Most underrated singers (not just singers you like)

Roger Hodgson

 

Jimmy Dewar

 

He's certainly not the coolest person on this list, but I agree with you. Even in his teenage years you could hear his voice was exceptional. He was only about 14-15 when he had his big hits like Puppy Love and The Twelfth Of Never, but his vocals were really smooth and natural.

 

Paul Stanley
Dennis DeYoung
Ray White (Zappa)
Lady Bianca (Zappa)
Bobby Martin (Zappa)

^FZ had some fantastic vocalists over the years

 

Jess Roden
Frankie Miller

 

When I was a teenager I loved the first three Journey albums. Progressive rock. Then Steve Perry joined the band, and I thought Journey was ruined. All these years later, I am a hard core jazz fan of all eras, and have grown up listening to great singers song the great American song book. A couple years ago I hear a Journey ballad on the radio, and am hearing Steve Perry with a lot of years listening, learning and living in my wake, and damn, SP is a great singer!

 

Lady Gaga. Do not like her music. Loved the Special with Tony Bennet. The Lady can sing.

 

I've always thought that Ace Frehley and Adrian Belew are the best "singers with a non-singer voice" (if you catch my drift).

 

I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw a YouTube video of her solo on the piano - not what I expected at all after seeing some of the craziness in her mainstream videos. That girl has a set of pipes! I like her stuff with Tony Bennett; will have to look for the Stevie Wonder tribute show. Thanks for the tip.

-Pat

 

Good call.

 

Nick Garvey of The Motors

 

The Motors were a killer pub rock band. Recommend this album:

 

June Tabor. One of the most beautiful voices from the British folk scene through the years. Sometimes cheeky and sexy, sometimes dark and whistful, but always personal. In the business from the mid sixties and on without public breakthrough. Well worth to be discovered by a larger audience. It's about time...

 

Totally! I would add to this Zappa list Bob Harris "#2" (in the 1980 band). Talk about a powerful, musical boy soprano!

 

Dweezil Zappa wanted to work, or have worked, with him in the past. A remake of the "Staying Alive" song IIRC.

 

Some people can't stand Derek Shulman, from Gentle Giant. I love him! In the early albums he wasn't always tight on pitch (and he IS annoying here and there on the first one!). In later days he bloomed wonderfully though, especially in some of the quieter songs, like "Memory of Old Days" for instance!

 

Annie Haslam. Maybe not underrated, but certainly overlooked. Dare I say, the best female voice in prog rock?

 

Beverly D’Angelo! Yes, the actress. She is over looked as a singer because of the other talent. If you like “Big Band” music, locate the soundtrack for the 1987 movie “In The Mood”. The original compact disc liner notes credit Beverly with vocals on two tracks “Dream” and “Baby Blue”. FYI, Some of the information regarding the album on the net appears to contradict the liner notes on my CD.

 

Mickey Jupp

 

Alice Russell

 

Danny Elfman. "O.B.' were some of the best concerts I've ever been to (and I've been to a lot), and have to credit a lot of it to his amazingly strong vocals. Of course the band was pretty good too, lol.

 

You don't hear too many accolades for Bobby Womack outside of the cognoscenti I don't think, but he is the man.

 

Minnie Riperton

 

Paul Di'Anno.

Sure Bruce Dickinson was/is better, but Paul did what he did and did it very well as a charismatic, solid, rock vocalist. I never hear praise for the guy, probably because he'll forever be in Bruce's shadow; still, i think if he were never canned we'd be none the wiser, today.

 

He can still do it! He goes a little flat on some of the really high notes and he clips a few but he nails the rest of it. Not bad for an old man. At the height of his powers, they rarely came better. His issue is that he used that voice at the service of "We Built This City". It destroyed all of his credibility and he'll never get it back.

Ed