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

[PhilBoy]

In order of appearance (to my collection)...

Linda Ronstadt

Ella Fitzgerald

Annie Lennox

Amanda Marshall

 

[Angelo.M]

Nanci Griffin

Margo Timmins

Cassandra Wilson

Holly Cole

Emmylou Harris' Stumble into Grace may be the album of the year; check it out...

 

[Dave Isham]

Wow, all these opinions and just one mention of Eva Cassidy so far (thanks Lin)

Eva's qualities include but are not limited to, timbre, pitch, vibrato, purity in tone, projection, artistic interpretation, vocal composition and arrangement, rhythym, soul, emotion, dramatic pause, versatility, mystery, sensuality, sexuality... I can go on and on plus she was a proficient guitar player too!

Ani Difranco is another great singer (that I believe has gone unmentioned here) extra points for her songwriting and inventive guitar playing...

 

[Angelo.M]

Actually, Eva was mentioned by Vickie as well.

She was a phenomenal interpreter, with a voice that could be other-worldly at times. Her version of Paul Simon's "Kathy's Song" is sublime (I could repeat this sentence with many other examples).

 

[george king]

David

You beat me to the punch. I was going to say that 3 pages, and no one mentioned Eva Cassidy. That is amazing. I'll throw in Tiernay Sutton and Tracy Thorn also.

 

[J. Banks]

My favorite femal voice would have to be Sarah McLachlan.

Melissa Errico, a new artist, has a voice that is also stunning. She reminds me a lot of Sarah.

 

[Angelo.M]

Funny you should mention Melissa Errico. Heard her for the first time just the other day. I heard the title track to her album "Blue Like That" (great song) and her cover of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes." She has a great voice, but one that I don't particularly care for as it is quite mannered, due in no small part I would assume to her extensive experience in musicals. My guess is that her record has the makings of a hit, however (whatever that means, with the music biz the way it is). Although she sounds nothing like Norah Jones, I could see the same fans flocking to this record.

 

[chung_sotheby]

Some of my favorites:
Alison Krauss
Billie Holliday
Etta James
Annie Lennox
Gwen Stefani
Bjork
Fiona Apple
The lead singer for Frou Frou (forgot her name)
Aaliyah
Shirley Manson
Janis Joplin (I think of her as the female Joe Cocker)
Aimee Mann
Joni Mitchell
Dido
Erykah Badu
Nelly Furtado
Lauryn Hill
Britney Spears
...oh wait, did you say most beautiful voice?

 

[David Lawson]

Depending on the material...

Ambrosia Parsley (Shivaree)

Sarah Bettens (K's Choice)

Kate Fenner

 

[Pamela]

Patty Griffin

 

[TomCW]

WOW, there are some great voices in this thread, but how could I have neglected to include-

Trish Klein (Be Good Tanyas and Po' Girl)

Allison Russell (Po' Girl)

Also Ditto on Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith and Jonatha Brooke.

I'm gonna be busy checking out a whole buncha artists I've never heard.

Thanks All!

Tom

 

[Jacinto]

Great mentions already in this thread. I'll add a couple unmentioned thus far since I'm a fan of the raspy voice:

Bonnie Tyler

Susanna Hoffs

 

[Vickie_M]

Tori Amos - (My all-time favorite artist- 'nuff said.)

Sarah MacLachlan - (another great vocalist)

Margo Timmins - (another vote for her...I love that voice)

I should have added them to my list. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I'm pretty sure (ok, 99% sure) I was the first person in the United States to play these people on the radio. Sarah, because I got her album Touch long before it was released in the US. Tori, because I played tracks from Y Kant Tori Read before it was released (not that I think anyone played tracks after it was released), and Margo and Cowboy Junkies, because I got a copy of The Trinity Session before release. There were advantages to having a radio show AND working in a record store--lots of pre-release freebies.

 

[Scott Kriefall]

I don't recall seeing any mention of Sloan Wainwright. Great contemporary 'folk' singer/songwriter. (And yes, she's related to Rufus and Loudon Wainwright).

 

[Greg Black]

Embarassing to admit, but I'd not really heard any Patsy Cline until about ten minutes ago. I bought a copy of MCA's 20th Century Masters "Classic Patsy Cline" yesterday at Sam's Club for $6.26 and I'm listening to it now. All I can say is WOW. What an amazing voice!

 

[Chuck L]

Greg...it is better late than never to discover Patsy. Glad that you enjoying it...she was truly one of a kind.

 

[Angelo.M]

...and Cowboy Junkies, because I got a copy of The Trinity Session before release.

Hmmm. Didn't Whites off Earth Now! come first? I think I remember playing this on our college radio station before Trinity Session was released.

 

[Vickie_M]

Hmmm. Didn't Whites off Earth Now! come first? I think I remember playing this on our college radio station before Trinity Session was released.

(Insert slapping forehead smiley) You're absolutely right! I knew that too (that WOEN came first), so I had to have been thinking of another group and my brain wires got crossed. Hmmm, maybe...Rainbirds. I'd have to go check some playlists. I'm still sure about Tori and Sarah though. I'm a huge fan of both, and I'm not senile enough to forget them.

 

[Ryan_TD]

Sarah McLachlan

Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance)

Stevie Nicks

Beth Gibbons (Portishead)

Tori Amos

Kate Bush

and those backup singers on Dark Side Of The Moon

 

[Philip_T]

Miriam Stockley gets my vote