i am a major prince fan...but i also admire a few other great artist...in my honest opinion i do think prince is the most all around(singing..dancing...playing...producing) gifted artist of our time...my list would also include..(in no particular order)
STEVIE wonder
JIMI hendrix
SLY stone
and
JAMES brown

i was wondering what other orgers think...?

prettymansson said:

In my opinion, Prince is the greatest 'All rounder' in the biz. Perhaps even the best ever in modern popular music. I've never seen another musical artist that good at everything.
[Edited 10/26/04 14:18pm]

I do love some other artists but none
are quite as "all aroundish" as P
He really is remarkable

(in no particula order):

Ray Charles, definitely. Who knew that a poor, blind man could have the heart and soul he did when he played piano? Every show was like his last. Every breath he took he put power in. R.I.P.

Jimi Hendrix. Coming from a guy who first picked up a guitar in his early 20's, he damn sure accomplished being one of, if not, the, greatest guitar players ever. He revolutionized the sound of an electric guitar in his 20+ years of living than some people do in a lifetime of 100. Not to mention, he put his soul into every single note he played, and you could feel it. Need I not say he could also play with his teeth?!

Beethoven. I can't believe no one mentioned him! This is the guy that wrote Fur Elise, one of the most played songs in piano history, as well as many other gorgeous symphonies while losing his sight in his later life and being deaf.

Prince, of course. Never have I seen someone with a passion as him. Someone who could pick up an instrument and be inspired to play it right that second.

That's my list.

Hendrix was already gigging/doing the sideman thang by the time he hit his early 20's - he picked up the guitar much earlier. He died at the age of 27.

JesseDezz said:

Well, I could be wrong. I heard Hendrix picked up the guitar from his friend Billy Cox when they were in the Air Force (early 20's). But that's just what I heard.

1) Prince
2) Jamie Starr
3)
4) Alexander Nevermind
5) Christopher
6) Joey Coco

thanx guys...and dolls...yes prince is just....what can u say ??? on another level....jimi was playing in his early teens ...his dad sent him his guitar while he was in the army ...he and billy cox started a band ...then he started traveling all over the united states as a back up guitarist...in 1966 he was discovered in new york city by chas chandler bassist for a group called the animals chas took him to england and helped him form a band (the jimi hendrix experience)...within 6 months he was kicking everybodys ass...thats the origins of hendrix' love affair with his guitar....

Prince is definately a real talent. Others I consider to be extremely talented are:

Stevie Wonder
Jimi Hendrix
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Sly Stone
Andre Cymone
Rick James
Quincy Jones
Ashford & Simpson
Nile Rodgers

Averett said:

the above and the following

David Bowie
Bob Marley
Madonna
Aretha Franklin
REM
Radiohead
George Michael

John Paul Jones
Michael Jackson
Todd Rundgren
Stevie Wonder
John Lennon
Barry White...R.I.P.

Stevie Wonder
Bowie
James Brown
George Michael
Tom Waits


I took those mashed potatoes and thru them all over that broad!
[Edited 10/27/04 4:37am]

1Marvin Gaye
2Stevie Wonder
3Kanye West
4Beyonce
5Michael Jackson
6Janet Jackson
7Quincy Jones
8Smokey Robinson
9Alicia Keys
10Usher

miguelbulcao said:

"the above and the following

David Bowie
Bob Marley
Madonna
Aretha Franklin
REM
Radiohead
George Michael"

Madonna

As an all rounder I do think Prince has it. There are artists who match or surpass him in terms of songwriting,singing, producing, musicianship and performance but noone I'm aware of who is so good at all of them simultaniously.

And do you guys really think that Madonna or Beyonce are really that gifted? I mean, I have loved some of what they'v done and they both have ability for sure but if we're talking 'most gifted'?

There are many that would fit this subject. Seriously - even in this day of so much shit music, lip-syncing, bling, bling etc, there are still many gifted artist, although some are now dead. I'll list a few, both living and deceased:

Prince
Bob Dylan
Carlos Santana
George Michael
Michael Jackson
Al Green
Marvin Gaye
Sam Cooke
Stevie Wonder
Bob Marley
Sade
John Lennon
Quincy Jones
Freddie Mercury
Ray Charles
Chaka Khan
Norah Jones
George Harrison
Paul McCartney
Elton John
Chet Baker
Ella Fitzgerald
India Arie
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Everyone one from the Buena Vista Social Club!

There are many more too. Thank God we have some great and gifted artist still amongst us.

I haven't seen F Zappa here...Not talented enough?!...
He probably had more talent than all the above put together..(o.k. He probably wasn't much of a dancer...)

Some of you are nucking futs!

They said "the most gifted artist" not "who do you like". How can you compare people who have changed music and serve as a beacon to others with people who "simply" excel at one thing?

Leave Prince aside; does anyone seriously think that these folk (Andre Cymone, Rick James, George Michael, John Paul Jones, Kanye West, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Usher, Sade, Norah Jones, Freddie Mercury, Chet Baker)

have the impact of these folks (Stevie, Jimi, Sly, James, Dylan, Beethoven, Brother Ray, Ella, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, McCartney, Lennon....)?

As for my vote: Duke Ellington.

John Coltrane.

J.S Bach (well this wasn't exactly an artist of our time , so it's probably not a good answer)
[Edited 11/1/04 10:59am]

Averett said:

u got that right..Shut up already enough saiddddd

prettymansson said:

I think Shuggie Otis is the original Prince.Right Mark?

jkj10 said:

Probably not.

i couldn't agree more with most of u

There are alot of great artists but Prince is the most talented

Yes, but the title of the thread is "most gifted artist". An artist does not have to be influential to other artists or have longevity to still be "gifted".

I don't know enough about the others in the list to comment, but Andre and Rick are definately gifted. They did a whole lot more than just sing.

Averett said:

My Nr.1. is Camille!

8. David Bowie
9. Kate Bush
10. Tori Amos

vainandy said:

Riiiiight. As "most" gifted, they're up there with like of: Prince, Stevie, Jimi, Sly, James, Dylan, Beethoven, Brother Ray, Ella, Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, McCartney, Lennon, Duke Ellington....