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Thread started 08/28/18 5:00pm

kitbradley

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Who Is/Was Aretha's MALE Counterpart?

We all know Aretha was arguably the most influential woman in music history. She influenced both women and men alike, across so many genres. So that started me to thinking, what male singer had the same impact as Aretha?


I know some of you will want to jump in and say Michael Jackson. But, I'm not talking about entertainers. I'm talking vocalists. Someone who's only prop was their voice. Someone who could move and touch souls simply by singing a song and bring people to tears, minus an elaborate stage show.


I had a hard time coming up with someone like that as far as male singers go because male singers don't typically make me "feel" the way female singers do. It took me several days to finally come up with a male I would consider Aretha's counterpart, who could possibly match her influence across the board and her pure, raw talent. That person is Stevie Wonder.


Who would you choose?







[Edited 8/28/18 17:02pm]

"It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
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Reply #1 posted 08/28/18 7:08pm

datdude

I would say Donny Hathaway as far as soulfulness and influence. He left too soon, so not as large of a body of work but, yeah Donny
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Reply #2 posted 08/28/18 8:24pm

PennyPurple

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David Ruffin

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Reply #3 posted 08/28/18 9:50pm

Germanegro

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I would be thinking in terms of range in notes and variety of emotiveness and sonic texturization, to say Sananda Maitreya, and I also agree about David Ruffin.
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Reply #4 posted 08/28/18 10:03pm

Goddess4Real

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Marvin Gaye

Keep Calm & Listen To Prince
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Reply #5 posted 08/28/18 11:08pm

Toofunkyinhere

Van Morrison
[Edited 8/28/18 23:33pm]
We're here, might as well get into it.
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Reply #6 posted 08/29/18 12:32am

NorthC

James Brown. Can't think of anyone else who had the same impact on music and black American society.
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Reply #7 posted 08/29/18 1:22am

MotownSubdivis
ion

I second Marvin.

Ruffin was an awesome, one of a kind singer but his influence pales in comparison to Marvin's IMO. Shoot, David himself admitted he wished he could sing like Marvin.
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Reply #8 posted 08/29/18 6:56am

thedoorkeeper

Al Green.
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Reply #9 posted 08/29/18 7:16am

StrangeButTrue

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Teddy Pendergrass, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding

if it was just a dream, call me a dreamer 2
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Reply #10 posted 08/29/18 8:23am

funkaholic1972

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Marvin. Or Stevie, although he was a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist as well as a singer.

RIP Prince: thank U 4 a funky Time...
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Reply #11 posted 08/29/18 9:21am

ufoclub

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Ray Charles?
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Reply #12 posted 08/29/18 9:29am

Empress

datdude said:

I would say Donny Hathaway as far as soulfulness and influence. He left too soon, so not as large of a body of work but, yeah Donny

Sadly, many people don't know who Donny Hathway is/was. He had an amazing voice, but his output was not enough to make him as influencial as say Stevie, Al, Marvin or James.

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Reply #13 posted 08/29/18 9:29am

Empress

ufoclub said:

Ray Charles?

Good suggestion.

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Reply #14 posted 08/29/18 9:41am

Germanegro

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I second Stevie Wonder, for impact and influence.

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Reply #15 posted 08/29/18 9:57am

namepeace

MotownSubdivision said:

I second Marvin. Ruffin was an awesome, one of a kind singer but his influence pales in comparison to Marvin's IMO. Shoot, David himself admitted he wished he could sing like Marvin.


I third that.

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #16 posted 08/29/18 10:00am

RJOrion

James Brown or Ray Charles should be the only ones eligible for consideration...

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Reply #17 posted 08/29/18 10:25am

purplethunder3
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ufoclub said:

Ray Charles?

If you consider voice and piano only; he's the one.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #18 posted 08/29/18 10:38am

mdmeridius

I’d say Luther Vandross for voice alone.
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Reply #19 posted 08/29/18 10:52am

Cinny

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She is unparalleled. Imagine that. Queen of Soul? I am thinking Godfather of Soul, James Brown MAYBE as an equivalent.

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Reply #20 posted 08/29/18 11:40am

Germanegro

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mdmeridius said:

I’d say Luther Vandross for voice alone.

I'd thought about Luther for a second, too, but I can't imagine him grunting out a blues song. Haven't heard it, either.

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Reply #21 posted 08/29/18 1:30pm

ChocolateBox31
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PRINCE he could sing any kind of music.Unlike most artist and Aretha is his counterpart whom she greatly acknowleged briefly two years ago when she heard of his passing.

"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when eye was doing the Purple Rain tour eye had a lot of people who eye knew eye'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream."prince
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Reply #22 posted 08/29/18 2:19pm

onlyforaminute

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RJOrion said:

James Brown or Ray Charles should be the only ones eligible for consideration...



I'd have to vote one of these 2 just on sheer cultural impact.

Time keeps on slipping into the future...


This moment is all there is...
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Reply #23 posted 08/29/18 3:53pm

Germanegro

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Germanegro said:

I second Stevie Wonder, for impact and influence.

A bigger vote for Ray Charles for the 2 abovementioned values + styles. Still an hororable mention to Sananda Maitreya for vocal range.

