Singers who's voices have deteriorated.

[Blazer]

Let's face it, Father Time is a mean, unforgiving SOB, nothing lasts forever and often with rock stars it is the voice that goes first.

Let's talk about Vocalists who can't cut the cake anymore but used to be awesome in their day.
This is Paul Stanley of Kiss shown here during the band's 1982 "Creatures of the night" tour

This shows how he honed his skill as a vocalist over the years but sadly also how much his voice has deteriorated in recent times.

Make no mistake this is a TOUGH song for any vocalist to sing.

Say "Girl Band" and people will go "Spice girls" but ask the Spice Girls themselves and they will say "Dolly Dots"

The Dolly Dots were a Dutch Girl group which existed from 1978 to 1987 and were everything that the Spice girls would become a decade later, down to the fact that they each had a different character and look. The management of the Spice Girls have since admitted that they simply took the Dolly Dots template and updated it.

But just like with the Spice girls where you can tell that Melanie C. had more vocal talent than the others, the most vocally talented of the six were the ones who sang the most of their songs.

They were: Angela Groothuizen ( The one with the poofed up hair and navy blue top in the picture) who was the Rock Chick of the band and later when the Dolly Dots called it a day went back to singing rock.

But it is the second one who is going to be the subject of this thread. Ria Brieffies (the one on the far left with the yellow jacket.) Brieffies had a voice which was VERY similar to ABBA's Agnetha Faltskog, she had that quality of "I sing it like I lived it" that authenticity which is impossible to fake.

But when the Dolly Dots did their reunion tour in 2007 it became painfully apparent that the years were NOT kind on Brieffies.

So sad, she gives it her all but it just isn't there anymore.

Ria Brieffies died in 2009 of cancer, her band mates carried her casket to the grave with her daughter taking her place as the sixth Dolly Dot.
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[Duder]

Both Billy Joel and Elton John have lost a good chunk of their upper range. Still killer live, though.

 

[GoLeafsGo]

Geddy. And Daltry. Would still pay to hear either one though.

 

[bolophonic]

Brian Johnson of AC/DC was sounding pretty rough a few years ago. I was kind of shocked by how frail he sounded.

 

[tfer]

David Lee Roth was never a great singer, but hearing the last VH Live album was an embarrassment.

 

[Lammchop93]

Geddy. Still a better singer than I could ever be, but has he gotten worse over time? Yes. As almost everyone does at that age though.

 

[JMacBass65]

Rod Stewart, Rodger Daltry came to mind immediately.

Robert Plant has as well, good news is that he doesn't try to sound like he used to. As such, he doesn't run around embarrassing himself like so many others.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I think this thread is unfair and uncool, as many of these videos come from off nights... and nights after a band has been on tour for weeks or months. Singing is much less forgiving than other instrument playing. One of the singers I work with treats his voice as though he has a limited number of songs in him for this lifetime.

I know someone who sang for a well known group for 10 years. That group pushed him far beyond his capabilities using doctors, steroids, and whatever else they could to keep this guy singing relentlessly. Videos of him in his last year doing it are horrendous. Sucks that people keep putting videos up of "how much he sucked" when that wasn't the case at all. He didn't get into the band because he sucked. Anyhow... a few years into recovery from that he's back on top of his game.

 

[Duder]

I think this thread is unfair and uncool, as many of these videos come from off nights... and nights after a band has been on tour for weeks or months. Singing is much less forgiving than other instrument playing. One of the singers I work with treats his voice as though he has a limited number of songs in him for this lifetime.

I know someone who sang for a well known group for 10 years. That group pushed him far beyond his capabilities using doctors, steroids, and whatever else they could to keep this guy singing relentlessly. Videos of him in his last year doing it are horrendous. Sucks that people keep putting videos up of "how much he sucked" when that wasn't the case at all. He didn't get into the band because he sucked. Anyhow... a few years into recovery from that he's back on top of his game.

I agree with you to a point, but the commenters (other than the OP) are mostly saying these are still good singers, but not what they once were. Hell, at 35 I'm definitely not the singer I was in my 20s. But, yes, off-night videos are terrible representations of what people are truly capable of.

