# Singers whose voices touch you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359 "2001-11-03T22:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/61 "2001-11-05T19:56:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gomez \* > **Adam Duritz (counting crows)** You beat me to it, **Gomez**. I defy **ANYONE** to listen to _Chelsea_, and see if you don’t get choked up listening to him sing: _I dream I’m in New York City some nights Angels float down from all the buildings There’s something about an angel that just kills me I keep hoping something will_ or: _Is anything different these days? The light in her eyes goes out I’ve never had light in my eyes anyway_ or (from a different song): \*I was wasted in the afternoon Waiting on a train I woke up in pieces, and Elisabeth had disappeared again I wish you were inside of me I hope that you’re okay I hope you’re resting quietly I just wanted to say goodnight Goodnight Elisabeth … I will wait for you in Baton Rouge Miss you down in New Orleans Wait for you… While she slips in something comfortable I miss you when I’m slipping in between And if you wrap yourself in daffodils Then I will wrap myself in pain And if you’re the queen of California Then I am the king of the rain … Won’t you fall down on me now? Won’t you fall down on me? Because I’m all alone And you ain’t coming home We’ve just settled down, down down Into bone\* ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/62 "2001-11-05T20:38:37Z")
**Roberta Flack** hasn’t been mentioned yet, and she deserves a nod. Are you kidding me? “Strumming My Pain,” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Shivers down your spine. **Eddie Vedder** deserves a mention, as well, as do **Natalie Merchant** and **Chrissy Hynde** and **Neil Young**. And hey, for a bluegrass entry, how about **Ralph Stanley**? Dittoes on these:[ul][_]Annie Lennox (and amen to the shivers on “Why?”)[_]Roy Orbison[_]Jewel[_]Michael Stipe[_]Sam Cooke[_]Morrisey[_]Jim Morrison[_]BjorkSpringsteen[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![JDM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/90db22/32.png) [@JDM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDM)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/63 "2001-11-05T20:56:56Z")
Kirsten Flagstad Jussi Bjoerling Victoria de Los Angeles Enrico Caruso Max Lorenz Johannes Sembach and from here in good old St Petersburg: Gennady Bezzubenkov Viktor Chernomortsev and Fyoder Chaliapin jdm ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/64 "2001-11-06T01:54:47Z")
**Sam Stone** say’s > [@](#): > > And I was surprised to see how long it took for someone to mention Janis Joplin. Listening to her sing Summertime is almost painful. I wholeheartedly agree. Same for _Cry Baby_ And I still get a chuckle out of _Mercedes Benz_ I was very saddened when I heard of her death. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![JRT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3e96dc/32.png) [@JRT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/65 "2001-11-06T03:26:19Z")
**Paula Cole Melissa Etheridge Peter Gabriel Sarah McLachlan Charlotte Church** ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/66 "2001-11-06T22:06:50Z")
Blixa Bargeld. Period. I tend to go for his brooding, contemplative stuff - “Sabrina” and “Redukt” are amazing in that respect. The desperate, confused way some of his earlier songs are sung stick in me, too - I had an early recording of “Kollaps” which still echoes in my head. I love Björk when she pulls out that sort of wail in her songs, or does that almost-whispered soft voice. It sends chills up my spine. Meret Becker almost makes me want to curl up in a blanket and never leave - it’s like a lullaby wrapped in warmth for me. Nina Hagen when she gets far-out and spiritual - “Hare Krishna” is playing on Winamp. Wonderful. I don’t understand the lyrics at all, but it’s beautiful. David Gahan’s earlier work is very nice, too - see his accent in “People are People” to see what I mean. Why did he have to lose the accent? ---
**Author:** ![Barney111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Barney111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barney111)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/67 "2001-11-07T02:40:38Z")
Shawn Colvin - especially solo acoustic Bonnie Raitt - the older the better Chris Whitley Nat King Cole Frank Sinatra Emmylou Harris …just a few… ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/68 "2001-11-07T05:17:13Z")
But years ago I heard **Enya** singing Carribean Blue on VH-1. After that I had to find her CDs and I always kept an eye out for that video. I don’t know what it is about her. I’m so embarassed. \ Marc ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/69 "2001-11-07T06:11:00Z")
ditto for: Charlotte Church Melissa Etheridge Janis Joplin Billie Holliday From the blues world - not too well known - Judy Henske. Especially _Til The Real Thing Comes Along_. My God. From the Broadway world: Lea Salonga, Linda Eder, Christiane Noll. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/70 "2001-11-07T06:42:30Z")
No mention yet of Lucinda Willams??? Forget drugs and booze, I’ll just listen to _Essence_! [Eliza Gilkinson](http://www.redhouserecords.com/146.html)’s _Hard Times In Babylon_ …is incredible, a beautiful eulogy for a lost friend. Carole King, as was said befor. Someone in town did a musical this year commemorating _Tapestry_. It (and she) deserved it. Beyond that, Robert Earl Keen Jr. is pretty good as well, but …uh, I don’t plan on getting touched by him any time soon… ---
