singers mentioned, IMO, Cole and Torme were the smoothest.
This is a little misleading. If you go back and listen to Sinatra when he was with Dorsey and James, there was NO ONE smoother. His voice was unbelievable and frankly, I've never heard one better. As he aged, it changed. There was conscious change (read what Nelson Riddle said about it) and there was also the fact that he had vocal chord nodules and lost his voice in 1951. He never fully recovered from that. Before hand, though, he was the best. His biggest influence was Bing, and later he said Tony Bennett had the best voice he'd ever heard. I don't think Tony could be considered "smooth", but Sinatra certainly was in what was called the first act of his career.
...not kidding about that. Melts me. Part of the reason I married her. :)
Of pop singers, I think Patty Griffin is probably my all time favorite, a beautiful, clear, angelic voice - while she presents with a bit of country twang, her timbre is impeccably warm, harmonic and versatile, she can croon with the best of them and has all the power you could ever ask for.
Karen Casey is another, lesser-known because of the Celtic genre she plays to, but this is another singer with just a gorgeous, powerful voice. If you look her up, find her work with the Philly based Solas.
Ronstadt and Judy Collins and Adele - I don't have to describe these 3.
I'm perplexed how only men were listed on this thread.
If I MUST pick a male singer as 'smoothest', I'm going to Hoboken, it's SINATRA.
My favorite all time soul singer is listed several times, the great Sam Cooke. I just wasn't thinking of him as smooth in that sense. Another worthy gentleman, IMO, the instant panty remover named Barry White.
I wait all night for calls like these
Not that he's better than those already mentioned, but he has a very smooth sound.
Sweet Baby James - ( New Window )
My choice...
My choice...
+1 - The Velvet Fog
This is a little misleading. If you go back and listen to Sinatra when he was with Dorsey and James, there was NO ONE smoother. His voice was unbelievable and frankly, I've never heard one better. As he aged, it changed. There was conscious change (read what Nelson Riddle said about it) and there was also the fact that he had vocal chord nodules and lost his voice in 1951. He never fully recovered from that. Before hand, though, he was the best. His biggest influence was Bing, and later he said Tony Bennett had the best voice he'd ever heard. I don't think Tony could be considered "smooth", but Sinatra certainly was in what was called the first act of his career.
And Elvis in certain songs.
Also add Jackie Wilson
+1
Of pop singers, I think Patty Griffin is probably my all time favorite, a beautiful, clear, angelic voice - while she presents with a bit of country twang, her timbre is impeccably warm, harmonic and versatile, she can croon with the best of them and has all the power you could ever ask for.
Karen Casey is another, lesser-known because of the Celtic genre she plays to, but this is another singer with just a gorgeous, powerful voice. If you look her up, find her work with the Philly based Solas.
Ronstadt and Judy Collins and Adele - I don't have to describe these 3.
I'm perplexed how only men were listed on this thread.
If I MUST pick a male singer as 'smoothest', I'm going to Hoboken, it's SINATRA.
Aaron Neville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_fM1bkISKw
vs
Luther Vandross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNj9bXKGOiI
once announced as "The Velvet Fag" instead of "Fog"
it really happened.