Most beautiful/perfect singing voices

I thought this would make a great topic. Of course it's all a matter of taste, but here is my top 6 (in random order).
I like it when people sing with their true, natural voice (like an extension of speech) and sing with emotion, and still have perfect placements of the notes. So that defines "perfect" for me: Knowing what their true voice is, and know how to tell a story and convey the exact right emotion and still handle their voice so well that the notes are perfect too.

Here are some very specific clips that I love. Which in my opinion are true works of art. Please post yours too!

Lea Salonga:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjfmP7h3gBw


Whitney Houston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_8SguJTgHA


John Owen Jones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCPiAKDLjKY


Sandi Patty:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHh12LJLJVE


Karen Carpenter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-wdyl_a1Eo


Joke de Kruijf (as Cinderella):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_fKFQZxtAA

Updated On: 1/18/12 at 05:44 PM

It's nice to see we all have different views, and I don't want to bring down your opinion :) but can you tell me why you didn't like Audra's voice at first?

I personally don't like her either, because her singing seems "forced" to me, like it's too far away from her natural speaking voice.

I also never really liked Barbra, although I can see she's great. I like it when people "glide" through notes, and what Barbra does is more "whaling", like Linda Eder does too.

Kelli O'Hara.

I second Kelli O'Hara.

La LuPone.

Kelli O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Anthony Warlow, Audra McDonald

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Stephanie J Block
Kate Baldwin
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Marin Mazzie

I grew up listening to the haunting voice of Karen Carpenter and I still love her voice, especially Goodby to Love.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Liz Callaway. Her performance of Meadowlark is absolutely stunning. To me, she has the most perfect voice and the most perfect way of interpreting a song.

Perfect voices can be at times thrilling and at times boring as hell depending on where and what context they are singing. Linda Eder comes to mind. Cool voice on a recording or in cabaret. SO boring in a show (J & H).

Colm Wilkinson, Adam Pascal and Sean Kingsley (He was a London Valjean whose Pity the Child on Youtube is ridiculously amazing) are great in the voice department. None are perfect singers but with their rock backgrounds they put something special into whatever they sing and can give goosebumps when both seeing them live and on a recording.

Judy Kuhn, Mandy "love him or hate him" Patinkin, Norbert Butz, Carolee Carmello, Audra McDonald, Pia Douwes (works in Germany alot) and Jesse Martin come to mind also.

From yesteryear John Cullum and John Raitt come to mind.

Well, there's no such thing as perfect. Most singers who I like do some things that annoy me on occasion. Laura Benanti is one of my favorites. I thought that Susan Moniz did some really great singing in Follies a few months ago, but I haven't heard enough to judge. I love the voices of Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Raul Esparza, but each of them do some weird things with their voices that don't sound great.

I'll be honest. I really hate the high, thin, Rodgers and Hammerstein-type of voice, so I'm not really into Kelli O'Hara, Barbara Cook, etc.

I like the deeper, darker sounds, so I'm gonna say Carolee Carmello.

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For you consideration, Julie Andrews and Cass Elliot singing a medley of Simon & Garfunkel.

Also, when Alfie Boe joined the other Valjeans in the Les Miserables celebration, his voice was as glorious as I've ever heard.
Julie & Cass

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