popular Music Vocalist (pre-Rock era); b. Rock n Roll era Vocalist; and c. Opera.
In each one of these genres there have been myriad popular stars, singers, etc. But none-the-less, in each one of these genres there has been ONE - and ONLY ONE - individual whose vocal style, range, expression, emotion and the ability to communicate to the soul of the listener clearly surpassed that of his contemporaries.
Ready? Here we go.
1. Popular Music Vocalist: AL JOLSON (aka “The World’s Greatest Entertainer”). The man whom all vocalists who came afterwards idolized (Bing, Frankie, etc.) It helped that he had a near-operatic range, but it was the emotion he projected in the way that he LIVED each song that he sang that created the “Jolson Magic” or “Oscamazoola” that lives to this day through his records.
2. Rock n Roll Era: FREDDIE MERCURY. Much of the above commentary regarding vocal range and projection of emotion that I wrote regarding Jolson also applies to Mercury within the Rock genre. There has simply never been a rock n roller with a voice remotely as powerful - or subtle, when he wanted it to be, as Mercury.
3. Opera: ENRICO CARUSO. Listen to one of his digitally remastered recordings, and, even given the limitations of the recording technology of his day, the clarity and emotion in his voice are still breath-taking. And second to none.
A final note to you, the reader: You need not be a fan of these three singers or consider them to be your personal favorites in order to recognize them as the greatest ever.
If popularity is the game you are playing, then you are almost certain to get the answer wrong.
In my opinion, of course. (Which happens to be correct with near-mathematicaly certainty, in this case).
;>)
Chester Arthur Burnett.
Freddie Mercury
Chris Cornell
Ronnie James Dio
Conor Mason
I went through everyone’s lists; I saw Johnny Hartman, but not Eddie Jefferson.
Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
Freddie, of course, Luther V
I am partial to the Graduate’s soundtrack. Scarbourough Fair by Paul and Simon
Roy Orbison
Ronnie Dunn
Bing Crosby
Rock: Freddie Mercury, Steve Tyler, Bon Scott
Pop: Sinatra, Orbison
Classical: Caruso