Can Jenifer Lewis actually sing well?

So I'm listening to the Jenifer Lewis memoir on audio. Let me preface this by saying, I adore this woman. She is brave, bold, funny and talented. However, she toots her own horn alot about her vocal prowess and her acting. Her speaking voice on the book is very rough. I can't imagine her singing. She sings snippets and sounds quite beat. I've found some clips online and its nothing stellar. Was her voice impeccable when she was younger and I never experienced that? Or is she deluded and her confidence more than her ability proceeds her. Also, many of the accounts in the book feel made up. I just wondered if people have seen or heard this voice she describes. Some of the book feels like shes trying to create a legacy that just isn't there.

Updated On: 1/18/18 at 11:41 AM

Wasn't Motormouth written for her? At least that's how the gossip goes.

I don't think she's an amazing singer. Even way back when I don't think her voice was the best but I think was always a pretty amazing performer and it more than makes up for any vocal deficiencies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omFK_mLUz9U

The part may have been written for her, but when she did finally step into the role, it was not pretty. She always seemed to be singing far outside of her vocal range at that point in her career. I had gotten used to Darlene Love blowing the roof off the Neil Simon, so when Jenifer came in and tried the same, to not much success, it was painful to hear. She did eventually settle in after a while and began singing the songs in a way that was comfortable for her as a performer. But as an audience member who was familiar with the past Motormouths, she was lackluster.

She apparently was able to pull off the lead in HELLO DOLLY at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre in 2009. Granted the role of Dolly doesn't require a great belt voice but her reviews at the time were favorable.

https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/theater-review-a-vigorous-well-cast-hello-dolly-at-5th-avenue-theatre/

Does she have a wonderful singing voice? No, but she's a fantastically expressive, larger than life performer- all you have to do is watch her performance as a hypocritical, morally ambiguous matriarch on "Black-Ish" to see the star quality in action.

I would love to see her as Vera in Mame.

I will never forget the day I saw Jenifer as Motormouth Maybelle because she decided to riff the end of I Know Where I’ve Been and just kept riffing to just about the end when someone in the audience out loud said “BEEN!” as if to get her to finally hit the end of it.

She was fine in the role, but nowhere near as good as Darlene Love had been and that riffing was ridiculous.

Updated On: 1/19/18 at 04:12 AM

I recommend the audiobook. She brings it to vivid life! She is one of a kind with no equal (and she will tell you that herself.)

darquegk said: "ll you have to do is watch her performance as a hypocritical, morally ambiguous matriarch on "Black-Ish" to see the star quality in action."

I adore her on Black-ish. She's my favorite part of the show. I lose it every time she starts the "Oh, help me black Jesus!" thing.

Updated On: 3/22/18 at 09:58 AM