# Divas... Talented women musicians... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 4, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175 "2015-03-04T04:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/41 "2015-03-08T16:47:13Z")
The quality of singing performance is also a matter of personal taste. For instance, Paul Simon is an excellent singer who is very accurate in his delivery, but Bruce Springsteen throws himself into the lyrics in a way that evokes a much stronger emotional response (better connection with the listener/audience). In terms of emotional expression, my feeling is that the virtuoso Tori Amos has to be classed as a diva. The substantive question as to what constitutes a diva is should she be above the music or striving for a more personal connection with her audience? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/42 "2015-03-08T16:59:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think people who say what **Leaffan** said may be thinking along the lines of “Singing doesn’t make you a musician: _everybody_ does that—at church, in the shower, at summer camp…” By which logic I could just as easily claim that Usain Bolt isn’t really an athlete. After all, everyone runs around. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/43 "2015-03-08T17:31:06Z")
Is Miley Cyrus a musician? Hilary Duff? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/44 "2015-03-08T18:10:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Is Miley Cyrus a musician? Hilary Duff? To answer your question, yes, Miley Cyrus is clearly a professional musician. This is up for debate? She may present herself as a tart, but do you really doubt her training? I have no exposure to Hilary Duff, so can’t comment. But, dude, we are discussing Divas in this thread. If they are truly worthy of consideration as a diva, like an opera star, or Aretha or Whitney, etc, are you really trying to question their level of craft? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/45 "2015-03-08T18:29:53Z")
**Leaffan** , you are the one making the argument that singers aren’t musicians. It is up to you to provide support for your argument, either with reason or citations. “Miley Cyrus” is not an argument. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/46 "2015-03-08T18:34:59Z")
St Vincent (Annie Clark) is a special talent - her last album was magnificent, swept the board as #1 from last year (as far as the critics go over here in the UK). She’s not obviously a diva AFAIK, but she does have a level of seriousness in her art that seems on different to most musicians - total self-confidence and belief. The track [prince johnny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idllxjHbX7w) from StV really encapsulates this for me - very diva-like actually, no holding back or ironic smiles on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/47 "2015-03-08T18:54:04Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I see your Joni Mitchell and raise you [Hiromi Uehara](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7_dXIKt0Y). > > (Though she’s a pianist, not a singer. But you said “musician”.) Different strokes for different folks, but I could take a couple minutes of that. But I could listen to _Court and Spark_ all day. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/48 "2015-03-09T06:18:55Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > To answer your question, yes, Miley Cyrus is clearly a professional musician. This is up for debate? She may present herself as a tart, but do you really doubt her training? Miley Cyrus is a fantastic singer, and while I may be disappointed with her “presentation”, I cannot deny her talent. That girl has an amazing voice. > [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > St Vincent (Annie Clark) is a special talent - her last album was magnificent, swept the board as #1 from last year (as far as the critics go over here in the UK). > > She’s not obviously a diva AFAIK, but she does have a level of seriousness in her art that seems on different to most musicians - total self-confidence and belief. The track [prince johnny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idllxjHbX7w) from StV really encapsulates this for me - very diva-like actually, no holding back or ironic smiles on that one. I give you LIGHTS. Canadian singer, and her singing voice is unimpressive. But then I have to mention that every sound you hear is **her**. Everything you hear, she did by herself. She wrote the song, performed all of the music, and sang all of the parts: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AU9-TRVbhkE/maxresdefault.jpg "Lights - Ice [Official Music Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9-TRVbhkE) TALENT. > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Different strokes for different folks, but I could take a couple minutes of that. > > But I could listen to _Court and Spark_ all day. 🙂 The previous video featured the bass player, Tony Grey. But Hiromi composed the song. Here she is, all by herself on the piano, playing her original composition, “The Tom and Jerry Show”. As a guy who grew up in the 1970s (even before Hiromi was born), watching Saturday morning cartoon, Tom & Jerry were my favorites, and this song just perfectly captures it: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVRhz873lZQ) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175/49 "2015-03-09T14:35:57Z")
I would submit Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Cass Elliot, Amalia Rodriguez, Linda Perry (from 4 Non Blondes), and Cissy Houston (Whitney’s mother, for those who live in caves). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divas-talented-women-musicians/714175.md?page=2)