Singers with soul and internal battles.

[Pete]

These singers you hear and just blow you away with their voice...it's as if their voice is an instrument on its own.
It's as if they all have something in common...a personal battle. I'm coming to the conclusion that unless you have been through the mill in some repsect then you can't sing with real soul. Think about singers who really do it for you and what their past was like.

George Michael: Wrote some stuff in his teens and his early twenties that he had no right to create. He must have been battling within himself regarding his sexuality and his music is definately a product of this...as is his voice which was almost a cry for help

Michael Jackson: One of the most regimented upbringings, full of beatings and frustration. It's as if his perfomances were a release from this.

James Brown: Chequered past to say the least...and a hard early life.

Billie holliday: Haunting voice full of soul and a horrific start to life.

Freddie Mercury: Wierd upbringing and another one wrestling with his sexuality. He was also let in manifest itself in some unsavoury ways by some accounts.

Stevie Wonder: Obvious hurdles from day one.


The original black soul singers must have had to put up with some horrific racism in their lives and the tales of what happened to their parents and grandparents must leave deep scars. Even modern day great singers of African or carribean origin must still hurt for the same reasons.
It might be ancient history but it still effects people...and racism still leaves scars.


I honestly don't think I've heard a real, soulfull, captivating voice without there being a tale of sadness behind it.
It's as if they're singing from the bottom of their being either in an act of defiance or a cry for help.


Maybe I'm wrong but there seems to be very little "real voices" out there nowadays.

[Chuckie]

Kurt Cobain - angst, fury, apathy, indifference, pissed off and able to sing wonderful pop songs despite his anger and hatred for the world.

Unique.

[Chuckie]

These singers you hear and just blow you away with their voice...it's as if their voice is an instrument on its own.
It's as if they all have something in common...a personal battle. I'm coming to the conclusion that unless you have been through the mill in some repsect then you can't sing with real soul. Think about singers who really do it for you and what their past was like.

George Michael: Wrote some stuff in his teens and his early twenties that he had no right to create. He must have been battling within himself regarding his sexuality and his music is definately a product of this...as is his voice which was almost a cry for help

Michael Jackson: One of the most regimented upbringings, full of beatings and frustration. It's as if his perfomances were a release from this.

James Brown: Chequered past to say the least...and a hard early life.

Billie holliday: Haunting voice full of soul and a horrific start to life.

Freddie Mercury: Wierd upbringing and another one wrestling with his sexuality. He was also let in manifest itself in some unsavoury ways by some accounts.

Stevie Wonder: Obvious hurdles from day one.


The original black soul singers must have had to put up with some horrific racism in their lives and the tales of what happened to their parents and grandparents must leave deep scars. Even modern day great singers of African or carribean origin must still hurt for the same reasons.
It might be ancient history but it still effects people...and racism still leaves scars.


I honestly don't think I've heard a real, soulfull, captivating voice without there being a tale of sadness behind it.
It's as if they're singing from the bottom of their being either in an act of defiance or a cry for help.


Maybe I'm wrong but there seems to be very little "real voices" out there nowadays.


Agreed. With the exception of perhaps the Arctic Monkeys todays popular bands are sad, pathetic pre marketed fakes... Kasabian being the chief offenders - dreadful band !!!

[CropleyWasGod]

I'm of the older generation here, but every time I hear Amy Winehouse, I can't help thinking of Judy Garland. Same feeling in the voice, same demons.

"if you want to sing the blues, first you got to live the blues".

[LiverpoolHibs]

These singers you hear and just blow you away with their voice...it's as if their voice is an instrument on its own.
It's as if they all have something in common...a personal battle. I'm coming to the conclusion that unless you have been through the mill in some repsect then you can't sing with real soul. Think about singers who really do it for you and what their past was like.

George Michael: Wrote some stuff in his teens and his early twenties that he had no right to create. He must have been battling within himself regarding his sexuality and his music is definately a product of this...as is his voice which was almost a cry for help

Michael Jackson: One of the most regimented upbringings, full of beatings and frustration. It's as if his perfomances were a release from this.

James Brown: Chequered past to say the least...and a hard early life.

Billie holliday: Haunting voice full of soul and a horrific start to life.

