The Smiley Smile Message Board

Another thread addresses singers who have lost their voices, but still soldier on. I thought it would be interesting to talk about those who actually still sing really well in their twilight years. I'll start with Cat Stevens. He was born in 1948, so is now about 70. I have heard on in various performances in recent years and am utterly amazed at his voice's tone and control - still a pleasure to listen to. Here is a concert from just a year ago. "Father and Son" shows most clearly that his lower baritone (father part) has become "smokier," while the higher register he reaches for the son part, is just a shade lower than it was, not as "tinny" as it used to be. It works, and makes his performance, IMO, as satisfying as ever. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvWGwl1aLN8

Mark Stein from Vanilla Fudge still has it! I saw them recently and I was so blown away at how amazing the guy sounded. He's 71 and sounds exactly like he did during the late 1960s. And singing for Vanilla Fudge certainly seems physically demanding, so hats off to Mark Stein!

Goodness, yes! Here's something recent...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAzvNBZtZZs

Colin Blunstone of the Zombies - not too shabby for a guy who must be a bit older than the aforementioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nektg43Enw

Paul Rodgers
Glenn Hughes
Bruce Dickinson
Sammy Hagar
David Gilmour
Phil Mogg
Ann Wilson
Steve Whiteman

I'm adding the late great Ronnie James Dio to my list. 

I saw one of his final shows in person in August 2009.  At the age of 67 and unknowingly battling stomach cancer at the time, he put on an incredible show.   

For a guy who sang the way he did for four decades was incredible.   And the world of hard rock / heavy metal was a poorer one when he passed in 2010

Captain Obvious here, but Al Jardine.

But rates a mention!

Huey Lewis

Eddie Money still sounds great these days. 

Sounds pretty good. Here he is in 2017 with his kids! But I wonder if those with  lower, husky voices to begin with whose songs required no-so-much in terms of range and other vocal gymnastics  might not have an easier time with aging?




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HGUr-piuqw

Frankie Valli sounds phenomenal these days.  :p

Little Anthony. 77 years old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeez_Ja49Cs

McCartney deserves a mention, because of this video: https://youtu.be/nCleVJQiZHg?t=220

Obviously his voice has been going downhill since 2012 or so. But it seems that even to this day, if he has a few drinks and does an impromptu performance with someone else sharing the spotlight, he brings his A game. He hasn't belted a "yeahhh" like that in years. He really nails his classic sound for a bit.

Which leaves me frustrated, but optimistic about his upcoming album.

Oh, yes, Frankie Valli sounds just like he did when he cut his original recordings! A true miracle of miracles....

Jimmy Buffett.   

I saw him on Friday night, and his voice still sounds just like the early 70s albums. 

I have a friend who is a Parrothead. She says the same thing about his singing. She also loves that his audiences draw a haelthy mix of young/middle/older fans. Love the term "Parrothead."  I've read that Timothy B. Schmit  coined the term. He was a last-minute replacement for someone in the Coral Reefer band and was being driven through the crowd. Amazed at the whole crazy scene, he referred to them as Parrotheads (as opposed to Deadheads ).

Yep, Schmidt coined the phrase around 1985 or so.   There's a documentary called Parrotheads.  I was hoping it would offer a neat little history of Buffett's music and the culture that his music created, as well as the history of the cult following.   However, it was a little underwhelming.   It did have some feel good stories about the Parrothead community, but it felt like a good portion of the doc was to push relatively unknown trop rock bands that were inspired by Buffett. 

A Buffett show is truly was of the most fun experiences you can ever have going to a concert. 

Chuck Negron.  75 years old.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMbE5ScW1-4

Chuck was always my favorite Dog with swagger and a presence, both physically and in terms of his voice, that the others lacked. And what a story of redemption. Once sank so low in addiction that that he was literally on the streets, now counsels music artists with substance abuse issues. It's sad that after so many years Chuck was clean Wells and Hutton could not see their way to allow him back into the fold. On the other hand, addiction does destroy trust. Good to see him doing his thing solo, anyway.

Terry Adams/ NRBQ
Mick Jagger/ Rolling Stones
Rickie Lee Jones
Joe Walsh
Tony Orlando

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Robin Zander

Hope Sandoval.

Dion

John Fogerty

I have to assume that this is a jab at his lipsyncing?

At the risk of offending die-hard Frankie fans, yes.

Buckethead, do you like Adrian Baker's "Sherry"? Isn't he really good at imitating Frankie's cool falsetto? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qzIXfm-tkM

He does sound very much like Frankie in his prime. I'm not a fan of Frankie's falsetto, though. I do really like his few non-falsetto songs.

Which non-falsetto songs? & who's your favorite falsettist?

Distinguishing between his singing toward the top of his range and a true falsetto here, I offer December, 1963, My Eyes Adored You, and my favorite Frankie song, Can't Take My Eyes Off You. I find his falsetto much too whiney. Brian's falsetto, to my ears, is the most pleasing. I also like Maurice Gibb's falsetto, which is typically heard only in some of the BG's harmonic blends (see their performance of Nights on Broadway on the Midnight Special). Barry's was OK, although  bit reachy and overused, and Robin had a gorgeous vibrato.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum  still sounds good. He is such an underrated musician-composer.

I agree, if YouTube is any indication.