# Singers whose singing voice sounds nothing like their speaking voice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977 "2019-02-04T23:07:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/41 "2019-02-08T13:53:39Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > I am basing that on an [interview I heard on NPR](https://www.npr.org/2016/10/05/496639696/bruce-springsteen-on-jersey-masculinity-and-wishing-to-be-his-stage-persona) (Fresh Air) where I listened for at least five minutes before I realized who it was, out of context. If you hear him talk between songs at a concert (I have never seen him live) I suppose it sounds like his singing voice but in this interview, not at all. > > I’m not going to put a line in the sand on this, I may be in the minority. I agree with you on Springsteen and my wife was startled by his appearance on some show, I think Jimmy Fallon. IIRC his voice was much higher than she expected. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/42 "2019-02-08T14:01:58Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > “Dream On” would be a good example for a spinoff thread of “What hit song sounds like it came from a different band entirely?” (See also: Foo Fighter’s “Big You”) Did you mean “Big Me”? I guess since the video was so big and visually associated with them I’ve never really thought about it that way. Though I guess it’s a much different style of song than “This is Call” or “I’ll Stick Around.” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/43 "2019-02-08T14:54:48Z")
Cab Calloway. He really drew out his “R’s” while singing, not so much when speaking (although his **Blues Brothers** segments may not be very representative of either). ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/44 "2019-02-08T16:25:00Z")
Rather obviously, Yma Sumac. Also, Johnny Winter. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/45 "2019-02-10T02:34:12Z")
Geoff Tate from Queensryche. very deep speaking voice but he sounds totally different when he sings. Met him at a toy show years ago, he collects vintage Matchbox vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/46 "2019-02-18T15:40:51Z")
I listened to an old radio program with Freddy Mercury being interviewed, from not long before Live Aid. He didn’t talk anything like his singing voice. If I hadn’t have known I wouldn’t know who it was being interviewed. He actually talked like Rami Malek. 🙂 I guess that’s good acting. Give that man an Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/47 "2019-02-18T16:26:22Z")
I was surprised to hear Emmy Rossum (of Shameless) is a trained opera singer. Her speaking voice is not what you typically hear from a singer, it’s rather low-pitched and nasally. But she’s got pipes! Check it out: [Emmy Rossum Sings Opera For A Hot Dog | CONAN on TBS - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaK2chA79jI) ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977/48 "2019-02-18T21:30:03Z")
Country singer Dwight Yoakam. Back when I was a Country DJ 25 years ago Dwight was in his most hot period, and we played his songs all the time. We ran a feature in which Country stars were interviewed and when I heard his I was floored. He had absolutely nothing of that Country twang or accent in his voice,which was soooo prominent on his recordings. Someone mentioned Bob Dylan and I was thinking the same thing when I saw the topic. I listened to Dylan’s music for probably 30 years and never once actually heard him speak. When finally I did I was surprised his speaking voice is nothing at all like his “singing” voice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-singing-voice-sounds-nothing-like-their-speaking-voice/828977.md?page=2)