# Which female singer has the most 'mannish' voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608 "2011-03-31T06:31:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/1 "2011-03-31T06:31:24Z")
I don’t have any particular reason for asking, though I’m curious which female singer best crosses the vocal range into the area usually associated with male singers. Bonus points if you can link to a sound clip / video of said singer. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/2 "2011-03-31T06:41:34Z")
[Tracy Chapman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6475u0wEG0) is who first comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/3 "2011-03-31T07:57:08Z")
[Natalie Merchant](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14R4ZsMM0E) has a fairly deep (and beautiful) voice. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/4 "2011-03-31T08:06:42Z")
I am fascinated by this topic, and always have been, but, unfortunately, I can’t think of any by name or even specific song. But I will comment on the two that have been offered so far. > [@Alessan](#): > > [Natalie Merchant](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14R4ZsMM0E) has a fairly deep (and beautiful) voice. I agree her voice is beautiful and fairly low, but she still sounds female to me. Of course, I may be biased because I know she’s female, but see below. > [@Tamerlane](#): > > [Tracy Chapman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6475u0wEG0) is who first comes to mind. Now this woman sounds male. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/5 "2011-03-31T08:54:53Z")
Can’t link to youtube at the moment, but off the top of my head: [Nina Simone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Simone), [Marla Glen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marla_Glen) and [Allison Moyet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allison_Moyet). ---
**Author:** ![DirtyYoungMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@DirtyYoungMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirtyYoungMan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/6 "2011-03-31T09:08:39Z")
To answer your question: I was unaware that Tracy Chapman was women prior to this thread :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/7 "2011-03-31T09:56:53Z")
[Tanita Tikaram](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G_5IGWXkhc) was who leapt first to mind for me… ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/8 "2011-03-31T11:53:08Z")
Bonnie Tyler comes to mind for me ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/9 "2011-03-31T12:11:14Z")
The Indigo Girls, KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco. ---
**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/10 "2011-03-31T12:26:05Z")
**Fiona Apple** can hit the lows, as evinced here (live performance): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3LqKXV1-6R4/hqdefault.jpg "Fiona Apple - "Paper Bag" live @ TheToday Show [with lyrics]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LqKXV1-6R4) ---
**Author:** ![Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee7513/32.png) [@Kim\_o\_the\_Concrete\_Jungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kim_o_the_Concrete_Jungle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/11 "2011-03-31T12:28:49Z")
Lavern Baker: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vn1Adf4cfyE/hqdefault.jpg "LAVERN BAKER- "VOODOO VOODOO" (1958)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn1Adf4cfyE) But actually, I prefer this one, which is a bit more girly: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goI8q63m-6E) ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/12 "2011-03-31T12:55:02Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > The Indigo Girls, KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco. Yeah, I was going to say [Melissa Etheridge](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8H926Hmaw). Tracy Chapman is probably a better example. ---
**Author:** ![RockJonny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@RockJonny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RockJonny)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/13 "2011-03-31T13:02:16Z")
I grew up listening to Tracy Chapman, so I always knew she was a woman- but a lot of my friends thought she was a guy. The cover of her album [Crossroads](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6avGARTo2dg/SDnsNwJ3lDI/AAAAAAAABLI/7d86KouKh_k/s320/Tracy+Chapman+Crossroads.jpg) didn’t really help me prove them wrong. I personally thought that Nina Simmone has the most mannish voice. I thought she was a dude for the longest time. I think until I checked the soundtrack credits for the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/14 "2011-03-31T13:37:57Z")
I was going to say Tracy Chapman as well. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/15 "2011-03-31T13:45:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Bonnie Tyler comes to mind for me Really? Her voice is raspy/gravelly, but I don’t think it sounds masculine at all. Same with the Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, KD Lang (KD LANG?), etc. Is the reputation of these singers as being a little butch influencing your opinion of their voices? Because I don’t think any of them sound masculine the way Tracy Chapman does. Tracy Chapman, if you only ever listened to her music, is REALLY hard to make a call on. The others, not so much…Lang, especially. She’s a deep alto with incredible depth and strength but the timbre and tone of her voice aren’t masculine at all. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/16 "2011-03-31T13:50:05Z")
Alison Moyet is who I was going to post about. Check YouTube for her days with Yaz (aka Yazoo), specifically “Don’t Go” or “Situation.” Edited to indicate that I agree with **jayjay** : the others I have never thought of as having truly “mannish” voices, but rich and lovely altos for the most part. Moyet actually had me completely fooled, and Chapman could easily have done so as well. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/17 "2011-03-31T13:52:12Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > The Indigo Girls. I can see Amy but not Emily. [Ferron’s](http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/?q=ferron+life+a+brook&vid=4030FF89ABDA46F9D6094030FF89ABDA46F9D609&docid=775612727741&FROM=LKVR5>1=LKVR5&FORM=LKVR1) voice is distinct and she does prefer those lower registers. Marianne Faithfull’s more recent stuff is definitely on the mannish side (esp. that song she did with Metallica). [Mary Gauthier](http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/?q=mary+gauthier&vid=45AA05F10924F8F2FDEE45AA05F10924F8F2FDEE&docid=634548847113&FROM=LKVR5>1=LKVR5&FORM=LKVR5) has a bit of that mannish country swagger. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/18 "2011-03-31T13:59:52Z")
Sarah Vaughn had such an astounding range that she probably could have faked a baritone/mezzo-soprano duet with herself. She didn’t usually sound like a man, but she had her moments. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/19 "2011-03-31T14:12:59Z")
Since she did Danke Shoen, Wayne Newton’s voice has ‘manned up’ considerably. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608/20 "2011-03-31T14:39:47Z")
> [@DirtyYoungMan](#): > > To answer your question: I was unaware that Tracy Chapman was women prior to this thread :smack: I may not have known at first, but I found out quickly, the MTV generation, and all. Pre-MTV (or at least as it was just starting,) I give you: Will Powers, voiced by Lynn Goldsmith. Details at wikipedia, but try to checkout youtube for a laugh. > **[Will Powers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Powers)** > > Will Powers was the stage name used by celebrity photographer Lynn Goldsmith when she created a self-help comedy music album. The 1983 album, entitled Dancing for Mental Health, used affirmations set to music to poke fun at the self-help entrepreneurs who "build the listener's inner self and encourage personal growth through the thought that anything is possible". Will Powers is portrayed by Goldsmith during the spoken word sections as well as in the sung sections, her voice shifted dow Key... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-female-singer-has-the-most-mannish-voice/576608.md?page=2)