I would agree with some of the other posters here that looks alone are irrelevant. I think Patricia Barber has an amazing voice but she is not as good looking as some, but I don’t care. On the other hand if you are looking for overall looks and voice then I have to go with Stevie Nicks. Those multi layered flowing gowns she wore and the sense that some had that she was some sort of witch (how inane) along with that powerful voice were captivating. I saw her live once and guys kept throwing stuffed animals onto the stage. At one point after finishing a song she commented "You would not believe how many animals live at my house"! Well I certainly would have loved to see her animal collection. She was a sweetheart beyond all others.
I find Norah Jones, her sister Anoushka Shankar (Ravi's other daughter), Melody Gardot and Susan Tedeschi some of the most beautiful and talented women in the music industry.
A guilty pleasure of mine as well, tzh21y. Heck, I don't even mind her music, though I wish they hadn't marketed her as Country, thereby depriving real Country singers of some deserved exposure. A real one who also looks real good is Australian Kasey Chambers, a real babe.
The most sophisticated and impossible to repeat female vocal is Anita O'day. None I know of ever improvised quarter-tones as she did. Not only the voice important, but the ability to manipulate. She's a true champion.
I will second Liz Phair, saw her open for Smashing Pumpkins last week! Â She is STILL gorgeous. Â This might sound crazy to some, but at one point (a long time ago), Kim Deal was super hot, and add that whiny voice-wow!
1. Silvana Ida of Apoteosi, beautiful & angelic voice 2. Annie Haslam of Renaissance II, cute & angelic voice . . 3. Jane Dupoc of Bacamarte, cute & beautiful clean voice 4. Jane Relf of Renaissance, very nice & beautiful clean voice
5. Inga Rumpf of Rumpy & Atlantis, the best female hard rock blues voice 6. Sophia Loren, sex & sexy voice
Here's a blast from the past! Ruth Copeland! "Play With Fire" is as good as it gets for pop female vocals. I've always liked women that are lean-clean and a little mean!
For the total package, how about an honorable mention at least for Shirley Jones back in her late 50's, Oklahoma-era prime? Are there any more beautiful female vocals than hers on the Oklahoma movie soundtrack, outside of opera or the classical world perhaps?
with your eyes closed Ella is the greatest female singer (non-opera) of all time. she beat herself up all of her life over her weight and was often overcome with self-deprication. but, and not to hi-jack this thread, but i thought "yellow basket" was a joke until one day... it hit me so hard it knocked me over. no one can compare to Ella, period. plenty of Diva's out there though. sexy as hell, and they can sing, too. singing isn't even that hard, actually. but invoking a deep and lasting emotional response at the same time is a rare and precious commodity. In my mother's day it was Judy Garland. in my youth it was Julie Andrews. as a teenager it was Joni Mitchell. the beauty contest just didn't have much to do with greatness. kind of like saying Jimi Hendrix had sloppy technique, so he couldn't have been as great as Larry Carlton. it's beside the point i'm afraid. Oh, what about Cindi Lauper? great singer, right? not pretty enough though. shit. Sorry! Please continue....
If we're talkin' beautiful voice, Ella's in the top 5 no doubt, but isn't this thread about physical beauty? In which case I've always felt Emmylou Harris with her silver hair is truly beautiful. Not a bad voice either!!
Tough to choose. For natural talent and beauty of tone, I would say Ella Fitzgerald. Of course beauty comes in many forms, and otherwise "imperfect" voices can be extremely beautiful and moving. Mary Fahl of October Project comes to mind.
Donjr- My wife and I both had exactly the same reaction although I was about 40% on the adoption side while she was 60% ;-) But give her a listen; her voice has got power and delicacy and she now has a little more life experience under her belt to interpret the soul/bluesy numbers. A big part of her appeal in a live performance (I've been a fan for years of her recorded work) is how charmingly she interacts w the audience; a refreshingly anti-diva persona. She had the audience eating of the palm of her hand from the first second. The whole package.
Just saw Joss Stone last night. The "hippieish" (is that a word) blue-eyed soul singer w the great voice has grown up!!! Incredibly powerful and soulful voice, v. tight band, charming, sweet stage presence, great English accent, short, short, skirt and legs that never quit. I don't know whether I want to adopt her or (fill in the blank) her. The whole package. Go see her tour if it's nearby!!!!!!!!!!
Yea. She was kinda funky looking in a sexy way. Before she had her nose job. I think Sonny was trying to look like her. Definitely not the other way around.
how's about Cher when she was just starting out? very exotic looking and she had a very good voice (and a lot of talent as well). Rebecca Pigeon, not in the big leagues voice wise, but also very exotic looking.
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