Who are your favorite singers from the '50s?

Maria Callas
Mahalia Jackson
Little Willie John
Big Mama Thornton
Nina Simone
Ray Charles
Lee Wiley
Lucy Reed
Jimmy Scott
Lorez Alexandria
Nat King Cole
Marion Williams
Bill Kenny
Little Richards
Sam Cooke
Ella Fitzgerald

 

The one and only:


From 1954 to 1962, he was just plain amazing.

 

Sister Wynona Carr is my favorite of the female gospel singers from the period. She had a great personality in her voice and her secular recordings are even better.

 

amazing singer indeed. I would have a hard time to say who was the best, since there were other incredible gospel singers like Aretha Franklin, Marion Williams, Mahalia Jackson or Mavis Staples.

 

Well, Mavis is my favorite, Wynona is a close second. Marion is not really a favorite. Mahalia is like the impersonation of gospel and there is not a single thing that is wrong with her singing, but the songs are maybe too safe, standard or something, I find everything I hear boring.

 

not even Come Sunday with Ellington? That's one of the greatest things of the last century imo (obviously also because of Ellington)