Freddie Mercury: Wierd upbringing and another one wrestling with his sexuality. He was also let in manifest itself in some unsavoury ways by some accounts.

Stevie Wonder: Obvious hurdles from day one.


The original black soul singers must have had to put up with some horrific racism in their lives and the tales of what happened to their parents and grandparents must leave deep scars. Even modern day great singers of African or carribean origin must still hurt for the same reasons.
It might be ancient history but it still effects people...and racism still leaves scars.


I honestly don't think I've heard a real, soulfull, captivating voice without there being a tale of sadness behind it.
It's as if they're singing from the bottom of their being either in an act of defiance or a cry for help.


Maybe I'm wrong but there seems to be very little "real voices" out there nowadays.

I always find it a bit odd when people say this. There's loads of great music out there as long as your willing to search it out and aren't in thrall to what your 'meant' to like.

[Phil D. Rolls]

I always find it a bit odd when people say this. There's loads of great music out there as long as your willing to search it out and aren't in thrall to what your 'meant' to like.

I agree, there is plenty of genuine talent out there, I reckon Paolo Nutini is the genuine article, as is Amy Winehouse (whether she ever gets it back or not). The problem is that the majority of people have always preferred their popular music in a "lite", sanitised version of real music, so if you only look at what is being sung at the Karaoke, or what wins the X Factor, you might get a false impression.

To be honest I'm not sure all the examples given at the top are that great at singing - Freddy Mercury for example was put to shame by George Michaels version of somebody to love. Freddy was a great performer and a good singer.

In answer to the OP's question: I don't think you have to be troubled to be a great singer, but it certainly seems to help.

[LiverpoolHibs]

I agree, there is plenty of genuine talent out there, I reckon Paolo Nutini is the genuine article, as is Amy Winehouse (whether she ever gets it back or not). The problem is that the majority of people have always preferred their popular music in a "lite", sanitised version of real music, so if you only look at what is being sung at the Karaoke, or what wins the X Factor, you might get a false impression.

To be honest I'm not sure all the examples given at the top are that great at singing - Freddy Mercury for example was put to shame by George Michaels version of somebody to love. Freddy was a great performer and a good singer.

In answer to the OP's question: I don't think you have to be troubled to be a great singer, but it certainly seems to help.

We'll have to disagree on that point. :greengrin

[Phil D. Rolls]

We'll have to disagree on that point. :greengrin

I was really put off the guy with all the Jack Johnson comparisons, but his new album is folksy, more in the style of Dick Gaughan or even Alex Harvey (vocally at least). I think his lyrics are witty and sensitive, and I reckon he is one for the future, just a pity that the pop crowd got to him first, and maybe spoiled his chances of being properly appreciated.

[Woody1985]

These singers you hear and just blow you away with their voice...it's as if their voice is an instrument on its own.
It's as if they all have something in common...a personal battle. I'm coming to the conclusion that unless you have been through the mill in some repsect then you can't sing with real soul. Think about singers who really do it for you and what their past was like.

George Michael: Wrote some stuff in his teens and his early twenties that he had no right to create. He must have been battling within himself regarding his sexuality and his music is definately a product of this...as is his voice which was almost a cry for help

Michael Jackson: One of the most regimented upbringings, full of beatings and frustration. It's as if his perfomances were a release from this.

James Brown: Chequered past to say the least...and a hard early life.

Billie holliday: Haunting voice full of soul and a horrific start to life.

Freddie Mercury: Wierd upbringing and another one wrestling with his sexuality. He was also let in manifest itself in some unsavoury ways by some accounts.

Stevie Wonder: Obvious hurdles from day one.


The original black soul singers must have had to put up with some horrific racism in their lives and the tales of what happened to their parents and grandparents must leave deep scars. Even modern day great singers of African or carribean origin must still hurt for the same reasons.
It might be ancient history but it still effects people...and racism still leaves scars.


I honestly don't think I've heard a real, soulfull, captivating voice without there being a tale of sadness behind it.
It's as if they're singing from the bottom of their being either in an act of defiance or a cry for help.


Maybe I'm wrong but there seems to be very little "real voices" out there nowadays.

I'd hazzard a guess and say that some of the stories etc are fabricated or exagerrated to an extent.