 

[Blazer]

I think this thread is unfair and uncool, as many of these videos come from off nights... and nights after a band has been on tour for weeks or months. Singing is much less forgiving than other instrument playing. One of the singers I work with treats his voice as though he has a limited number of songs in him for this lifetime.

I know someone who sang for a well known group for 10 years. That group pushed him far beyond his capabilities using doctors, steroids, and whatever else they could to keep this guy singing relentlessly. Videos of him in his last year doing it are horrendous. Sucks that people keep putting videos up of "how much he sucked" when that wasn't the case at all. He didn't get into the band because he sucked. Anyhow... a few years into recovery from that he's back on top of his game.

It was never my intention to offend people by starting this thread.

My then girlfriend took me to see the Dolly Dots and Ria Brieffies sounded really weak, which is such a shame seeing as how beautiful she sounded in her heyday.

Time catches up with everybody,

 

[mellowinman]

Steven Tyler is singing as good as he ever did. Tony Bennett is amazing. It's all a matter of how you sing, and whether soundmen and band members give a rat's ass about the longetivity of their singers' voices.

 

[brianrost]

Pretty much anyone who's hit 50 has lost the top of their range. It's inevitable.

That's why opera singers retire so young.

As far as Tony Bennett, he is singing great but his voice has changed a lot...more grit and he stays away from notes he used to hit easily.

 

[DWBass]

Phil Collins.
Frankie Beverly (of Maze)
Whitney Houston
Bobby Brown

 

[BassBrass]

how about bass players who's plucking hand resembles a withered tree branch? It's just horrible, I tell you! (not me, I'm talkin about the geezers) and if you are fading at 35 you're eating fast food or you're drinking and smoking to excess and maybe not hauling 4x10 cabs enough.

 

[Duder]

how about bass players who's plucking hand resembles a withered tree branch? It's just horrible, I tell you! (not me, I'm talkin about the geezers) and if you are fading at 35 you're eating fast food or you're drinking and smoking to excess and maybe not hauling 4x10 cabs enough.

Most of that is accurate. I don't drink much anymore, quit smoking ages ago, and I don't have a 4x10 cab (we don't play out often anyway). I do have an 8 month old that serves as my weight set, though.

 

[DWBass]

how about bass players who's plucking hand resembles a withered tree branch? It's just horrible, I tell you! (not me, I'm talkin about the geezers) and if you are fading at 35 you're eating fast food or you're drinking and smoking to excess and maybe not hauling 4x10 cabs enough.

Funny you mention this. Have you ever looked at Kool's (Kool & The Gang) plucking hand when he plays? Looks really deformed.

 

[amusicalperson]

Robert Plant has as well, good news is that he doesn't try to sound like he used to. As such, he doesn't run around embarrassing himself like so many others.

I fully agree with you on Plant. I'm so glad he doesn't embarrass himself trying to sing like he used to.

 

[hsech]

I saw a "Lovin' Feelings" concert in Houston that had Frankie Valee and the Four Seasons. Frankie had recovered from throat cancer and had the worst voice ever. Everyone started leaving the concert midway through his first song..... he was the last act. BTW, Johnny Rivers was the best act.

 

[hintz]

While definitely exceptions to the norm, some singers get *better* with time and Bruce is living proof of this!!

Of course he has always been a health/fitness nut!! Another who has improved noticeably is Rob Halford, but also takes better care of himself now than at their height of popularity!

 

[two fingers]

I think this thread is unfair and uncool, as many of these videos come from off nights... and nights after a band has been on tour for weeks or months. Singing is much less forgiving than other instrument playing. One of the singers I work with treats his voice as though he has a limited number of songs in him for this lifetime.

I know someone who sang for a well known group for 10 years. That group pushed him far beyond his capabilities using doctors, steroids, and whatever else they could to keep this guy singing relentlessly. Videos of him in his last year doing it are horrendous. Sucks that people keep putting videos up of "how much he sucked" when that wasn't the case at all. He didn't get into the band because he sucked. Anyhow... a few years into recovery from that he's back on top of his game.

Your post is dead on accurate except for a few words. The singer ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE PUSHED. I'm sure there were no guns to his head.