**Author:** ![orr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@orr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orr)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/71 "2001-11-07T07:20:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\ ***Sam Stone** say’s > > > [@](#): > > > > And I was surprised to see how long it took for someone to mention Janis Joplin. Listening to her sing Summertime is almost painful. > > I wholeheartedly agree. Same for _Cry Baby_ > And I still get a chuckle out of _Mercedes Benz_ > I was very saddened when I heard of her death. > Peace, > mangeorge \*\* YES. And the live version of Ball & Chain (from the Fillmore West?) does it to me everytime. I’ll toss in a few jazz singers: - **Billy Holiday**. I never get tired of her. The song “Strange Fruit” sends shivers up my spine. - **Sarah Vaughan**. Another great rendition of “Summertime”. She has that smoky/drunk quality that gets me every time. - **Nina Simone**. Her voice is very unique and expressive, even mannish in a way, but still very beautiful. And a few of my favorite old-time bluesmen: - **Robert Johnson**. Can’t leave him out. He can hit that high, trembling wail that makes you just cringe with the blues. - **Eddie “Son” House**. Alternated between a baptist preacher and singing the devil’s music (blues}. The conflict and pain that this brought about is apparent in every note that he sings. Anything before he was rediscovered in the '60s is pure gold. - **Rice Miller aka “Sonny Boy Williamson”**. One of the all-time greatest blues singers (IMO, or course). Also influential in blues harmonica. Plus he was there when the devil claimed Robert Johnson’s soul. 😉 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Iron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Big\_Iron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Iron)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/72 "2001-11-07T11:05:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by orr \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > > \*\ ***Sam Stone** say’s > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > And I was surprised to see how long it took for someone to mention Janis Joplin. Listening to her sing Summertime is almost painful. > > > > I wholeheartedly agree. Same for _Cry Baby_ > > And I still get a chuckle out of _Mercedes Benz_ > > I was very saddened when I heard of her death. > > Peace, > > mangeorge \*\* > > YES. And the live version of Ball & Chain (from the Fillmore West?) does it to me everytime. > > I’ll toss in a few jazz singers: > - **Billy Holiday**. I never get tired of her. The song “Strange Fruit” sends shivers up my spine. > - **Sarah Vaughan**. Another great rendition of “Summertime”. She has that smoky/drunk quality that gets me every time. > - **Nina Simone**. Her voice is very unique and expressive, even mannish in a way, but still very beautiful. > And a few of my favorite old-time bluesmen: > - **Robert Johnson**. Can’t leave him out. He can hit that high, trembling wail that makes you just cringe with the blues. > - **Eddie “Son” House**. Alternated between a baptist preacher and singing the devil’s music (blues}. The conflict and pain that this brought about is apparent in every note that he sings. Anything before he was rediscovered in the '60s is pure gold. > - **Rice Miller aka “Sonny Boy Williamson”**. One of the all-time greatest blues singers (IMO, or course). Also influential in blues harmonica. Plus he was there when the devil claimed Robert Johnson’s soul. 😉 'Nuff said. \*\* This individual clearly has refined musical tastes, IMO. Just FTR, though, Rice Miller, while the elder, was not the first Sonny Boy Williamson. Names off the top of my tired head: Del McCoury Bob Dylan Jerry Garcia Skip James ---
**Author:** ![Tiggamoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@Tiggamoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggamoo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/73 "2001-11-14T03:03:29Z")
Richie McDonald-Lonestar (anything from the Lonely Grill cd especially) Martina McBride (amazing voice) Garth Brooks (Unanswered Prayers, The River, The Dance, Shameless, and many others) Scott Stapp-Creed (almost anything he sings) Rob Thomas-Matchbox 20 (awesome voice) John Ondrasik-Five for Fighting (particularly Superman(It’s Not Easy), but I love all the songs on the American Town cd) Kermit the Frog (I just love to hear him sing The Rainbow Connection) Sappo (my favorite voice of all just because I love him soooo much!!!) ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/74 "2001-11-14T03:34:45Z")
good evening friends, not long ago, i was moved to tears by frederika von staade, backed by the mormon tabernacle choir, singing shubert’s ave maria. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/75 "2001-11-14T04:27:20Z")
How can this list have gotten so long without Glenn Danzig? Granted, his songs are usually pretty silly but no one else has ever been able to _sing_ heavy metal. ---
**Author:** ![foxfiregrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3da27b/32.png) [@foxfiregrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxfiregrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/76 "2001-11-14T05:05:16Z")
Ani Difranco takes my vote – there’s some others, but a lot of them have been mentioned at this point. But, Ani has such range. She can emote like nobody’s business, and in songs like Dialate, she just growls and puts such feeling behind her voice. It helps that she writes all her own songs and lyrics, so that every song really is intensely personal. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/77 "2001-11-14T05:34:45Z")
**John Lennon** specifically on _Beautiful Boy_ when he sings “I can hardly wait, to see you come of age.” I always get a little choked up thinking how the rest of his life was taken away from him, and he was taken from his family, in such a mind-numbingly senseless and cold-blooded act. I’ll definitely second **Freddie Mercury**. Probably one of the greatest male vocalists ever IMO. Have to mention **Hope Sandoval** of _Mazzy Star_. **Neil Young** **Brad Delp** of _Boston_ is a great singer as well. ---
**Author:** ![chief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@chief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chief)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/78 "2001-11-14T06:32:59Z")
Chris Robinson - Black Crowes … he is great live, soul!! Ben Harper - so versatile and emotional! Jeff Buckley - he seems to be on another level Maynard Keenan - some great singing on a perfect circle… Bono Axl Rose - i just love his different vocal stylings Gram Parsons - i like his innocent sounding vocals Robert Plant ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/79 "2001-11-22T17:27:22Z")
i can’t agree more with everyone who mentioned jeff buckley. i saw him live in 95 and when he sang lover you should have come over, i wept like a baby. to this day his voice can still make me cry. other favorites include: morrissey janice joplin tori amos peter gabriel michael stipe aretha franklin trent reznor ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359/80 "2001-11-22T22:37:11Z")
ladehs: Nina Simone Liz Phair Ani Difranco Annie Lennox k.d. Lang Melissa Etheridge Janis Ian Jennifer Nettles - rowr Amy Ray fellahs: Willie Nelson Jeff Buckley Robert Smith [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/singers-whose-voices-touch-you/91359.md?page=5)