# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/101 "2011-01-24T02:27:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I had been hearing this song for _decades_ before I learned that the singer was > > [not a dude](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsO1hwixdZ8&feature=related). > > (even though the lyrics should have clued me in) > mmm Actually, I’m not convinced she’s not a drag queen. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/102 "2011-01-24T03:44:51Z")
Rene Geyer is [not black](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPmDXz4FMJk). And is, or was, hot. Hot hot hot. Hot. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/103 "2011-01-24T12:48:10Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > I also thought the theme song to [_The NeverEnding Story_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXJQOnT0xAM) movie was a sung by a woman with a nice, rich, robust voice. Count me in among the surprised–somehow, I always imagined it as being sung by Irene Cara! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/104 "2011-01-27T19:56:49Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You didn’t realize that Norman Greenbaum was a Jewish name? Incidentally, Greenbaum’s follow-up single to the Jesus-befriending “Spirit in the Sky” was a song about [ham.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZoVY6oi5yo) ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/105 "2011-01-27T23:45:29Z")
Minnie Ripperton, who sang the song “Loving You”, is the mother of actress [Maya Rudolph](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Rudolph). At the end of “Loving You” she sings “Maya, Maya, Maya” repeatedly. That’s all I got for trivia… ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/106 "2011-01-28T00:34:52Z")
[This is not a woman, which actually explains the lyrics of the song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIQWt3oMids). ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/107 "2011-01-28T06:04:32Z")
The rapper from Linkin Park. [Not black.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnuuYcqhzCE) ---
**Author:** ![bahia\_hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/109 "2011-07-17T03:50:38Z")
I always thought the Supertramp lead voice was a woman. Nope, it’s Roger Hodgson: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OQfjIw3mivc/hqdefault.jpg "Logical Song - Written and Composed by Roger Hodgson - Voice of Supertramp") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQfjIw3mivc) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/110 "2011-07-17T05:13:10Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > [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. I was surprised to find he was the 17-yr-old kid growling out [The Letter.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQaUs5J2wdI) A rare example of a singer’s voice getting HIGHER as he aged. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2011, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/111 "2011-07-17T05:18:46Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > You didn’t realize that Norman Greenbaum was a Jewish name? My MIL, not the brightest candle in the Methodist menorah, was surprised a few years back to find that a friend from childhood was Jewish. Name: Mitzi Goldstein. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2011, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506/112 "2011-07-17T05:39:29Z")
> [@bahia\_hombre](#): > > I always thought the Supertramp lead voice was a woman. Nope, it’s Roger Hodgson: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQfjIw3mivc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQfjIw3mivc) Madre de Dios! How does he still sing like that? I remember when that song was _new_ more than 30 years ago! Incredible! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-i-didnt-know-about-the-singers-of-these-songs/568506.md?page=5)