FAVORITE MALE SINGERS OF ANY GENRE

  No you are not too old.  I too remember Rod McKuen.  I mostly remember the song he sang called "Jean".  Great poet too.

 Yes!! From the movie "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie".  Interesting voice but I loved listening to it. I have an ongoing love affair with the sea:>). Loved his album "The Sea" though he is not the voice on the recording. I got into a very 'lively' debate with my college professor regarding the merits of his poetry. My, that was ages ago! Nice memories.

  Everyone of these artists has earned a place on any list.  George and John are sadly missed.

Diane

Just like so many others John & George have joined those great singers in the Rock 'N Roll heaven.  What a helluva band up there.  Can't wait to get the tickets for that concert.  Sure hope I get to go. 

  Since you include Daughtry (I like his rocking), I'll add favorite songs from Idol singers--

Bridge over troubled water, performed by Clay Aiken

Whole new world (and others), performed by *darn* I'm blanking on the name--the guy who beat Clay

Billy Jean, by David Cooke

most anything by Jason Castro--I like the quality of his voice. Reminds me of the Leon Redbone concert I went to at Ella Gurus--we were blown away by him singing "when you wish upon a star" (the jiminy cricket song)

my favorite Willie Nelson song is "7 spanish angels" and "blue eyes crying in the rain"

did you know he wrote "crazy" for Patsy Cline?

album I'l love to hear--kd lang singing all the old Patsy Cline hits

I have a lot of Van Morrison, but my favorites are when he sings with the Chieftans

  I like anything by Willie Nelson, but I agree that 7 spanish angels ( with Ray Charles) and Blue eyes cryin in tne rain are two of his very best.  I did know that he wrote  crazy.  Rueben Studdard is the one who "beat" Clay Aiken.  I think that one was fixed.  Just my opinion Tho, lol.

 Bill

  I like anything by Willie Nelson, but I agree that 7 spanish angels ( with Ray Charles) and Blue eyes cryin in tne rain are two of his very best.  I did know that he wrote  crazy.  Rueben Studdard is the one who "beat" Clay Aiken.  I think that one was fixed.  Just my opinion Tho, lol.

 

 Bill

  I think most of the reality shows are "fixed"--if you read the fine print they scroll by really fast at the end of the shows, it says that some decisions are made by the shows producers. Only in the first season of Dancing with the Stars did they show the raw audience votes. I know someone who made it to the televised auditions of So You Think You Can Dance--the first thing they tell the dancers is that they are auditioning for a reality show, not a dance show. They were told that if they cry, the camera will linger and they'll be treated harsher, to drag it out. If they get angry, they will be prodded more, to create more drama. On Idol, I've seen a big variation in how much background music and backup singers they put with different singers--there's a lot they can do to make a mediocre singer sound better.  I think they were worried about Clay's "gay" appearance, and it was time for a black winner. On all these shows, when they get to the final five you can pretty much pick who will win by the demographics of past wins.

  Hello!

I forgot I did see a few artist's in the 60s while oversea's; they tended to do well at military bases when their initial career burst's were lagging or before their "comebacks." Neil Sedaka was one, Brenda Lee another. And in the Philippines - does anyone remember Billy Ward and the Dominos? They had a big hit on "Deep Purple" which I believe was actually a recycle of a 1940 song of the year. Neil Diamond and James Taylor! Talk about staying power. My kids like Aerosmith, Foreigner, Air Supply and those 80s groups. Has anyone heard that song on the "Willie and Friends" CD on the end that Willie Nelson does with Steven Tyler? You brought up another topic yet regarding groups where the lead singer decides to go solo or the band inevitably breaks up. Seems most of them don't fare as well but there are exceptions like Lionel Ritchie, Don Henley and Glenn Frey to a degree (Eagles), Kenny Rogers dumping the First Edition(?) etc. Not as well I think for Frankie Valli, Peter Cetera, Art Garfunfel. Individual talent aside maybe the one's with good promoters and/or better songWRITING skills fared better. What do you think?

