Best Bass Singers Of All Time?

Cafe Society
21

Ron Raylor, a/k/a Bleeding Gums Murphy

22

Maybe not strictly bass, but definitely sings in the lower registers, and one of my favorite singers in general… Mark Lanegan.

Idle Hands

23

While waiting for some of the opera singing Dopers to chime in, I’ll just mention a few basses and baritones I’ve liked listening to: Samuel Ramey (bass), Raymond Aceto (bass), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone), Joshua Winograde (bass—though I don’t know if he performs anymore)

Does BRIAN BLESSED! count?

24

Mentioned this elsewhere, but these Orthodox singers on Google-Youtube are fairly amazing: Russia in Winter.
BTW, the girl is Keira Knightley, from a Zhivago film if you winder.

25

Thanks so much for this thread; we basses need to wrestle the spotlight from the tenors. And I was totally unaware that Thomas Quasthoff had been a thalidomide baby. What an amazing voice!

I’m also a big fan of the basses in Chanticleer.

26

+1 on Samuel Ramey

and for quirky a capella lovers, who better than “Richard Bob” Greene of “The Bobs”?
(besides being a killer song-writer)

27

Current on the country charts: Josh Turner

28

No mention of the late Jerome “Chef” McElroy, also known as Isaac Hayes?

29

Gratuitous Muppet Show link.

30

Viva la bassion!

31

Ivan Rebroff EOS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6DOUB3O35E

32

Odd…the liner notes attribute the music to the Fairfield Four. Whoever it is, he has an awesome bass voice.

Another that I like is Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers. Gospel quartet beginnings, like many others, but translated into country music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiyXx3T3Igc

33

I love this song too. My favorite Christmas song but not by much.

34

How about Larry Hooper on the early 60’s era Lawrence Welk Show?

.

35

Louis Armstrong is alone at the top for me.

36

Satchmo isn’t really a “bass singer” in the sense we’re talking about. Unless you mean a different Louis Armstrong…

37

Died on stage FTW: Leonard Warren
Russian bass: Nicolai Ghiaurov

38

I’ll put up Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers. Now, their brand of coffe may not be your cup of tea, but bass is bass.

Check him out here, at 0:57+. And here.

39

FTW

Larry Graham (of Sly and the Family Stone / Graham Central Station)

Sings Bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYycDyAxgb0

Plays Bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CjzOsAGpI&feature=related

40

Billy Eckstine could get way down there.

But not as low as Arthur Prysock.