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Post by snsurone on Aug 13, 2018 11:47:03 GMT
As everyone knows, Astaire was imcomparable as a dancer, but rarely has anything been said about his singing ability.
Granted, he never had formal voice training, but he was still pretty damned good as a singer.
In fact, I read somewhere that he actually introduced songs in movies that became classics!
Your thoughts?
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Post by mattgarth on Aug 13, 2018 11:59:50 GMT
Songwriters Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and George Gershwin all said they were pleased when Fred introduced their songs on film.
OK, so an Opera singer he was not. But his diction was perfect and he gave those songs a heartfelt sincerity.
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Post by teleadm on Aug 13, 2018 17:43:14 GMT
  A few later in life albums. |
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Post by snsurone on Aug 13, 2018 17:50:38 GMT
Great pix, telem!
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Post by BATouttaheck on Aug 13, 2018 23:35:21 GMT
... rarely has anything been said about his singing ability. Granted, he never had formal voice training When their father suddenly lost his job, the family moved to New York City in 1905 to launch the show business career of the children who began training at the Alviene Master School of the Theatre and Academy of Cultural Arts. They were taught dance, speaking, and singing in preparation for developing an act. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Astaire
"The main point of Flying Down to Rio is the screen promise of Fred Astaire ... He's assuredly a bet after this one, for he's distinctly likable on the screen, the mike is kind to his voice and as a dancer he remains in a class by himself. "
"Extremely modest about his singing abilities (he frequently claimed that he could not sing, but the critics rated him as among the finest), Astaire introduced some of the most celebrated songs from the Great American Songbook" I read somewhere that he actually introduced songs in movies that became classics!en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_introduced_by_Fred_Astaire
"Although he possessed a light voice, he was admired for his lyricism, diction, and phrasing—the grace and elegance so prized in his dancing seemed to be reflected in his singing, a capacity for synthesis which led Burton Lane to describe him as "the world's greatest musical performer." Irving Berlin considered Astaire the equal of any male interpreter of his songs—"as good as Jolson, Crosby or Sinatra, not necessarily because of his voice, but for his conception of projecting a song." Jerome Kern considered him the supreme male interpreter of his songs and Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer also admired his unique treatment of their work. And while George Gershwin was somewhat critical of Astaire's singing abilities, he wrote many of his most memorable songs for him. In his heyday, Astaire was referenced in lyrics of songwriters Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart and Eric Maschwitz and continues to inspire modern songwriters. "
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Post by marianne48 on Aug 14, 2018 1:14:01 GMT
I loved Astaire's singing voice--it was clear and unpretentious and breezy, a refreshing change from the plummy crooners of the time (not to mention Al Jolson's mystifyingly popular yowling). It's easy to understand why so many songwriters of the era loved his treatment of their work, as it concentrated on their lyrics rather than vocal acrobatics.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on May 5, 2019 14:17:25 GMT
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