Who is your favorite original Chicago lead singer?

Hi!

I was listening to Chicago II the other day and realized that Chicago was not only blessed with one great lead singer, they had 3!

Just for fun, vote for your favorite 2:

Terry Kath- Soulful singer whose key vocals were on "Colour My World", "Make Me Smile" and plenty more.
Peter Cetera- Crystal clear tenor who sang "25 or 6 to 4", "If You Leave Me Now" among others
Robert Lamm- Bobby is the steady Eddie of the group, a perfect middle of the road singer "Beginnings" and "Saturday in the Park" are among his best known songs.

Please just vote for your favorite singers, not the material they sang or how Chicago went down the tubes after Terry's unfortunate demise (not my opinion).

 

The band has definitely shared the microphone over the years....maybe they will let one of the roadies take a turn next? : )

1. Terry Kath
2. Peter Cetera
3. Robert Lamm
4. James Pankow
5. Lee Loughnane
6. Donnie Dacus
7. Bill Champlin
8. Jason Scheff
9. Keith Howland
10. Lou Pardini
11. Jeff Coffey
12. Neil Donell

 

Lamm sounds too much like a lounge singer. Kath isn't really a good singer but he's got the passion and attitude. Cetera's got the true vocal talent, and he played some great bass too.

 

Lamm by a good margin for me. I'm not a huge fan of the band so my opinion matters less than others who are, but Lamm on the classic stuff is an all-timer. LOVE his voice.

 

I voted Kath and Lamm although all three in the poll certainly have their strengths and did a great job in their own way. I enjoyed all three. BTW, Chicago II is just a KILLER of an album!

 

I had to go with Terry and Peter. I like Robert too, but those two made the band in the 70s. And one of my favorite songs of that era featured both of them, Dialouge.

 

Hi bass playing always amazes me. So under rated.

 

Cetera and Kath. If I could have I would have voted for all three. Chicago ain't Chicago without Robert Lamm, especially in the early days.

 

I like them all (of course) but voted for Lamm.

 

Kath and always has been with Robert a strong second. Pete is an essential voice in harmony in my view, with his lead singing being touch and go for my tastes.

 

I consider Robert Lamm to be the voice of Chicago. Kath is too gruff and Cetera's turn to chick music/ballads has overshadowed his early chops.

 

All 3 good

 

I've always thought Lamm was the best singer by far. Not sure why he doesn't sing all of Terry's parts now. Cetera in small doses only.

 

I personally voted for Kath and Cetera. I love the way their voices play off each other on songs like In The Country and Dialogue. Lamm is great too, you can't lose with any of them.

 

Cetera got my vote but I like them all. I like when bands have so much vocal talent.

 

I like all 3 in terms of their Chicago output. Terry Kath for me best of the best.

 

I like the duet Cetera did with Amy Grant.

 

no Donnie Dacus! how dare you! the man sang in Hair for Chrissakes!

oh yeah.....cetera

 

Went Kath. They lost more than just his guitar when he died.

 

For whatever reason, it was always Lamn who I thought of as the "lead singer" with significant lead vocal contribution from Cetera and Kath. Maybe this is because when i first started getting into Chicago it was though my two favorite songs from CTA, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is and Beginnings. I also feel that these two songs-sung by Lamn- from their debut define their sound at it's best and most identifiable over the course of the next couple of years which see as their best period.

 

No one beats Terry Kath. Byblos is one of the best recorded performances of all time, both guitar and vocals.

 

I love all three voices. They are very different and that’s why early Chicago was so great. TK’s soulful passionate voice is beyond compare. PC’s “rock” voice is one of the best in the business. I picked R Lamm because like DKPete says, he is the original “Chicago” sound. In his early days, he could really belt it out but other times, his voice sounded like velvet. You would never guess he sang “I don’t want your money”. He is the most versatile singer.

 

Terry & Peter

 

Mr. Chops

 

Voted for Robert Lamm. He had a warm baritone, and as the chief songwriter he wrote great material for his own voice. "When I'm with you...it doesn't matter where we are..."

Kath could be magical - Ray Charles-esque on Make Me Smile, then stoned-but-profound on Colour My World. But the voice itself? Rough and untrained, which led to uneven performances.

Cetera? A brilliant and beautiful tenor voice - so identifiable - that could fit any genre. Feelin' Stronger Everyday and Old Days are great uses of that voice. But - eventually it was specialized to primarily one part of the spectrum - balladry. With a more expansive and adventurous direction, Cetera had the chops - both vocal and compositional - to have a true legacy beyond Chicago, rather than the limiting adult contemporary ballad career he ended up with.