Also were you surprised that Mick Hucknall (his group Simply Red sung Holding Back the Years) and Boy George were white, too?

No, but I was shocked when I found out Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers was white. When I first heard "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" as a kid, I pictured Bobby Hatfield (tenor) as a skinny little white guy (that's what he really looked like I would later find out), but I thought Bill (bass-baritone) was a big fat black guy. And I thought, "what an odd looking singind duo they must be."

Also, when "That's What Friends Are For" came out, I thought the Elton John was a black man. I was a child, what did I know?
[Edited 10/23/08 21:19pm]

Nope, they don't sound black but have very soulful voices. I was suprised to find out Bobby Caldwell was white though.

Surprise about K.C.

No on all the above.

I was shocked that Bobby Caldwell was white.

I saw a picture of Bobby Caldwell and was in denial for about a year

What do you mean?



They're white?

Nah...I grew up in the 70s...

Boy George is white?????

Michael McDonald is the only one. The rest sound like white people trying too hard (especially Shit Hucknall). And before you ask, I am white.

Lewis Taylor pisses all over them anyway.

Mong said:

I was suprised when I first heard Lewis and found out he was white, an orger slipped me Lewis's version of Electric Ladyland, and I was like, "Who is this brother?",





...
[Edited 10/24/08 7:09am]

No. None of them sound black. The only singers I was surprised to find out that they weren't black were Boz Scaggs and Bobby Caldwell.

Mong said:

George Michael doesn't sound at all black, but I was shocked when I found out the guy smoking Patti Labelle on "On My Own" was white.

Disagree about Lewis Taylor. Love his music, but his vocals don't have the power of a pure soul singer. If he were just a singer, he wouldn't have made it.

Who the hell is Lewis Taylor?

filmnoirdame said:

Probably the best damn artist in the last 30 years besides Prince.

Mong said:

Totally agree; especially the Shit Hucknall reference.
Oh and you probably know I hate Brit r&b.

hold it I have no idea who Lewis Taylor is
[Edited 10/24/08 9:09am]

I'd throw Teena Marie and Daryl Hall in the same boat with MM. They don't sound like they're copying a black style. They just sound like they've been living in the 'hood for as long as they were singin'. Not like all those shitty Brit singers.
[Edited 10/24/08 10:22am]

Stymie said:

Bingo. THAT "brotha" sounds like a brotha!

And add Teena Marie to the list because I'm damn sho' NO ONE HERE thought she was white when they first heard "I'm Just a Sucker for Your Love" .

As for George Michael, we knew he was white for the simple fact that there were videos back then.

Sort of off-topic, but I've always been able to tell the difference, the songs may sound soulful and they're great singers but no way in hell did I think that Hall & Oates, George Michael, Michael McDonald, and especially Teena Marie (love her but that's laughable) were Black. I've only been fooled once but it was the opposite, when I heard "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, I honestly thought it was a white guy.
[Edited 10/24/08 10:44am]

thatruth said:

Well, I don't think it's "laughable" and - this is just my realest opinion becuase, it IS the Org, afterall - I don't believe you were able to tell right off the bat that Lady T wasn't Black.

Now that's weird to me, I always knew Bobby Caldwell was white.

I was surprised to learn that the singer on "I Wanna Be Your Lover" was a male. Also Sylvester and Wayne Cooper. They all did some damage to my 5-year-old mind.