Fifteen Isn't Enough

And so I got tagged by a Facebook friend (who happens to be an actual friend that only just came on to Facebook:

15 Favorite Vocalists

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen vocalists that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. And in no particular order. Tag fifteen friends, and me, because I'm interested in seeing what singers my friends choose.

So, after looking at Elisabeth's list, I took about 10 minutes and posted:

  1. Nat "King" Cole
  2. Bing Crosby
  3. Peggy Lee
  4. Ella Fitzgerald
  5. Bobby Darin
  6. Glen Campbell
  7. Dean Martin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Vikki Carr
10. Frank Sinatra
11. Johnny Rivers
12. Tom Jones
13. Brooke Benton
14. Jimmie Rodgers (as in "Honeycomb")
15. Chris Isaak

But now I must confess, these weren't the first 15. 4 or 5 other names had come to mind over about 10 minutes, but I discarded them from these 15 because the ones here had been really important at some point of my life. Then, after posting the above list I looked at other friends' lists and the comments their friends added. Wow, there were some really top-notch vocalists there, some of whom I should have included on any "favorites" list, some of whom I recognize as good but who don't do a whole lot for me.

And then there is in my car a list of "important vocalists" that I have been keeping track of as I listen to the radio (particularly XM Radio's SIRIUSLY Sinatra channel. And when I looked at it, sure enough were 3 more names on that list:

* Billy Eckstein
* Perry Como
* Barbra Streisand.

And I knew that I needed to make a more complete list of my favorite vocalists. So, looking through my list of records and CDs that I have or want, I add these vocalists, again in no particular order:

Male* Johnny Mathis * David Clayton Thomas (Blood, Sweat and Tears) * Jim Morrison * Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals) * Lou Rawls * Tony Bennett * Andy Williams * Matt Monro * Jimmie Sommerville (Bronski Beat) * Bryan Ferry * Pat Boone * David Bowie * Neil Diamond * Greg Lake * Mika * Freddie Mercury (Queen) * Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) * Louis Armstrong * Sammy Davis, Jr. * Rod Allen (The Fortunes)

Female* Linda Ronstadt * Karen Carpenter * Martha Davis (The Motels) * Phoebe Snow * Norah Jones * Carly Simon * Shakira * Diana Ross * Madonna * Judy Garland * Petula Clark * Patricia Kaas * Mama Cass Elliott * Marilyn McCoo (The 5th Dimension)

That's 52 Favorite Vocalists. And I know I'm missing somebody!