Why Our Voice Changes With Age

**1382hitsville** · 07-05-2023, 08:06 AM

Hello forum family,

Here we discussed a lot about the changing of the voices of our favorite performers, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross and others.

I've came across an interesting article on BBC about why our voice changes with age:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...hange-with-age

Thought I could share it with you.

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-05-2023, 10:03 AM

It's very interesting....

Voices do tend to deepen with age.

I don't remember reading if Diana ever had surgery, but I am certain I did read back in the '60s that Martha had needed an operation to remove nodules on her vocal cords.

**arr&bee** · 07-05-2023, 03:15 PM

AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WITH PROFESSIONALS, WITH TOURING AND RECORDING THE VOCAL CORDS TAKE A BEATING, AND AS THE YEARS PASS THE VOICE CAN LOSE RANGE AND VOLUME,SOME GREATS HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO THIS DAY...[GLADYS KNIGHT- PATTI LaBELLE- STEVIE WONDER- CHAKA KHAN] JUST TO NAME A FEW!

**Boogiedown** · 07-05-2023, 03:23 PM

its the whiskey and the smokes

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-05-2023, 04:05 PM

Ha!

When it was first released, I [then a late teens boy] used to be able to hit THAT same note as Louvain, on the intro to 'Love Child'.

Maybe even higher....

These days, I would have to take it in the key of Z Minor...

**Boogiedown** · 07-05-2023, 04:24 PM

well you could always be a Temptation

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-05-2023, 04:31 PM

Then it would have to be Melvin......

**Boogiedown** · 07-05-2023, 04:37 PM

you started as an Eddie and wind it up as a Melvin !

hey how different would Melvin's voice be by now ????

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-05-2023, 05:48 PM

I wonder who was thought to have the deepest bass singing voice 'in the business', around that time.....

Melvin? Or...?

**Sotosound** · 07-05-2023, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

I wonder who was thought to have the deepest bass singing voice 'in the business', around that time.....

Melvin? Or...?

Melvin's the deepest that I've come across. Listen to the intro to "Power" and then try to sing it.

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-05-2023, 06:18 PM

I would likely need to take a Journey to the Centre of the Earth, before I even attempted it.

Have just Googled, and it seems Tim Storms holds the current record [[and that doesn't mean one by The Temptations.....)

**rod_rick** · 07-05-2023, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

Ha!

When it was first released, I [then a late teens boy] used to be able to hit THAT same note as Louvain, on the intro to 'Love Child'.

Maybe even higher....

These days, I would have to take it in the key of Z Minor...

I could hit that note well into my 40's. Now I can hit the note under that. I made a tape back in the day doing the background parts to Love Child back in the day singing just 2 parts came out petty good. But as far as the voice changing there are many factors diet, as someone stated smoking and drinking alcohol and coffee can dry out the vocal chords and just plain old singing wrong can destroy your voice but a good vocal instructor can work you out and get most of that range back.

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-06-2023, 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by rod_rick

I could hit that note well into my 40's. Now I can hit the note under that. I made a tape back in the day doing the background parts to Love Child back in the day singing just 2 parts came out petty good. But as far as the voice changing there are many factors diet, as someone stated smoking and drinking alcohol and coffee can dry out the vocal chords and just plain old singing wrong can destroy your voice but a good vocal instructor can work you out and get most of that range back.

That's really interesting....

In my teens, I always liked to sing along with the records - sometimes in lead singer mode, sometimes background.

I was what I think is called 'counter tenor' ....but was sensitive about it, and began to feel I wasn't quite 'male' enough. Hang-ups, I guess...!

So, as the years passed, the music still played in my head, but I simply stopped singing....and my voice has lowered over time.

Only ever a very light smoker, and none in over 30 years.....and am virtually tee-total. But I would certainly take your point about coffee....especially of the strong sort...

What really needs the most work, I think, is my breathing. Even when I post on SD, it does sometimes seem as if I'm sat here, just holding my breath

**Boogiedown** · 07-06-2023, 02:08 PM

**144man** · 07-06-2023, 02:37 PM

I wonder what Cher's voice will ultimately sound like.

**westgrandboulevard** · 07-06-2023, 04:24 PM

Bearing in mind the number of changes to her body, Cher will probably sound like Angela Gheorghiu...

**jobucats** · 07-06-2023, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

Ha!

When it was first released, I [then a late teens boy] used to be able to hit THAT same note as Louvain, on the intro to 'Love Child'.:

If you're talking about that piercing "Hah" just before Diana starts singing the first verse, I've always thought that voice was Diana's because it sounds so much like her. Yes, I know it's ridiculous to believe that she would join the other background singers for those Ooos and ahssss. I'll accept that I am wrong.