MY FAVORITE VOICES OF ALL-TIME

As I was sitting in the audience on opening night of One Night With Janis Joplin at the Pasadena Playhouse, I was thinking of how Adam Lambert’s incredible talent has ruined me for just about any other singer. The star of that musical, channeling Janis, was wonderful, but her co-star, who played a few old-time blues singers, did nothing for me, though the audience went wild for her.

Adam Lambert.

And I realized that since I first heard Adam sing in person in 2004, really no one else does it for me anymore. As a matter for fact, the third time I heard him, when I hadn’t seen him for a few years and didn’t recognize him, so his performance of I’m Changing from Dreamgirls was a surprise to me, was so much of a game-changer that I told him afterwards that it was a religious experience! (He’s so adorable that he just laughed and told me I’m so funny.)

So, I started trying to conjure up the other voices I’ve loved through the years, and I realized that, truly, all of them preceded Adam! Every single one. But their voices are all amazing, and they really touch my soul.

So, here’s that super-short list of my favorite voices of all time, in order:

Adam Lambert

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Johnny Mathis

Jennifer Holliday

Martin Short

Hugh Jackman

Clay Aiken

Patti LaBelle

Ray Buktenica (If you’re not familiar with that name, he’s mainly a televison and movie actor who’s also done professional musicals, and my soul gets soothed every time I hear him sing. I wish it were more often.)

I know that Martin Short is a surprise on the list, but listen to him sometime. I love that guy’s voice!

Okay, what singers do it for you? Please feel free to share in the Comments below.