List of basses in non-classical music

Summary

The bass singing voice has a vocal range that lies around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E2–E4).[1] As with the contralto singing voice being the rarest female voice type, the bass voice is the rarest for males, and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types.[2] However, the bass voice is determined not only by its vocal range, but also by its timbre, which tends to be darker than that of a baritone voice.

The term bass was developed in relation to classical and operatic voices, where the classification is based not merely on the singer's vocal range but also on the tessitura and timbre of the voice. For classical and operatic singers, their voice type determines the roles they will sing and is a primary method of categorization. In non-classical music, singers are primarily defined by their genre and their gender and not by their vocal range.[3] When the terms soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, and bass are used as descriptors of non-classical voices, they are applied more loosely than they would be to those of classical singers and generally refer only to the singer's perceived vocal range.

The following is a list of singers in country, popular music, jazz, and musical theatre[a] who have been described as basses.

List of names edit

Name Lifespan Nationality Associated act(s) Ref.
Joe Ames 1921–2007 American Ames Brothers [4]
Bob Bingham 1946– American [5][6]
Bill Brown c. 1920s– c. 1970 American The Dominoes The Checkers (American band) [7]
Greg Brown 1949– American [8]
Brian Cole 1942–1972 American The Association [9]
Ray Davis 1940–2005 American [6][10]
Alan Doyle 1969- Canadian Great Big Sea
Elmer Dresslar Jr.[b] 1925–2005 American [12]
James Farnsworth[c] British Out of the Blue [13]
Tennessee Ernie Ford[d] 1919–1991 American [15][16]
Melvin Franklin[e] 1942–1995 American The Temptations [22][23][24][25]
Sherman Garnes 1940–1977 American The Teenagers

[26]

Geoffrey Holder[f] 1930–2014 Trinidadian-American [28]
Corpse Husband 1997– American [29][30]
Jawan M. Jackson American The Temptations [21][24]
Avi Kaplan 1989– American Pentatonix [6][31][32][33]
Bobby Kim 1973– South Korean [34]
Marc Lavoine 1962– French [35]
Till Lindemann[g] 1963– German [36][38]
Markiplier 1989– American [39]
Nick Massi 1927–2000 American The Four Seasons [40]
Carlo Mastrangelo[h] 1937–2016 American The Belmonts [42][43]
Michael McCary 1971– American Boyz II Men [44]
Stephin Merritt 1965– American [45][46]
Warren "Pete" Moore 1938–2017[47] or 1939–2017[48] American The Miracles [48]
Rex Nelon 1932–2000 American The LeFevres [49]
Patrick Page 1962– American [50]
London Parris 1931–1992 American The Blackwood Brothers [49]
Ray Perkins 1932– Canadian The Crew-Cuts [51]
Pop Smoke 1999–2020 American [52]
Thurl Ravenscroft 1914–2005 American The Mellomen [53]
Harold Reid 1939–2020[54] American The Statler Brothers [54][55]
Kevin Richardson 1971– American Backstreet Boys [56]
Paul Robeson[i] 1898–1976 American [57][58][59]
Peter Steele[j] 1962–2010 American [63][64][65]
Richard Sterban 1943– American The Oak Ridge Boys [66]
Tim Storms 1972– American
[6][67]
J. D. Sumner 1924–1998 American The Blackwood Brothers, The Stamps Quartet [6][68][69]
T.O.P 1986–[70] or 1987–[71] South Korean Big Bang [70][72]
Ike Turner[k] 1931–2007 American [76]
Josh Turner[l] 1977– American [6][79][80]
Ville Valo 1976– Finnish HIM (Finnish band) [81]
Ray Walker 1934– American The Jordanaires [82]
Barry White[m] 1944–2003 American The Love Unlimited Orchestra [6][59][83][84]
George Younce 1930–2005 American The Cathedrals [85][86]
Tay Zonday[n] 1982– American [6][88]

