I always thought it was a Black person singing that song too. It's a classic song for sure.

errant said:

two points.

1.some songs are clearly cultural and soul music in particular is born out of black culture; therefore not everyone can sing certain songs and be taken seriously.

2.some songs are universal and depending on whether you have a soulful or nonsoulful voice, the song may still be a hit but with a different sound. IMO culture is not devoid of soul but soul can be devoid of culture.

Eminem versus Vanilla Ice is a perfect example of this I think. I mean which one was more believable as a rapper and of having STREET cred? Also Stevie Wonder's Wish has more to do with race cuz he's singing about growing up a poor black kid but how happy he still was. Otis's song was originally a gospel (black gospel) track.

Another example of cultural music would be Tejano. I don't think Stevie or Bobby could sing that type of music cuz they are not Mexicans from Texas and don't have that experience.

DesireeNevermind said:

The only thing specifically "black" about the song I Wish is when Stevie Wonder says he was a "little nappy headed boy" lol...nothing else there is race-specific. But the song IS class-specific.

Then my only worry
Was for christmas what would be my toy
Even though we sometimes
Would not get a thing
We were happy with the
Joy the day would bring

Please...Shania Twain could have sung those lyrics

Byron said:

yeah but would you believe it to be about her or just a song with nice sympathetic lyrics? you should have said Dolly Parton or Loretta Lyn. They grew up poor and yearning.

DesireeNevermind said:

Well, true ...

Byron said:

I know, right? Where have y'all been?

I swear my mom and I thought he was black and when we saw him we were like "" I still play the hell out of What You Won't Do.

who else covered this song ? I never new he was white ( not that it matters ) zi thought this was Al Jarreau's song


Go head bring the brick to hit me with

utopia7 said:

I used to think it was Al Jarreau too or that dude that sang Lean On Me.

When I found he was black, I was in shock and googled for like 15 minutes for pictures for find at least ONE black Bobby Caldwell

DesireeNevermind said:

Oh gurrrl, that was me & my ex's jam back in the day! Unfortunately, I ended up being the one trying everything for his stupid ass.

I remember being surprised he was white too. I guess because it was a soulful vibe and not many white guys had that going on back then, at least that I was aware of anyway.

I didn't know either. I think just recently someone else posted a similar thread here on the Org and I found out he was white.

utopia7 said:

Go West did a cover of it!

Not too sure how anyone could think he's black from his voice. I can see how someone could hear Michael McDonald aka the king of woofiness and think that he was black.

Byron said:

She hasn't always been well off though; don't forget her parents died when she was relatively young and she had to take on being the breadwinner for her little siblings. Even before then, she was an adolescent singing last call in bars and chopping trees (lumberjacking) to help support her family. It took a minute before she became a celebrity and started rolling in dough. During her family's lean years she could've sung some heartache-I ain't-got-nothin-songs herself

seanski said:

Ironically, Peter Cox is a fucking great vocalist as well!

Byron said:

DesireeNevermind said:

That dude is Mr. Bill Withers

Byron said:

Well hell, this song wasn't out in the video age & it was on the radio so much we didn't have the album, this is the first visual I'm seeing of the guy

DesireeNevermind said:

I don't remember the album but I thought he did a great job.
I knew he was white but trying to convince someone back in the day that Bobby Caldwell was white ....

KeithyT said:

Can't stand Rick Astley and he doesn't sound black.

Neither does Mick Hucknall although he's a soul singer.

SUPRMAN said:

Rick Astley only had one hit right? I only see him occasionally when I get "Rick Rolled"

SCNDLS said:

Hendrix does "sound" like a black man, so just the guitar wouldn't make me think he was white.
Would ever mistake the Isley Brothers for a "white" band when they featured guitar?

DesireeNevermind said:

Don't know if folks know this about 'Sitting On the Dock of the Bay.' The whistling is there because Otis Redding never finished the song. He whistled to leave space to replace with lyrics. It was released as it was and ironically, it's the only complete version of the song.

Serena said:

Darryl Hall anyone?

Mong said:

Michael McDonald sounds soulful but not black.

SUPRMAN said:

I ALWAYS KNEW MICHAEL WAS WHITE

DesireeNevermind said:

"Together Forever" was also a #1 hit.

To be honest when I first heard the song, I never thought "oh this brother sings smoothly". I just thought "ooh great song" and when I did see how he looked, I was like "oh OK, cool." Like "big deal".

SUPRMAN said:

Or late-1960s, early 1970s Funkadelic, lol