# Who's your favorite dead singer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470 "2006-06-05T13:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/41 "2006-06-05T18:46:26Z")
1. Warren Zevon 2. Ray Charles 3. Sandy Denny ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/42 "2006-06-05T19:01:58Z")
Elliott Smith ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/43 "2006-06-05T19:11:41Z")
Adrian Borland Ian Curtis Kirsty McColl ---
**Author:** ![BlackHeart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BlackHeart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackHeart)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/44 "2006-06-05T19:14:59Z")
Jim Morrison. Laura Nyro. Michael Hutchence. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/45 "2006-06-05T19:25:36Z")
I have to go with the great Maria Callas. (Although, admittedly, seeing the Howlin’ Wolf’s name earlier made it a close call. Thay guy could rock!) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/46 "2006-06-05T20:26:35Z")
Patsy Cline ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/47 "2006-06-05T21:08:59Z")
Freddie Mercury. Whenever I hear him sing it’s like someone just lit up my entire body. LOVE that voice. Cass Elliott. Even when she sings happy, it makes me a bit sniffly. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/48 "2006-06-05T21:10:17Z")
OH – and Ofra Haza. That voice sends chills up my spine. I wonder if Nana Mouskouri is still alive? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/49 "2006-06-05T21:17:51Z")
I sure do miss Elliott Smith and Harry Chapin. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/50 "2006-06-05T21:22:58Z")
Joe Strummer…sigh. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/51 "2006-06-05T21:33:27Z")
Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Tim and Jeff Buckley, Warren Zevon, Kirsty McColl. But mainly Nick Drake. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/52 "2006-06-05T21:38:56Z")
Male: Otis Redding, Roy Orbison, Bradley Nowell Female: Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/53 "2006-06-05T22:32:23Z")
Karen Carpenter for the females, John Denver for the males. I would have loved to have heard them sing a duet. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/54 "2006-06-05T22:45:24Z")
Townes van Zandt, although more for his songs than the way he sang them. Honorable mentions go to Warren Zaevon, Gram Parsons, and Jerry Garcia. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/55 "2006-06-05T23:00:57Z")
Mr John Jerome Garcia…rip big guy…miss you ☹ tsfr ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/56 "2006-06-05T23:49:45Z")
Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin. Both needed more time to truly show off their talents. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/57 "2006-06-06T00:09:02Z")
[QUOTE=Birdmonster] Joe Strummer…sigh. [/QUOTE] If you know what soul is, this guy had it. RIP Joe. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/58 "2006-06-06T00:34:05Z")
Joey Ramone All right, not really. But I do miss him. And seconds to Strummer and Zevon. In fact, yesterday, I listened to “The Wind,” and would love to hear cover versions of some of his songs, so I won’t cry. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/59 "2006-06-06T01:01:59Z")
Jeff Buckley and Kirsty MacColl. I like just about everyone else who’s been mentioned, especially Peggy Lee, Sandy Denny, Eva Cassidy, The Boswell Sisters, and Janis Joplin, but Jeff and Kirsty were special to me. I got to see Kirsty perform and met her a couple of times, and once interviewed her for a radio show I did. I never got to meet Jeff, but I did get to see him perform, at the show that was later turned into a DVD. Funny that he got more popular, just like Eva Cassidy, after he died. Boy, when [Happy Rhodes](http://www.myspace.com/happyrhodes) dies (which hopefully won’t be for decades), it’ll do wonders for her career. People will suddenly discover how amazing she was, and claim her as a “new discovery.” ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470/60 "2006-06-06T01:14:45Z")
Nat “King” Cole, Izzy Can’t-spell-his-last-name-without-looking-it-up, Ella Fitzgerald. Ask me tomorrow and get three different answers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-dead-singer/359470.md?page=4)