who are the best tenors of all time-in pop and r &b

i was noticing the other day that most of my favorite singers in my record collection happen to be tenors and falsettos. thinking about this i figured out
that because i sing tenor (pretty well as a matter of fact) i always was
more into the higher ranged singers than the lower ones...
now the problem is with this question people might have to really go through
their cds and records to choose their favorites...

my dilemma is i have so many favorites..anyway here's how i'll start this:

fave pop-rock tenors:
lou christie (the most jarring pop singer in the 60's-sing his stuff and i have with musicians and its HARD...rhaPSODY in the rain and lighting strikes are
two of lou's best.
paul mccartney...he still has one of the best voices in rock and sorry beatles fans i love john but paul's a way better vocalist...he can sing it anyway you want(falsetto..'girlfriend,so bad,martha my dear...." sweet...and i loce her.ps i love you..taste of honey...why don't we do it on the road (the octave shift
in the latter part of this screaming classic is a bitch to sing..i've done it and people its murder!
don everly...don can't do a bad vocal. what a soulful voice...
lindsay buckingham...nice tone...like him better solo
bobby caldwell...yep he's superb. (what you won't do for love and JAMica are two of his best examples..

jimmy beaumont (skyliners) since i don't have you ..is a doo-wop classic and a
fine example of the late jimmy's vocal skills...he was one of the best white singers in doo-wop bar none...
another great singer is and was Johnny maestro of "the crests and brooklyn bridge...16 candles,step by step,trouble in paradise...johnny's still BAD...

darryl hall....man he's still amazing...best ones me and mrs. jones...one on one
(excellent vocal control) sara smile

dion di muci-he was pretty damn good in the 50's...teenager in love and
i wonder why...are dion at his most soulful
franke valli...i can't even tell ya how hard it is to sing his old 60's classics...the standouts by frankie...sherry,big girls don't cry...opus 17 and let's hang on

now the r& b faves and its a hall fo fame list here...
sam cooke...pookie hudson...eugene record (chilites) buddy bailey (clovers)
cyde mcphatter (drifters-dominoes) jackie wilson (maybe the best there ever was) william hart (delfonics) little anthony gourdine (two people in the world..that's all you need to know folks)
micheal jackson (the j5 Mj is the one i'm hippin' ya too..."who's lovin' you' is
all i gots to say!

smokey robinson (well smokey song can i think of? all of them!)
curtis mayfield (gypsy woman-i'm so proud...curtis can't even be any better)
eddie kendricks(well i'll tell you about my fave eddie's cuts later on...EK is
in my top 5 of all time)
harry ray (moments- ray goodman and brown...superb singer)
ok...luther's in here too...he's probably the best tenors in the last 25 years..

prince...(how can i ignore him...."damn U and how come you don't call me anymore...do i need to say more)
maxwell...marvin gaye (man...marvin did them all so sweet how come he's not
mentioned more?)

oh and two jamaican greats:
dennis brown and keith "slim " smith (slim might be the most underrated and best falsetto singers ever and unless you know reggae from the 60's-70's
you don't know who he is....get "my conversaTION and everybody needs love
and you'll see he's like curtis but stronger on the timbre.

ok..i know there's more but these are ones i DIG.
who's your faves?

youngca

You've picked out some kickass singers there.

But i'd also add (if he strictly counts as tenor, he was kinda all over the shop) Jeff Buckley.

That would be this fella right here...

Well, gee whiz. That's a toughie. I'd say these cats deserve top seats:


Al Green

Sam Cooke

Otis Redding

Stevie Wonder

Sly Stone

Terence Trent D'arby

Daryl Hall

Elton John

Billy Joel

Michael Hutchence

Freddy Mercury

George Michael

Mick Hucknall (of Simply Red)

John Popper

and Marc Anthony




bold, sly edits...
[This message was edited Mon Mar 29 15:34:33 2004 by ThreadBare]

Big, Curl Quite Not Right Luther

David Ruffin

Donnie McClurkin (he's Gospel, tho)


Ron Isley (shame on you for not mentioning him!)


Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men

I've often wondered if construction of a red lightsaber takes place before you can become a Republican, or is it something you do after initiation. Dah, well...

Rahsaan Patterson

The great KD Lang. That girl outsings everybody.

Wave your wildsigns high!!

EllisDee, I know you have some good'uns. C'mon wit it, bruh!

Adisa said:

Hey, how about Tevin campbell? Easily a great vocalist and still very underated! Like a younger michael Jackson, he puts alot of passion and emotion into a song!

psykosoul said:

Big, Curl Quite Not Right Luther

psykosoul said:

Big, Curl Quite Not Right Luther

How bout El DeBarge?

My name is BISCUIT...and I am funky!