 

Hi Jim, 

How very fortunate that you were able to see Neil Sedaka and the great Brenda Lee.  I always loved her voice.  I don't remember Billy Ward & the Dominos and the song "Deep Purple".  I do know the group "Deep Purple" but that's a different story.  Neil Diamond is one of the greatest entertainers I've ever seen.  I saw him four times and each time he played over two hours non-stop only letting the music play without him long enough to change a shirt.  What a crowd pleaser.  One time I saw him at an outdoor venue.  The seats we had were under cover and there was a big storm.  He kept playing and the people that had lawn seats stayed in the pouring rain to hear him.  I'll always remember James Taylor coming out on stage to the song "Whenever I See Your Smiling Face" and I couldn't help but smile seeing him.  So lean and lanky.  You had to love him.  I had to go online to hear the Willie Nelson/Steven Tyler pairing.  It was just a sampler but sounded pretty good to me.  I have Willie Nelson & Friends Stars & Stripes on which he sings with Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora. You are definitely right that some artists that have gone solo don't fare as well.  Another good example is Justin Timberlake of N'Sync who has done very well on his own as both a singer and an actor.  Some of the other guys in that band did not do quite as well.  I'm sure there are many more.  In fact, I'm going to start a topic on it.  I'm sure good promotors & great songwriting have a lot to do with how well they fare.

Janese

My favorite is/was John Denver.

 

Also Neil Diamond, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Billy Ray Cyrus, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, Harry Belafonte, Elton John, Perry Como, Eddy Arnold.

John Denver was another great one.  Love "Annie's Song" and "Poems, Prayers and Promises" was another favorite of mine.  To me Neil Diamond is one of the greatest entertainers I've ever seen.  He performs non-stop for over two hours only keeping the music playing while he changes shirts.  Always a crowd favorite. 

  Lyle Lovett, Tony Bennett, Van Morrison, Nat King Cole, George Michaels, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Sammy Davis Jr., Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson

Yes I know some of these are country--I don't worry about categories, just listing male singers that I like.

Great singers all.  No categories here.  Just favorite male singers of any type.  I love Lyle Lovett.  Saw him in concert and he was great.  We could go on and on.  I also love Josh Groban, Andrea Boccelli, John Mayer, Brook Benton, Nat King Cole, Fats Domino, Chris Isaak, Ronnie Dove, Gordon Lightfoot, Prince, Dave Mason, Marc Anthony, Rodney Crowell and did I mention Jon Bon Jovi? LOL 

  Honeysuckle Rose is a classic with Willie Nelson.  I have that movie in my collection.  Other male singers include Merle Haggard,  Jerry Butler, Waylon Jennings. Of course Elvis. Also Paul Anka, Bob Seeger, Jim Croce to name a few.  As you can see, my music appreciation covers several genres.  I forgot Andre Botticelli, although I probably spelled it wrong.  Some more come to mind also.. John Lee Hooker, Daughtry.

 

 Bill

"Honeysuckle Rose" was always one of my favorite movies also.  As big of a movie collection that I have I don't know why I don't have that movie.  I do have the soundtrack on vinyl.  Some more great male singers on your list.  Love Jerry Butler and who doesn't love Elvis. 

   Wow, so many already mentioned.  Two of my favorites, that I don't think I have mentioned yet are Harry Chapin, Jim Croce and Dan Folgelberg.  

   Have a Great Afternoon      Kathy 

Yes, you're right that's three but who's counting?  

  Hello again,

I got to thinking after my reply post last night that maybe I did not go far enough - laughing! Hey, I'm slower! Ref artist's who left groups to go solo and their success. Seems to me that the really successful one's were for the most part those who knew music theory and played an instrument, usually guitar, from an early age. Most all artist's will tell you that they wrote new songs in about 15 minutes, lyrics and music. Then think of those famous singer's who did not play an instrument like Frank Sinatra, Elvis (limited guitar) and other's and voila! Didn't they all have longtime great songs written for them and promoters to push them? With the exception of the Bob Dylan's doesn't the music (sound) trump or hook our senses more than the lyrics in general? I actually think sound may be our most important sense in many  ways. As a long term writer myself (mostly non-fiction) I understand the frustration of writing very good lyrics and have an idea of what it should sound like, I really need the person with the playing knowledge to help put a complete new tune out there. Hmmmm! Maybe song"writing" is a misleading term unless you understand that writing the music is far more important than the lyrics.

Hi Jim,

You ask "doesn't the music (sound) trump or hook our senses more than the lyrics in general" and I think you are probably right.  I remember when watching American Bandstand as a teen and they would rate a record.  Dick Clark would always ask what they liked about it and they almost always said, "it had a good beat and you could dance to it".  They never said I liked the lyrics.  It would seem to me that the writing of the music is the hardest part. 

Janese