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On Tuesday night [[Nov. 2), Michael Eric Dyson was on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" on CBS to promote his new book "Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America."
Dyson claims that Beyonce' is the greatest entertainer of all time on the planet.
Stephen Colbert said that, for him, it would be Diana Ross --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaSmUrWfowI&t=17s
Between the two singers, Diana all the way. The reasons being to many to go into. :)
I just read a story in the NY Times about Dyson and his new book, and have requested it from my local library. My GEOATOTP would be Tina Turner! We all get to have our favorites. Beyonce doesn't move me but I don't have any logical-or-otherwise argument against her massive success and adoration.Quote:
Originally Posted by zani57
I certainly am in the Diana camp here. Diana Ross and The Supremes came into people's homes on programs like "The Ed Sullivan Show" and, I believe, they did a lot to open people's eyes and ears to becoming more open-minded. And they dug the music. Diana's career has endured from the 1960s through to today. If people are discussing Beyonce' in 2060, then we'll talk. But, IMHO, I really don't appreciate Beyonce's music. To my 64-year-old ears, it's not what I call music. This Dyson fella just kept going back to "But Beyonce' ... " "But Beyonce' " AS IF Diana Ross or Sammy Davis Jr. or Louis Armstrong or Prince or Michael Jackson were not in the same league.
I really liked their exchange and Dyson's consistent "But Beyonce..." It was cute when Colbert dropped the book after mentioning Diana.
I like Beyonce a lot and have seen her in concert twice. Each time, it was a great experience. She sang and danced and entertained her ass off. That said, the greatest of all time is pushing it, IMO. I think nowadays performers get designated with "legend" status way too prematurely. That said, I do think Beyonce will become one. :D
The key word here is ENTERTAINER, not SINGER.Quote:
Originally Posted by zani57
I liked Jon Battista's comment at the end when he said that each era has it own great entertainers and that in the next twenty years he is going after all of them.
Mary Brewster, you pointed it out correctly with key word being ENTERTAINER, not SINGER.
I am of a much older generation and I have always considered four people Great Entertainers of the 20th Century. One of them was Sammy Davis Jr. What could he not do? He did everything.
I liked Stephen's defense of Diana.. He seems to like singers of that generation. He recently interviewed Dionne at the Montclair Film Festival, and his admiration for her during the interview was evident. A few nights later on his show, he mentioned the interview and said that he had dinner with her.
Many singers from over half a century ago, can still command an audience if they desired. Time will tell if the current crop can do the same in thirty or so years
I agree with all of this, milven!Quote:
Originally Posted by milven
Yes Mary Brewster and Diana Ross is a greater entertainer than Beyonce IMO. Diana is electric on stage and nobody got her charisma.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
Diana Ross' peak stardom years were phenomenal! Diana Ross was awarded the "Entertainer of the Century" prize before the aforementioned century was over! That is the definition of a STAR!
The "you go girl" is now an accomplished Woman.
Only one clear answer to this and it is Diana Ross without a doubt the guest clearly has a hard on for Beyoncé she doesn’t even come close to Diana Ross The Voice everything the only thing that Beyoncé got going for her is the dancing nothing her voice doesn’t even come close to Diana Ross is not even a 10% Diana Ross is the greatest entertainer of all time like it or not
My favorite singer/performer/entertainer has always been -- is now -- and will ALWAYS be Diana Ross. She has stage presence and charisma like no other. Her shows are fueled by an electric charge in the air which Diana feeds off of from her audience, and the audience feeds off of from Diana. It's an incredible exchange and experience leading to countless encores and standing ovations by show's end.
his argument would have been, frankly, more credible if he simply acknowledged the subjectiveness of his opinion. ok fine - he really connects with Beyonce There's nothing wrong with that. but it clearly demonstrates a lack of unbiased research. which is rather disappointing in someone who's an academic. if one is going to write or teach or lecture on a topic, it should be based on fact and not personal opinions.
he's placing a revisionist view on DR, Sammy, Duke and many of these others by reducing their accomplishments due to their lack of "blackness" or that they adopted styles, songs or content that was more traditionally associated with the white entertainment establishment. doing so highlight his lack of appreciate for the serious trials and barriers these groundbreakers broke through. and by doing so, helped create the environment today that allows a beyonce to emerge as she did.
Look back at Diana's "an Evening with..." show from the 70s and how she so wonderfully paid tribute to several of these black female pioneers. We're all a sum of our histories
Sometimes I wish Marv would come back for a momentQuote:
Originally Posted by after you
The debate is fairly redundant, when the accolade clearly goes to Whitney Houston. :rolleyes:
Oh, now you're just being funny. The answer is Florence Ballard. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that yet.:cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
Not even in jest. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
My personal answer has to be Michael Jackson. I don't think there was ever anyone who captivated so many from just about every walk of life, every category of person. At his peak there wasn't an entertainer who could follow him onstage.
I'll also be honest in my opinion that during that same time period, the big names were all so different from one another. I think all of them had their own lane. It's hard to compare them. Who was Diana's competition? Who was Mike's? Prince? Chaka? Madonna? Aretha? Luther? George Michael? Elton John? They all had their own thing going on. Not just apples to oranges, but the whole damn fruit basket.
Personally, the top entertainers these days are carbon copies of each other, or such a mesh of people who did it already that it often leaves me with a "meh" attitude. Beyonce does put on a good show, I'll give her that. But I also feel like "been there, seen that". And for the life of me I really can't tell what sets Beyonce apart from Rihanna, other than my suspicion that Beyonce is actually vocally talented. Even my beloved Bruno Mars comes across as a bunch of legends rolled into one.
Beyonce just isn't in the conversation, as far as I'm concerned. No one under 50 is.
Well, to do it in jest would be disrespectful, so I would hope not.:pQuote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9