Gallery edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ For a detailed description of the differences between the operatic and musical theatre voice see Björkner, Eva, Why so different? Aspects of voice characteristics in operatic and musical theatre singing, KTH School of Computer Science and Communication, 2006 (ISBN 9171785183)
  2. ^ Dresslar is also referred to as a bass-baritone[11]
  3. ^ Farnsworth is also referred to as a baritone[13]
  4. ^ Ford has been alternately referred to as a baritone[14][15] and a bass-baritone[16]
  5. ^ Some sources also refer to Franklin as a baritone[17][18][19] and a bass-baritone[20][21]
  6. ^ Holder is also referred to as a bass-baritone[27]
  7. ^ Lindemann is also referred to as a baritone[36][37]
  8. ^ Mastrangelo is also referred to as a bass-baritone[41] and a baritone[42]
  9. ^ Robeson was also described vocally as a bass-baritone while identifying himself as a baritone[57]
  10. ^ Steele is also referred to as a baritone[60][61][62]
  11. ^ Ike Turner is also referred to as a baritone[73][74] and as a bass-baritone[75]
  12. ^ Josh Turner is also referred to as a baritone[77][78]
  13. ^ White is referred to as a bass-baritone[83][84]
  14. ^ Zonday is also referred to as a baritone[87]

