Female Singer with the Most Beautiful Voice? (1 Viewer)

[Curtis Lotter]

I'll second Natalie Merchant, I'm surprised she was only mentioned once so far. How bout a duet with her and James Taylor? Now that would be smoooooth.
Kate Bush is my favorite female performer although I don't know if she quite fits in the "most beautiful voice" category. She could open a can of song writing woop ass on just about anyone though
What about Chrissie Hynde, a unique and beautiful voice I don't think was mentioned.

 

[Will K]

killed post

 

[Chuck L]

Karen Carpenter (simply wonderful)

Patsy Cline (one of the greatest ever and so much emotion)

Olivia Newton-John (been in love with her music for 32 years)

Mary Fahl (this woman's voice and talent is simply amazing)

Cher (another long time fan of this women's work regardless of the medium)

Annie Lennox (plain and simple...this woman is a Goddess)

Barbara Mandrell (one of the most underrated women in music)

Dolly Parton (a total package of nothing but talent, beauty and brains)

Pat Benatar (whether a slow or up tempo song, this woman's voice has never failed to amaze me)

 

[Michael Martin]

Another vote for Mary Fahl,former lead singer for October Project, as well as a solo EP and full-length CD.
Someone else not mentioned yet is Jennifer Noble of Grey Eye Glances, a fantastic alterna-pop band out of New England.
Both have stellar pipes, though Noble's voice seems able to fit a wider variety of songs and genres of music.

 

[Danny Eccleston]

Annie Lennox

Judie Tzuke

Kate Bush

Striesand(at times)

dido? don't make me laugh come on kids you can do better than that!

 

[Mark H]

Another vote for Lisa Gerrard here!

Also:-

Tori Amos

Louise Rhodes (LAMB)

Sinead O'Connor

Kristen Hersh

While I agree with everybody elses' postings here, for me these ladies do it, not just for their vocal performances but for their songwriting capability.

MARKIE BOY

 

[DonaldB]

Billie Holiday

Sarah Vaughan

Bessie Smith

Ella Fitzgerald

Cassandra Wilson

Patsy Cline

Janis Joplin

Carol Van Dijk

Kim Deal

Nico

Georgia Hubley

Grace Braun

Heather Lewis

Limited range (eg. Nico) does not mean limited beauty.

 

[Chuck L]

It is so wonderful to see others with Mary Fahl on their list! Now if only the rest of the world would know...

 

[James Corey]

Ella Fitzgerald

Cesaria Evora

Carmen McRae

Jonatha Brooke (The Story)

Virginia Astley - check out "Some Small Hope" (w/David Sylvian)

 

[Jeremy Anderson]

I agree with a lot of the suggestions, but I have to throw in Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek. Her voice is simply amazing.

 

[Lin Park]

Some good suggestions so far but you've all overlooked the obvious winner - Eva Cassidy. Thanks for playin' though.

 

[DaveDickey]

Allison Moyet. Beauty.

 

[Rob Gillespie]

K.D. Lang is still one of the best.

 

[Nick Sievers]

Aimee Mann is by far my favorite female artist, her solo albums just get better and better. I hope that one day she may tour over this side of the world, I hear she is great live.

 

[Seth--L]

Past:

Joan Sutherland

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Present:

Anne Sofie von Otter

Luba Orgonasova

 

[TheLongshot]

I agree with a lot of the suggestions, but I have to throw in Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek.

Actually, I consider her just adequate.
Jason

 

[Jon_Are]

Wow, all these posts and no one has mentioned my front-runner:
Margo Timmins, of Cowboy Junkies
This line - from "Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning" - gives me the shivers everytime I hear her sing it:
Yeah, I'll admit there are times that I miss you;
especially like now when I need someone to hold me..."
Jon

 

[Kenny_H]

My picks are Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, Dionne Warwick, Annie Lennox, Jill Scott, Martha Wash, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adams, Gwen Guthrie, Mary J. Blige, Ann Nesby, Gladys Knight, Mysa, Teena Marie, Stephanie Mills, Chante Moore, Nancy Wilson, Cece Winans and Patti Austin.

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Phil beat me to Jane Kelly Williams and Sam Phillips. Let me add Jane Siberry, shocked that no one has mentioned her yet.

 

[Vickie_M]

As I mentioned before in this thread, I used to have a radio show that featured female vocals. I just love the female voice, and I love reading all these names!
It's really wonderful some of the more obscure names I'm seeing! Judie Tzuke! Mary Fahl! Jonatha Brooke, Dot Allison, Loreena McKennitt, Sam Phillips, Holly Cole! Virginia Astley!!! You guys all have great taste.
I adore Iris DeMent, but I wouldn't call her voice "beautiful" in the conventional sense. I do love her unusual voice as well as her emotional and powerful lyrics and spirit, but I can see how she'd drive some people crazy. Their loss, of course. I think she'd go in an alternate thread (something like "Very unusual voices you love"). Virginia Astley too. Victoria Williams, definitely. Alison Shaw (Cranes), Betsy Martin (Caterwaul), maybe Bjork.
And yes, I agree, Eva Cassidy has (had :frowning a breathtakingly beautiful voice. Simply stunning.
My favorite beautiful voices are:
Kate Bush (my all-around musical goddess anyway)
Happy Rhodes (she has the widest range of my musical loves, people say she sounds like high Kate Bush dueting with low Annie Lennox, and many can't believe there aren't two people singing on her songs)
Samples (she knows I share her songs)
Also, in no particular order:
Jane Siberry
Elizabeth Fraser
Lisa Gerrard
Anneli Drecker (of Bel Canto)
Mary Coughlan
Sheila Chandra
Karen Peris (of The Innocence Mission)
Sinead O'Connor
Too many more to mention!
Kate Bush fans (and other interested* parties) might check out this Kate site:
The Homeground + Kate Bush News & Info Forum
*In the "Other Artists" section, there's a thread called "Suspended In Gaffa" about, well, other female artists. I can't really say more, but it's worth a look, I think.