Roisin Murphy of Moloko fame
Joni Mitchell
And I would have to say Rosie Gaines

GangstaFam said:

Here's a good one:

Male
Prince
Stevie Wonder
Luther Vandross (R.I.P.)
Marvin Gaye (R.I.P.)
Sam Cooke (R.I.P.)

Female
Aretha Franklin
Mica Paris
Chaka Khan
Billy Holliday (R.I.P.)
Sade
[Edited 8/25/05 8:35am]

okaypimpn said:

OMG Billie!!!!

If we're talking unique voices as opposed to the best voices, I will say:

TTD
Freddie Mercury
Macy Gray
Rod Stewart
Bob Dylan
Steve Tyler

kisscamille said:

YES!!

Liz Fraser(Cocteau Twins)
Billie Holliday
Tim Buckley-Jeff's father whom he inherited his pipes from.
Tom Rapp(Pearls Before Swine)-The only singer I can think of with a pronounced lisp.
Lou Reed

PhilG said:

John Cale and Nico are more unique (not better) than Lou who was on a Bowie vibe early on.

Macy Gray
Bob Dylan
Al Jarreau
Tiny Tim
Satchmo

*Beyonce'

Man, there's far too many to name and a lot of unique voices have already been mentioned. Therefore, I think I'll just pick out those whom have very distinguished tones that are often emulated:

Sam Cooke
Stevie Wonder
Tina Turner
Michael Jackson
Billie Holiday

Off the top of the dome?

Louis Armstrong (arguably the architect of modern vocal performance)
Ella Fitzgerald (simply can't be duplicated)
Frank Sinatra (ditto)
Marvin Gaye (the quintessential soul singer)
Eddie Kendricks (never heard a voice like his and prolly never will)

Hon. mention: Johnny Hartman, Nat "King" Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Prince, Sade, Terence Trent D'Arby

Nappy Brown is also amazing and unique.

GangstaFam said:

Next time she comes to Detroit we're going ~ even if you sit out in the car She is amazing ~I think she's scary to some people only becuase she journeys to such dark, unfamiliar territory and it can make one very uncomfortable. There is a song on the new Selections From Europe CD by Dead Can Dance that sounds amazingly like Diamanda (it is Lisa Gerrard but that range OMG). She's one of few remaining on my "have to see" list.

I can see there's some ambiguity here about the definition of "unique". From a technical standpoint, no two voices are exactly the same so every voice is "unique". If, however, you limit "unique" to represent voices that are so distinctive that there are few if any successful immitations then here's ones that I would nominate.

Louis Armstrong-any immitation of his voice is just a caricature
Little Richard-the beginning and the end of rock n roll vocals. NO other performer has even come close to recapturing his primal scream.
James Brown-Sure the man's music is incredibly influential and widely immitated, but how many singers have actually tried, let alone succeeded, at sounding like him, once again, beyond caricature.
Ella Fitzgerald-someone once said "she can sing notes most people can't even hear"
Sly Stone-perhaps the most idiosyncratic R&B singer ever

Bjork, the greatest female singer ever. The most, gut-wrenching, unique voice.
Jack Grisham, tsol, creepy singer for the punk band, tsol. Sounds like dracula, from the grave.
Frank Sinatra, Unique voice, that transcended jazz and pop.
Elvis Presley, The king for a reason.
Prince, underrated master of the background vocal mix.

Terrence, Trent D'arby
Pink
Elton John
Axl Rose
Kurt Cobain

2freaky4church1 said:

Over Ella, Billie, Sarah, Aretha, etc. etc. etc.?

Really?????

2freaky4church1 said:

Pink? No way. And I would have said Elton John before Jake Shears came along and everyone thought 'Mary' was an EJ record.

2freaky4church1 said:

He sounds a lot like Frank Black at times to me.

MoonSongs said:

It's gonna take a lot of convincing to get me to see her or Psychic TV.

Mr. Mike Patton and Rob Halford

Female: Leslie Feist

weepingwall said:[quote]

Anxiety said:

Isn't that Diamanda Glass????

zeusfiction0 said:[quote]

weepingwall said:

Galas, pardon.

My fave interesting "voices" today would be
Terence Trent Darby
Alison Moyet
Bjork
Sting
Larry Graham (his ballads). These are people who's singing I can listen to ad infinitum.


Now, there are those who voices are SO unique that I also like to listen to
Paul Robeson
Jon Lucien
Diamanda Galas (actually, only the album she did with John Paul Jones)
Jon Anderson (Yes)
Freddy Mercury (my fave, the duet he did with the opera singer, Montserrat Caballe)

FANTASIA
PATTI LABELLE
RAPHEAL SADDIQ
ANITA BAKER
MARY J BLIGE

Aretha
Lady Day
Tina Turner
Whitney
Patti LaBelle

Louis Armstrong
Sam Cooke
Marvin Gaye
David Ruffin
Smokey Robinson


And muuuuch more Great thread guys!

GangstaFam said:

definitely

namepeace said:

I hear you on that

But you gotta admit Damon Harris was a clooose second

Louis Armstrong
Billie Holiday
Frank Sinatra
Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan

Most of the ones I was gonna list have been said already,so I won't repeat.


Yma Sumac definitely deserves to be up there. She truely has an original voice....and those high notes she can hit .... oh my god. Her vocal range is out of this world too.


I don't think anyone said Beth Gibbons either.