# Great Lead Singers Who Were Overshadowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219 "2020-01-10T14:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/1 "2020-01-10T14:34:04Z")
Every example I can think of seems like its the lead singer who overshadows the others, so I’ll ask the question here, because I know some of you will know of some examples. Even the great flamboyant guitarists I think of always had a singer with some kind of charisma, energy, or flamboyance. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/2 "2020-01-10T14:52:13Z")
Keith Relf of the Yardbirds. I’m always surprised by how few people recognize the name, especially since he lays claim to the most rock n roll death ever - electrocuted by an electric guitar. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/3 "2020-01-10T14:56:35Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Keith Relf of the Yardbirds. I’m always surprised by how few people recognize the name, especially since he lays claim to the most rock n roll death ever - electrocuted by an electric guitar. That was sad, especially with his sister (Jane Relf, great singer) coming in to form Illusion, which I preferred over Renaissance. I guess Greg Rollie could be one, but it must help if the band’s name (Santana) is named after the guitarist, but even more, I think someone who is confined to the keyboards who can’t move won’t get all the adulation. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/4 "2020-01-10T14:59:23Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > it must help if the band’s name (Santana) is named after the guitarist Not really sure he qualifies, but I was tempted to mention Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band for this reason. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/5 "2020-01-10T15:24:09Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I guess Greg Rollie could be one, but it must help if the band’s name (Santana) is named after the guitarist, but even more, I think someone who is confined to the keyboards who can’t move won’t get all the adulation. And, then, Rolie moved to a new band, along with Santana guitarist Neil Schon: Journey. After their first few albums, they brought in Steve Perry to act as co-lead singer with Rolie, but Perry quickly became identified as _the_ lead singer, and Rolie eventually left the band. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/6 "2020-01-10T16:30:15Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And, then, Rolie moved to a new band, along with Santana guitarist Neil Schon: Journey. After their first few albums, they brought in Steve Perry to act as co-lead singer with Rolie, but Perry quickly became identified as _the_ lead singer, and Rolie eventually left the band. I really liked those first couple of albums, the fusion stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/7 "2020-01-10T16:40:34Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Not really sure he qualifies, but I was tempted to mention Peter Wolf of the J. Geils Band for this reason. I was thinking of James Dewar (Robin Trower). ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/8 "2020-01-10T16:43:48Z")
Not unknown (his name is part of the band’s name) but definitely overshadowed: Greg Lake in ELP. A really underrated lead singer who was overshadowed by his bandmates’ widely acknowledged (and worshiped) virtuosity. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/9 "2020-01-10T16:43:58Z")
How about Brian Johnson of AC/DC. He suffers in comparison to Bon Scott, so some might not feel he qualifies as a “great” singer. But he was the voice of some of their biggest hits, yet will always be overshadowed by Angus Young. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/10 "2020-01-10T17:07:34Z")
Mike Smith was the lead singer in The Dave Clark Five. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/11 "2020-01-10T17:21:38Z")
Paul Jones and Mike d’Abo were both overshadowed by the keyboard player in Manfred Mann (known in the States?). I guess another obvious example of a singer being overshadowed would be Chic. The band was Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. I couldn’t tell you who the lead singer was - any offers? (No peeking). I guess that may take them out of the “Great” category - but they did their job: the band was pretty damn big. j ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/12 "2020-01-10T17:55:35Z")
Ray Collins was the lead singer for the Mothers first few albums, but no one remembers him. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/13 "2020-01-10T17:56:30Z")
Paul Stanley is arguably overshadowed by Gene Simmons in KISS. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/14 "2020-01-10T19:48:23Z")
I always thought Pete Townshend overshadowed Roger Daltry in The Who. Pete leaped about, armwhirled his chords, smashed guitars, and ang half the songs. Roger had…a tambourine. There’s a reason that air-tambourining and tambourine-face never became rock tropes. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/15 "2020-01-10T19:49:27Z")
_hamster-dupe_ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/16 "2020-01-10T19:50:48Z")
I don’t know about “great lead singer” but Derek St. Holmes was the lead singer of Ted Nugent’s band for the vast majority of their songs, but Ted Nugent tended to be the lead singer on a lot of their singles and hits. Surely that was always completely a coincidence… ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/17 "2020-01-10T19:59:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Ray Collins was the lead singer for the Mothers first few albums, but no one remembers him. He was great in Perry Mason. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/18 "2020-01-10T20:08:51Z")
Eddie Van Halen with Sammy Hagar? Thats probably wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/19 "2020-01-10T20:11:19Z")
I’d say that was accurate, **Wesley**. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219/20 "2020-01-10T20:42:50Z")
Marty Balin. That’ll teach him to recruit a girl singer for his band. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-lead-singers-who-were-overshadowed/846219.md?page=2)