Reader Survey: If I Only Had a Voice

Photo: ChrisGoldNY on flickr

Gay Guy,

I love music, but am not much of a singer. Never have been. That's not to say I don't let go every once in while when I'm alone in my car. Or even better, if I can torture my kids with a Johnny Cash number.

I was talking with a friend yesterday and we wondered: If we COULD sing, who do we wish we could sound like? The list was not the same as my list of favorite artists, but there were a few overlaps.

I thought about some great soul singers, but as a middle-aged white guy, I had to be realistic about what I could pull off. So Otis, Marvin, and Ray were out for me. I wanted to find something easygoing and effortless, and yes, masculine. Elvis? Sinatra? McCartney? Too obvious. Tom Jones? Steve Perry? To much bluster.

When I narrowed my list, my friend was dumbfounded by my "tacky" choice. Don't worry. I promise to reveal it later in the comments.

So readers, I hand it over to you. Let us know. If you could get a vocal cord (and musicality) transplant, whose would you chose?

Lurkers, we know you're out there. Take a moment to click the "anonymous" option and leave a comment, too.

If you need help, here's a link to Rolling Stone's list of greatest singers. And here's wikipedia's list of top sellers (where Ace of Base somehow bests Willie Nelson and yet the Earth keeps turning). But please don't limit yourself by these lists or any sense of shame.

--Straight Guy