Singer with the most distinctive voice

Lee Marvin.
...only people make you cry

 

What a smooth sound, and vibe; he really makes whatever he sings, distinctly his own. Imagine other singers, covering this same tune (Mick Jagger, for example)-- if their voices aren't pleasant to listen to, in their own right, it is not going to work.

Let me not pass up the opportunity to post another, enjoyably groovin', example:

 

Maybe not most distinctive voice, but a very distinctive range ...if thats the right word. Also my only 'celebrity crush'

6:27-6:50 and 8:45-9:30

 

Definitely distinctive-- Eddie Money

 

Aretha Franklin
Bonnie Tyler
Tina Turner

 

Teenagers know who she is

 

Robert Smith (The Cure)
Cat Stevens

 

Diana Ankudinova

 

Yolandi Visser (love her or hate her ... and plenty hate)

 

Avi Kaplan

 

Thijs van Leer, from the band 'Focus'.

 

Carol talks awhile. Start at 2:00

 

Morrissey (The Smiths)

Once the darling of hipsters the world over, now cancelled due to his 'far right extremism'

 

Ethel Merman.



Now for those of you that wonder how voices like this can possibly win great roles in New York City, when New York has some of the finest schools for performing arts, and some of the finest personal vocal coaches, I will tell you. Remember in those days amplification systems were very rudimentary. The only microphones were either high above, or down at the floorboards and these theaters were huge. Projecting meant standing in front of the audience and making that voice travel, and making sure the sound traveled in a direct path to those ears. While Great actors, singers and dancers were literally a dime a dozen in Broadway's heyday. They did not always sell tickets. Great personalities and comedic performers with stage presence, sold those tickets.

These stars had to be win you over with a sense of charisma that did not nessisarily translate well on the screen, let alone the small screen. Ethel needs a big room, because the bigger the room the bigger a star she became.

 

While I agree with your saying that Ethel had a big, distinctive personality, and stage presence, those things are still what makes a great deal of difference, in the success level of popular singers (consider Lady Gaga's style, or Mick Jagger's popularity; another one, I will soon be posting). Though you did talk about Ethel's big voice, as well, it seemed to me that you were under emphasizing its power, & her singing abilities; but maybe this was not your intent. I think a better example of the weight of personality, in the past, versus today, would have been someone else, I named: Jimmy Durante.

Anyway, my post, #12:

 

While there was always something that struck me as pretentious about Morrissey, you are right, about the distinctiveness of his voice (and also about the Cure's singer, Robert Smith-- speaking of The Smiths).

 

Not enough women on the list. Here's one who must be called distinctive: Cyndi Lauper.
This is my favorite of her songs, an acoustic version:



And some better known ones:

She bop, 2016, and Cyndi's still bringin' it.



Though this next one is not a tune I ever cared for, the way she sells it, in this other 2016 performance, gives it entertainment value, as well as includes a point at which she employs the power of her voice, to good effect.

@btthegreat -- the modern Ethel Merman?

 

Morrissey is horribly pretentious, it's true. I never was a fan of The Smiths back in the day, because of that. I've grown to appreciate him since .. and again for his willingness to give the middle finger to the Woke Establishment in his industry. Besides, "This Charming Man" is a masterpiece, and few bands can claim that of song and not have it denied. Have always loved The Cure, OTOH.

But yeah, both have distinctive voices. Robert especially!

 

I hope no one thought I was finished with Cyndi--

2014, a cover tune, which makes a nice showcase for her voice, and style:



Here's one, with a young Cyndi:



And I can't leave off, without including what is her signature song. Here, she does it a capella, w/out pushing her voice, and yet, I will admit, it brought tears to my eyes (but my screen's blue light, also irritates my eyes, so maybe it was just that).

 

Alan Wilson (how did I forget the Blind Owl )

One of my favourite rock voices of all time. In The 27 Club, bless him.

 

Nico (of Velvet Underground fame). Her voice was not technically good at all, but it sure was distinctive. That careful German diction and her 'roundness' was something else.

Every track she did with VU was beautiful. "All Tommorrow's Parties" being arguably the best.

 

Billie Eilish.
The most beautiful (and sexy) little whisper

 

I wasn't going to include this top hit of Lauper's, but her charisma, even when not kicking things over, exudes from this more quiet, live version.



This song is notable just for the way Cyndi embraces her sexual and sensual side, effectively, even as an older woman (this was 2016 or '17).



Room for one more. This song, lyrically, embodies the philosophy of Lauper's work, and is a song she gets to belt out. A good concluding tune.

 

On second thoughts ... "Femme Fatale" is Nico's best:

 

Not super- distinctive, though: there are numerous other women who employ this style, beginning long before Eilish came along (Fiona Apple, for a more modern reference). Not meant as a put down of Eilish; just a critique, of how well she meets the thread criteria.