References edit

  1. ^ Owen Jander; Lionel Sawkins; J. B. Steane; Elizabeth Forbes. L. Macy (ed.). "Bass". Grove Music Online. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2006.; The Oxford Dictionary of Music gives E2–E4/F4
  2. ^ Miller, Richard (2008). Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone, and Bass Voices. Oxford University Press. pp. 12–14. ISBN 978-0-195-32265-1.
  3. ^ Axelrod, Alan, The complete idiot's guide to jazz, Alpha Books, 1999, pp. 68–69 (ISBN 0028627318). See also Tarasti, Eero, Signs of music: a guide to musical semiotics, Walter de Gruyter, 2002, pp. 157–178 (ISBN 3110172267)
  4. ^ Warner, Jay (18 September 2020). "The Ames Brothers". Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  5. ^ Sternfeld, Jessica (2006). The Megamusical. Indiana University Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-253-34793-0.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Macmillan, Laura (3 June 2022). "11 of the Greatest and Most Famous Bass Singers of All Time". Hello Music Theory.
  7. ^ Baptista, Todd R. (1996). Group Harmony: Behind the Rhythm and the Blues. TRB Enterprises. ISBN 978-0-9631722-5-9.
  8. ^ Dellinger, Matt (27 November 2000). "Beef Stew". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  9. ^ Searles, Malcolm C. (2018). The Association 'cherish' : the story of America's first folk-rock band. Kibworth Beauchamp. p. 286. ISBN 978-1-78901-361-0. OCLC 1052448729.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ "Parliament/Funkadelic's Ray Davis Dies". Billboard. 7 July 2005. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Artists Series To Feature Joint Recital". The Daily Eastern News. 22 June 1960. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  12. ^ "The Singers Unlimited". MEMIM Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  13. ^ a b Out of the Blue (3 December 2021). "James Farnsworth". Facebook.
  14. ^ Manheim, James. "Tennessee Ernie Ford Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b Barnes, Bart (18 October 1991). "TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD, COUNTRY SINGER, DIES". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  16. ^ a b Collins, Glenn (1991). "Tennessee Ernie Ford Dies at 72; Folksy Singer Recorded '16 Tons'". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  17. ^ Graff, Gary (26 October 1997). "POP QUIZ — Q&A With Rick James". SFGATE. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  18. ^ "The Temptations' Melvin Franklin Remembered". 102.1 The Ville. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Temptations' Franklin dies". Tampa Bay Times. 24 February 1995. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Passing the Torch". adampwhite.com. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  21. ^ a b Sandoval, Lapacazo (14 June 2019). "Jawan M. Jackson brings the bass in 'Ain't Too Proud'". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  22. ^ Oliver, Myrna (1995-02-24). "Obituaries : Melvin Franklin; Temptations' Original Bass Vocalist". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  23. ^ Shahen Jr., Jim (17 August 2022). "Music Matters: SPAC-bound Temptations — Otis will be there". Times Union. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  24. ^ a b McCollum, Brian (6 June 2022). "He spent a decade playing a Temptation on Broadway. Now Jawan Jackson is in the group". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  25. ^ Tucker, Neely (24 December 2004). "A Motown 'Silent Night' That Echoes Down the Years". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  26. ^ "Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks - The Teenagers". www.uncamarvy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  27. ^ Gerard, Jeremy (6 October 2014). "R.I.P. "Un-Cola" Man, Bountiful Artist Geoffrey Holder". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  28. ^ Cross, Lucy E. "Geoffrey Holder". MasterworksBroadway. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  29. ^ Khan, M.Z. (22 December 2020). "FANS LOSE THEIR MINDS OVER HALSEY AND CORPSE HUSBAND TWITTER EXCHANGE". svg.com. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  30. ^ Larson, David (17 December 2020). "Bass Vocalist Analyzes Corpse Husband: How is His Voice So Low?". YouTube.
  31. ^ Gallo, Phil (29 November 2011). "'The Sing-Off' Finale: Pentatonix Takes The Trophy". Billboard. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  32. ^ Weiss, Geoff (12 May 2017). "Pentatonix Bass Vocalist Avi Kaplan To Depart A Cappella Group". Tubefilter. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  33. ^ Runtagh, Jordan (22 July 2017). "Avi Kaplan Talks Finding His Own Voice After Pentatonix: 'Music Was the Best Drug for Anxiety'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
  34. ^ Kang, Kenny (4 December 2012). "Bobby Kim — Kim Tae Woo Officially Release "That Girl" Collaboration". KEJ News. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  35. ^ Medioni, Gilles (16 May 2005). "Images de Marc". L'Express. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  36. ^ a b Constable, Burt (11 May 2011). "Rammstein show like Blue Man with flamethrowers". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  37. ^ "English long interview (Playboy January 2006): Till Lindemann". Till-lindemann.skynetblogs.be. 28 November 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  38. ^ Pareles, Jon (12 December 2010). "Offering Sturm Galore, Fire and Drang as Well". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  39. ^ Maguire, Matt (27 February 2018). "YouTube yeller Markiplier to tour Australia and NZ". Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  40. ^ Basham, David (28 December 2000). "Four Seasons' Nick Massi Dies of Cancer at 73". MTV. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  41. ^ Chase, Sean (4 February 2013). ""I hear you're not going on that plane with me tonight"". Pembroke Daily Observer. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  42. ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel E. (8 April 2016). "Carlo Mastrangelo, of Dion and the Belmonts, dies at 78". Rutland Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  43. ^ "Norton Records Announces Mythic Dion Sessions As 'Kickin' Child: The Lost Album 1965'". Shore Fire Media. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  44. ^ Runtagh, Jordan (8 September 2016). "Boyz II Men Talk Michael McCary's Departure: 'He Stopped Coming to Work and We Had to Move Forward Without Him'". People. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  45. ^ Grow, Kory (2015-10-30). "Stephin Merritt: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  46. ^ "Stephin Merritt: 50 songs for 50 years". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  47. ^ Sandomir, Richard (26 November 2017). "Pete Moore, an Original Miracle and Co-Writer of Hits, Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  48. ^ a b Layne, Joslyn. "Warren "Pete" Moore". Allmusic. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  49. ^ a b Terrell, Bob (January 2, 1969). "Buncombe Gives Bass Singers To Three Top Gospel Groups". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. p. 37.