Take notorious BIG for example, he had a good upbringing and lived in relative comfort IIRC. However, he is always portrayed as some big gangster when that wasn't the case.

Even his recent film created with puff daddy, one of his true friends in the rap business, only touched on that side of his life.

Sad stories sell. Prime examples of this are the x-factor contestants whose mums, sisters, kids etc have passed away, are quite ill etc etc.

[hibsbollah]

Generally, im in agreement with the OP. Just listen to Billie (Holliday, not Piper:greengrin) singing 'Strange Fruit' and you can hear personal and racial/political pain all over it.

But saying that, take Josh Stone as the opposite example. Middle class white girl from Devon, trained to sing like Aretha with some delta (Mississippi, not Goodrem:greengrin) grunting and she does it pretty well. Just goes to show, some people can fake pain.

[richard_pitts]

Marvin Gaye has to be the definitive example. If you don't know his story, have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye#Personal_life

He died after being shot by his father whom he had fought with for many years, in particular his strict Jesuit upbringing. Whenever his life was falling apart his music went to new heights - you can actually plot them against one another.

However, I think it insults his memory and his enormous talent to put him on the same thread as Amy Winehouse who appears to be famous for being a smack addict, without which she would be just another run of the mill musician. She is a prime example of the current climate of celeb worship where we idolise talentless nasty dross :bitchy:

LH, I know they don't make nostalgia like they used to, but can you find me anyone currently writing to compare with Curtis Mayfield or Paul Robeson?

[CropleyWasGod]

However, I think it insults his memory and his enormous talent to put him on the same thread as Amy Winehouse who appears to be famous for being a smack addict, without which she would be just another run of the mill musician. She is a prime example of the current climate of celeb worship where we idolise talentless nasty dross :bitchy:

LH, I know they don't make nostalgia like they used to, but can you find me anyone currently writing to compare with Curtis Mayfield or Paul Robeson?

Agree with all you say about Marvin, but can't agree with what you say about Amy Winehouse.

The true test of a singer's ability is whether they can sing live, unaccompanied and unaided by technology. I saw AW one night on the telly, in the middle of one of her episodes, singing virtually acapella (with some help from Jools Holland. I was blown away by (a) her voice, which I had never heard in that way before and (b) as I said previously, the physical and emotional resemblance to Judy Garland.

[richard_pitts]

Judy Garland did smack? :confused:

[CropleyWasGod]

Judy Garland did smack? :confused:

She was addicted to prescription drugs. Died of an overdose.

[LiverpoolHibs]

Marvin Gaye has to be the definitive example. If you don't know his story, have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye#Personal_life

He died after being shot by his father whom he had fought with for many years, in particular his strict Jesuit upbringing. Whenever his life was falling apart his music went to new heights - you can actually plot them against one another.

However, I think it insults his memory and his enormous talent to put him on the same thread as Amy Winehouse who appears to be famous for being a smack addict, without which she would be just another run of the mill musician. She is a prime example of the current climate of celeb worship where we idolise talentless nasty dross :bitchy:

LH, I know they don't make nostalgia like they used to, but can you find me anyone currently writing to compare with Curtis Mayfield or Paul Robeson?

Do you mean just in terms of them having incredible voices? If so, that doesn't interest me very much, tbh.

If you mean people of the quality of Mayfield and Robeson more generally. Possibly, possibly not - but people like them don't come around very often. There are still some incredibly talented solo artists (leaving bands apart) going about just now.

[Tazio]

I can't see past Cat Power when I think about the points the OP made.

[LiverpoolHibs]

I can't see past Cat Power when I think about the points the OP made.

Yup, she's one example for sure. :agree:

[GhostofBolivar]

*cough* Johnny Cash *cough*

[Sir David Gray]

We'll have to disagree on that point. :greengrin

You might want to reconsider that opinion as I don't think much of him either! :greengrin

[duncs]

Absolutely everything that has been said I would regard as true.

Another few examples:

Neil Young - almost died of polio as a youngster
Johnny Rotten - aflicted with all sorts of medical problems as a child
John Lennon - father that went AWOL and problems with his Mum

At the root of much genius tends to be some sort of tragedy, abadonment etc at a young age and they spend the remainder of their lives trying to overcome their problems by producing this amazing creative output.