Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Oz View Post
In my opinion, you have singers and song stylists. Singers are those I find to be technically incredible and song stylists are those who can sing a song in a way that is wonderful, even if not technically perfect. Marvin was a singer, Stevie is a stylist. Luther Vandross and Peabo Bryson and John Legend are singers, Teddy Pendergrass, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett were stylists.

In my very very subjective opinion, Michael Jackson was a great singer until he became a mimic of himself. His latter albums simply employed too much of what we heard before. The various screeches and ticks were new back in the '80s and tiresome by the '90s. Maybe he would have maintained his freshness if he didn't break from Q.
Good dichotomy. Although I still consider as very fine singers those artists I enjoy who are song stylists. I need to find a word like stylist for technically incredible singers. [[Or not )
Imo, there are far fewer technically incredible singers and, though they fill me with awe they don't necessarily touch me. When they can do both they are truly amazing.
My favorite singers ever seem to always happen to be stylists.

Michael Jackson was amazing as a child singer. His adult voice doesn't appeal as much to me. That doesn't stop me from loving Off The Wall and parts of Thriller.