  50. ^ Mink, Casey (22 April 2019). "How 'Hadestown' Standout Patrick Page Landed the 'Role of a Lifetime'". Backstage. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  51. ^ Callwood, June (1 December 1954). "SH-BOOM! The crazy career of the Crew-Cuts". Maclean's. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  52. ^ mediaatraffic (2021-07-19). "Pop Smoke's Mother And Brother Speaks About Pop's Deep Voice". Media Traffic. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  53. ^ Jex, Shaun (11 September 2017). "Five Facts About...Thurl Ravenscroft". Celebrations.
  54. ^ a b Friskics-Warren, Bill (29 April 2020). "Harold Reid, Bedrock Voice of the Statler Brothers, Dies at 80". The New York Times.
  55. ^ Roberto, Melissa (25 April 2020). "Harold Reid, country singer for the Statler Brothers, dead at 80". Fox News. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  56. ^ "Kevin Richardson — Interview With A Backstreet Boy". Ability. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  57. ^ a b Tommasini, Anthony. “Classical View: of Basses, Baritones and Hedges”. The New York Times. 19 April 1998. https://mobile.nytimes.com/1998/04/19/arts/classical-view-of-basses-baritones-and-hedges.html
  58. ^ Duchen, Jessica (20 November 2014). "Paul Robeson..." Independent.
  59. ^ a b "Understanding Different Voice Types". The Kennedy Center. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  60. ^ Fortunato, John (May 11, 2010). "Lost Interview with Peter Steele of Type O Negative, Circa October Rust". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  61. ^ Rose, Lisa (17 April 2010). "Peter Steele: The humor behind the somber image". NJ.com. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  62. ^ Gianfortune, Ross (16 April 2010). "Why Peter Steele Mattered". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  63. ^ Pratt, Greg (15 April 2010). "Type O Negative's Peter Steele Dies at 48". Exclaim!. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  64. ^ Blabbermouth (10 April 2013). "TYPE O NEGATIVE Members 'Not Cooperating' In Telling Of PETER STEELE's Story". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  65. ^ "Type O Negative Essentials". Apple Inc. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  66. ^ Wofford, Jerry (6 November 2014). "Oak Ridge Boys' Richard Sterban's deep bass took him from 'Elvis to Elvira'". Tulsa World. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  67. ^ Francke, Tyler (3 April 2012). "Singer Reclaims World Record". Branson News. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  68. ^ McNeil, W.K. (September 2005). Encyclopedia of American gospel music. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-94179-2.
  69. ^ Leigh, Spencer (1 December 1998). "Obituary: J. D. Sumner". Independent. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  70. ^ a b "G-Dragon and Top: 'Rappers Acknowledge Our Instinctive Hip Hop'". KBSWORLD. 2011-02-07. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  71. ^ Mark Russell (April 29, 2014). K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution. Tuttle Publishing. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-4629-1411-1.
  72. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (2012-11-15). "BIGBANG in America: Behind the Scenes With the K-Pop Boy Wonders". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  73. ^ Taylor, Chip (9 August 2001). "Albums: Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm". The Independent. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  74. ^ Smyers, Darryl (9 November 2006). "Ike Turner". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  75. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Ike Turner Reviews". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  76. ^ "Ike & Tina Turner: The Ike & Tina Turner Story, PopMatters". PopMatters. 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  77. ^ Casey, Jim. “Josh Turner is a Deep Man...”. Nash Country Daily. 8 March 2017. http://www.nashcountrydaily.com/2017/03/08/josh-turner-is-a-deep-man-but-his-recognizable-croon-almost-never-was/
  78. ^ “Josh Turner Vocal Range (A1 - C5)”. YouTube: Alberto Maracheski. 21 February 2013. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1-SexfGmL5M
  79. ^ Yarborough, Chuck (9 May 2016). "Josh Turner brings country to new Goodyear Theater on Thursday". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  80. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Josh Turner biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  81. ^ "Ville Valo(HIM) vocal range". Broadly. Vice.
  82. ^ "Country Music | Ray Walker Biography". PBS. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  83. ^ a b Valjak, Domagoj. “Barry White...turned away from a Youth in a Criminal Gang”. The Vintage News. 5 January 2018. https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/01/05/barry-white/
  84. ^ a b Cartwright, Garth. “Barry White”. The Guardian. 6 July 2003. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/jul/07/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries
  85. ^ Baptist Press Staff (22 April 2005). "George Younce...Dies at 75". Baptist Press. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  86. ^ Akron Beacon Journal Staff (13 April 2005). "George W. Younce". Legacy. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  87. ^ TMZ Staff (29 November 2007). ""Chocolate Rain" Gets a Shot of Caffeine". TMZ. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  88. ^ Kale, Sirin (24 August 2016). "Tay Zonday Does Not Want You to Understand the Meaning Of 'Chocolate Rain'". Broadly. Vice. Retrieved 5 September 2017.