10.6.13 Who is the SECOND BEST SINGER IN THE WORLD?

Thanks to all who responded to my survey questions about what makes a great singer. As expected, the answers were eclectic and diverse. We all agreed on one characteristic, tho'. The singer's performance had to move us. Had to have an impact on us emotionally, physically. Had to make us feel something. 

I just finished talking to my professional performer sister. I told her about our discussion and she spontaneously started talking about Elvis and Frank Sinatra being engaging PERFORMERS who connected with their audience in a very personal way. Of the time she saw Frank perform live in the round to an audience of 10,000. Sitting on a stool with a single spotlight, piano accompanying him, he sang Send In The Clowns. He made it seem like he was sitting right next to you and singing directly to you. He gradually changed his position on the stool so that he eventually sang directly to everyone in the audience, 360 degrees around. She mentioned that neither Frank or Elvis had exceptionally good voices, but it was their ability to pick the right song, the right arrangement, the right staging, the right costume and "sell" the song to an audience in a very personal way that made them so special. 

Isn't it wonderful that Adam has that quality in spades, and also is a fantastic vocalist, technically, and also is gorgeous, and also has a great personality? He is something for everyone.

Thank you!!

I don't think so.  I think it's just from a fan.  I know CoralMermaid is a fan and has done some live streams for us.

My two cents on 'great singers' - how they happen, who they may be, why we care.

Thanks, Cassie, for bringing these questions; they are truly food for thought.

I've been singing my whole life. For many years my voice belonged only to me, until I found the courage to let it go. As I've journeyed across the stage, and experienced that nakedness, I've become more than just an admirer of a 'good voice' - I've learned much about the sacrifice one willingly relents - in communicating personal love, knowledge, yearning and ecstasy and heartbreak through song.

So, Cassie, here are my answers.

1. Great voice?
What constitues a 'great voice'? One that conveys emotion? One that is clear and pure? One that is three-octave? Or more?
I love the pure sound of a trained voice. I love clarity. Listening to a clear, thrilling voice means I will admire technique and feel its shimmer and eloquence; it does not mean I will be moved. A great voice conveys emotion in a note - please refer to Adam singing the word 'up' in 'Titanium'.

2. Interpretation?
This is one of my absolutes! I don't care how gifted the voice; if I can't feel the music, through the vocalist's interpretation - translation - of the melody and words, I'm left eating a sandwich and moving on. AFL falls into every song. I can feel his immersion; I'm swept away.

3. Stage presence?
I can't feel stage presence in a recording. With youtube videos and music vids, sometimes a glimpse of the electricity of performing before an audience is obvious. But reality speaks. You know when it's happening between the performer and you. If I want more from a vocalist than the recording of the music, stage presence is a must. Promise I'll never remain a fan of someone whose voice thrilled me on radio, but left me cold in the performance venue.

4. Good looking
Colm Wilkinson thrills me. Judy Garland left me sobbing. Mama Cass was joyful. Janis Joplin was a tussled mess. I was enthralled by every one!

5. Genre?
I've only been 'stopped in my tracks' a few times in my life.
First was John Raitt in 'Carousel'; then Frank Sinatra "It Was a Very Good Year"; Elvis "In the Ghetto"; Andrea Bocelli's first concert in the Rome Coliseum; Renee Fleming, soloing in the Messiah; Audra McDonald on Broadway.
Oh. There was this kid, singing 'Satisfaction' as I flipped the channel.
Genre obviously isn't the criteria for excellence, in my book.

6. Persona offstage?
Nope! Know nothing about the above performers. Only know about Adam, because my new vocation is a ninja.

7. Composers or instrumentalists?
Nope! I will say that when I hear that a particular composition was written by someone I admire, it only adds to their stature in my eyes. Not composing or playing an instrument does not detract. How many of us know that 'Smile' was written by Charlie Chaplin?

My angels of music will always be those that journey me back to my purest, honest soul. The sounds of days are merely vibrations. I search for voices that speak to me; that vibrate and reveal and heal me in my bones.
I dance to the music of my rainmaker. Adam. What makes this joy so beautiful is his total lack of knowledge of my experience. It makes my discovery just mine. We dance together; but what I've gained belongs to me.