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Reply #24 posted 08/29/18 5:43pm

PeteSilas

hard to say, as a singer myself, i believe that Males and females generally have different gifts as singers. Great females usually have much more control while males usually have more power. This isn't a truism, it's kind of like comparing different body types, they say they are only 3 but that no one is a pure type of any of them but a combination. So, when Myrna Smith said "Aretha Franklin could sing circles around Elvis" she wasn't dogging Elvis but she was being honest, Elvis had nowhere near the control of Aretha and neither did most male singers. I have the feeling that if the question was put to her she would say "Sam Cooke" mainly because of his background and their relationship, but I don't think he had the same control Aretha did either. In fact, the only male singer I can think of in the popular realm who could do things Aretha could do would be someone no one would think of, Terence Trent D'arby, he had great range, that elusive feminine like control, versatility, but even he wasn't as great, he sang off key a lot. Jackie Wilson was a great singer, Vandross was of course so there were a few but I don't think any particular one quite like her. If the question were female singers, there would be many who are in her league or maybe even better, Whitney, Labelle and others were about as good or better. I don't think any of them had the aura and carriage that Aretha did, she was a diva but it really fit her. She never came across to me as arrogant but matter of fact when speaking of her singing and influence. Whitney and Labelle don't have that same regality in my opinion.

kitbradley said:

We all know Aretha was arguably the most influential woman in music history. She influenced both women and men alike, across so many genres. So that started me to thinking, what male singer had the same impact as Aretha?


I know some of you will want to jump in and say Michael Jackson. But, I'm not talking about entertainers. I'm talking vocalists. Someone who's only prop was their voice. Someone who could move and touch souls simply by singing a song and bring people to tears, minus an elaborate stage show.


I had a hard time coming up with someone like that as far as male singers go because male singers don't typically make me "feel" the way female singers do. It took me several days to finally come up with a male I would consider Aretha's counterpart, who could possibly match her influence across the board and her pure, raw talent. That person is Stevie Wonder.


Who would you choose?







[Edited 8/28/18 17:02pm]

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Reply #25 posted 08/29/18 7:44pm

kitbradley

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James Brown may have been the Godfather of Soul to counter Aretha's Queen of Soul title. He definately had a huge impact and influence on many when it came to stage presence. Lots of flash, whistles and bells. And a few of his songs were 60's anthems like some of Aretha's songs. But, vocally, he did not invoke the same feelings in people that Aretha did. Legions emulated Aretha. Many emulated James' funk music sound, but not his style of singing. I really can't think of anyone who purposely wanted to sound like James. biggrin



As far as Ray Charles, I didn't even think about him. I believe he definately had influence across the board. Not to the same extent as Aretha, but very close. Perhaps a little closer than Stevie. But, again, vocally, Ray didn't have the same impact in music and the world as Aretha.


At this point, I'm thinking perhaps she did not have a male counterpart. As I heard someone say earlier today, when they hear Aretha sing, they hear God. I love a lot of male singers but none of them possessed that kind of power and magnatism. No one commanded the attention Aretha did when she opened her mouth to sing. She didn't need any props (well, maybe some consider some of her inappropriate stage attire over the years as props lol ), but, other than that, she never used anything to draw attention away from her instrument. Aretha was the most powerful and impactful SINGER of our time, period.


"It's not nice to fuck with K.B.! All you haters will see!" - Kitbradley
"The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
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Reply #26 posted 08/29/18 8:01pm

MickyDolenz

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kitbradley said:

I really can't think of anyone who purposely wanted to sound like James. biggrin

Wayne Cochran did. razz


You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #27 posted 08/29/18 8:07pm

purplethunder3
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kitbradley said:

James Brown may have been the Godfather of Soul to counter Aretha's Queen of Soul title. He definately had a huge impact and influence on many when it came to stage presence. Lots of flash, whistles and bells. And a few of his songs were 60's anthems like some of Aretha's songs. But, vocally, he did not invoke the same feelings in people that Aretha did. Legions emulated Aretha. Many emulated James' funk music sound, but not his style of singing. I really can't think of anyone who purposely wanted to sound like James. biggrin



As far as Ray Charles, I didn't even think about him. I believe he definately had influence across the board. Not to the same extent as Aretha, but very close. Perhaps a little closer than Stevie. But, again, vocally, Ray didn't have the same impact in music and the world as Aretha.


At this point, I'm thinking perhaps she did not have a male counterpart. As I heard someone say earlier today, when they hear Aretha sing, they hear God. I love a lot of male singers but none of them possessed that kind of power and magnatism. No one commanded the attention Aretha did when she opened her mouth to sing. She didn't need any props (well, maybe some consider some of her inappropriate stage attire over the years as props lol ), but, other than that, she never used anything to draw attention away from her instrument. Aretha was the most powerful and impactful SINGER of our time, period.


That's a great way to describe Aretha's impact.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #28 posted 08/29/18 8:33pm

RJOrion

kitbradley said:

James Brown may have been the Godfather of Soul to counter Aretha's Queen of Soul title. He definately had a huge impact and influence on many when it came to stage presence. Lots of flash, whistles and bells. And a few of his songs were 60's anthems like some of Aretha's songs. But, vocally, he did not invoke the same feelings in people that Aretha did. Legions emulated Aretha. Many emulated James' funk music sound, but not his style of singing. I really can't think of anyone who purposely wanted to sound like James. biggrin



As far as Ray Charles, I didn't even think about him. I believe he definately had influence across the board. Not to the same extent as Aretha, but very close. Perhaps a little closer than Stevie. But, again, vocally, Ray didn't have the same impact in music and the world as Aretha.


At this point, I'm thinking perhaps she did not have a male counterpart. As I heard someone say earlier today, when they hear Aretha sing, they hear God. I love a lot of male singers but none of them possessed that kind of power and magnatism. No one commanded the attention Aretha did when she opened her mouth to sing. She didn't need any props (well, maybe some consider some of her inappropriate stage attire over the years as props lol ), but, other than that, she never used anything to draw attention away from her instrument. Aretha was the most powerful and impactful SINGER of our time, period.


using your standard, then i would have to say Luther Vandross... "when they hear Aretha sing, they hear God."... i DEFINITELY get that emotion when i hear Luther Vandross in his prime... Marvin Gaye too...

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Reply #29 posted 08/30/18 11:12am

000000

James Brown

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