The All-Time Best Vocalist Ever...

[Dookus]

was Ella Fitzgerald. Disagree and I'll punch you in the neck. C'mon... I dare ya.

[LiberalVoice]

1. blah blah blah

Scott Leonard of Rockapella...Come on I DARE YOU!!! :P

[Dookus]

2. Oh...

you are SOOO neck-punched.

[MajorFlaw]

3. Marvin Gaye. (Go easy on my neck)

n/t

[Dookus]

4. oh pshaw...

I love Mr. Gaye, and if he'd lived long enough to define the American songbook, I'd give him a listen. But Ella simply defined American music, from pop to jazz.

I will punch you in the neck, but since you were so nice, I'll try not to crush your trachea.

[MajorFlaw]

5. Have you heard his "Vulnerable" recordings?

And thanks for letting me live.

[Dookus]

6. I'm not discussing individual vocal performances

and I would never diss Mr. Gaye.

I'm talking about people who lived their lives using their voices to define 20th Century music.

Mr. Gaye defined a couple of years in one decade - and he was very, very good. Ella sang from the late 20's through the 90's. But more important than longevity, she had QUALITY!

Ira Gershwin said "I never knew how good our music was until Ella sang it." She recorded the definitive versions of all the best songs of Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Gershwin, and others. Nobody had such versatility, and Marvin Gaye isn't even in the same galaxy as Ella.

[MajorFlaw]

10. Well, if those are your requirements, much as I love Ella

(particularly the Rogers and Hart Songbook, which I am now listening to thanks to you), I'd have to go with Sinatra.

[Deja Q]

7. Agnetha Fältskog

or maybe Aretha Franklin. So many vocalists are so good!

[Dookus]

8. I agree..

but it's not about individual performances. I can think of 50 songs sung by individual people that are imcomparable. But who sang EVERY fucking song in a way that was both memorable and innovative? Ella.

[Deja Q]

13. Gotcha! D'you have any particular favorite songs she sung?

I'll definitely look 'em up!

[searchingforlight]

9. She was the original songstress

All of the styles developed after her took pieces from her prodigious talent.

[jpgray]

11. Nikolai Ghiaurov gets my vote--what a set of pipes on that guy (nt)

[burythehatchet]

12. Edith Piaf

Titanium turtleneck on for protection.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. No flaming here

Of the French realist school. Piaf was terrific and had great passion in her singing. To really appreciate her you have to understand the words and know the subjects of her songs: the down-and-out, those suffering from lost love, the world of prostitutes and cheap music halls.

If you like Piaf, there was another French realist singer who only went by the name "Florelle" who also had much of that gutsy, gritty style and also with a voice of phenomenal power. She also had small roles as a singer in several French films of the 1930's which are available on DVD and VHS.

[achtung_circus]

14. Just to be different

KD Lang
my heatr soars like an eagle when I hear her sing.
My neck is unpunchable, so fill your boots.

[timtom]

32. Ya know,

I'm of the Ella Fitzgerald school, but I find k. d. lang's singing to be remarkably satisfying. Her voice is thrilling, every note is pure.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. Placido Domingo

has the most incredible human voice I've ever heard, as far as range, power, expression, and articulation. But Ella Fitzgerald IS one of the all-time greats. I had a CD of her singing Jobim compositions in a bossa nova style and she was great in that genre, as well. Her several recordings in a duo with Joe Pass on guitar are wonderful.

You can't ignore Sarah Vaughan, either, who some have called the greatest singer to emerge from the Bop era of jazz. Ella Fitzgerald herself called Sarah Vaughan the world’s "greatest singing talent."

[RetroLounge]

16. Billie Holiday

'nuff said...



RL

[AlCzervik]

18. I love Ella

but my favorite is Etta James.

[MrScorpio]

19. Minnie Ripperton

Check out Les Fleur

[DemWitch]

20. neck brace in place... fire retardent suit on for flaming...

There is a whole galaxy of extremely talented vocalists out there, each one with their own particular style.

Barbra Streisand
Celine Dion
Jennifer Holliday
Miss Ella
Placido Domingo
Enrico Caruso
etc., etc., etc.

But... sorry... Babs Streisand leads the pack, with Celine pulling a close second

[mitchum]

21. or Jackie Wilson

[guitar man]

22. Nat King Cole

*ducks*

[ForrestGump]

23. Some of these other characters were very good, but there's only one

who truly qualifies.




And I'll see Dookus' neck punch and raise it to this for anyone who doesn't agree with me:

[Dookus]

24. OK...

line up for your punching - alla ya!

[oxymoron]

25. Defintely Ella!

No one compares. I'll hold 'em down for you Dook...

[ForrestGump]

26. Well, you got the 'El' part right...

Now, back off, or this dude gets it in the gut...

[Lindsey]

27. Hey actung... I saw K.D. Lang last night at the Hollywood Bowl

and I agree with you. She was INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ivan Sputnik]

28. Not "better"

but great: Eva Cassidy

http://evacassidy.org/eva/

[Magrittes Pipe]

29. Marian Anderson. n/t

[arwalden]

30. Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Karen Carpenter come in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th

[Dookus]

31. fair enough

no neck-punch for you.

[NightTrain]

33. Aretha, baby!

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me!"