# What I didn't know about the singers of these songs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506 "2011-01-21T22:45:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/1 "2011-01-21T22:45:06Z")
[Black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIuyDWzctgY) [Not black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laStiu_sUd4) [Not a woman.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El6iQ2_dvlc) [Black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSdbQLXpmPQ) That last one was sorta dumb because if you listen to the words, he kinda says he is. P.S. all videos are SFW. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/2 "2011-01-21T22:55:02Z")
Forgot one. [Jewish.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/3 "2011-01-21T23:03:41Z")
I didn’t know either, if that makes you feel any better. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/4 "2011-01-22T02:59:15Z")
I used to think it was Ray Charles who sang Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help From My Friends.” And Tasmin Archer, who sang [“Sleeping Satellites”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhDDx49TTw), had me fooled too. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/5 "2011-01-22T03:05:19Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > And Tasmin Archer, who sang [“Sleeping Satellites”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhDDx49TTw), had me fooled too. That works on the same level as “oh, he’s not gay. He’s British.” ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/6 "2011-01-22T04:30:10Z")
I knew the Dobie Gray, because it’s one of the songs I sing when I do karoake. I also knew the Nick Gilder, for some unknown reason. I vaguely remember when that song came out we were all like “that’s a guy?” In terms of Norman Greenbaum, how does one “sing Jewish?” ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/7 "2011-01-22T04:35:21Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > In terms of Norman Greenbaum, how does one “sing Jewish?” Well, generally you \*don’t \*sing about how you’ve “got a friend in Jesus”… ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/8 "2011-01-22T04:40:23Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > In terms of Norman Greenbaum, how does one “sing Jewish?” Not how he sings but what he sings about. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/9 "2011-01-22T04:50:52Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > Well, generally you \*don’t \*sing about how you’ve “got a friend in Jesus”… Okay, I’ll give you that. I was paying more attention to the voice rather than than the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/10 "2011-01-22T04:51:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Forgot one. [Jewish.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPlGFh6OpQ) I knew _exactly_ what song this was gonna be… ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/11 "2011-01-22T05:20:54Z")
I learned this Christmas that a [Danke Schoen era Wayne Newton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUryeDLpY_c) did not sing [Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xNuUEnh2g). ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/12 "2011-01-22T05:36:03Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [Not black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laStiu_sUd4) I totally thought you were setting us up for a rickroll before I clicked that. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/13 "2011-01-22T06:33:36Z")
My niece was shocked when I told her Cher is a woman. ---
**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 22, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/14 "2011-01-22T06:48:20Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [Not black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laStiu_sUd4) Wow…I loved that song. And, I, too, always assumed that Bobby Caldwell was black. [Jewish.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3thnt1xi7Os) [Not black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUaatTgAJo) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/15 "2011-01-22T07:03:30Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [Not a woman.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El6iQ2_dvlc) I immediately knew that was going to be Nick Gilder before I even clicked the link. It felt good to be proven correct. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/16 "2011-01-22T07:06:59Z")
[Recorded in 1995; singer was 45 years old at the time.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpYG5okq1ag) When I first heard it on the college radio station last year, I assumed it was a local indie band. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/17 "2011-01-22T07:17:35Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > I learned this Christmas that a [Danke Schoen era Wayne Newton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUryeDLpY_c) did not sing [Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xNuUEnh2g). Holy crap! I always thought the same thing until now. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/18 "2011-01-22T11:21:37Z")
I love this little bit of trivia: when Madonna released her very first single ‘Everybody’, there was no picture on the sleeve and (for a while) no music video, and apparently it was widely assumed she was black. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/19 "2011-01-22T11:40:23Z")
[Tom Jones is black](http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/louis-theroux-on-black-nationalism/) according to the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/20 "2011-01-22T12:21:50Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > [Danke Schoen era Wayne Newton](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUryeDLpY_c) What the… He looks like **k.d.lang**! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506.md?page=2)