Karaoke Singers-imitators Vs Innovators

[Garry A. Leslie]

Hello all.
Like to add to the debate going on about imitators and own voice.
Don't you think that the arrangements, which are often as near identical to the original, tend to draw the less experienced singers into an ambush.
Remember some singers don't have any originallity of their own and only know the song from when it was popular by the original singer.
I,m also quite amazed by the number of singers who only really know the chorus and flounder about with the rest of the song. The worst are the ones who think they know a song but who can't even read the words, when they get lost
I like, George, often sing female songs, for the sheer unexpected results you get by not being able to be drawn into being a sound alike
Anyway being English its sometimes hard to make a bluegrass number in the style of an American county singer, so you just do it in you own voice
Over here we have a number of organist accompanists and I sing a lot of jazz and big band numbers with them, so I hope my phrasing carries over into the karaoke field.
As a host I never, ever, refer to anyone getting up as singing in the style of or someone they're not, or ever refer to the quality of their singing althought I have been referred to as Ricky Martin's granddad. Shows my age.
Incidentally, try taking along discs when singing at someone else's karaoke where they won't either know the song or the original singer, that always throws them.
I.ve been reading the various discussions for over two years now
they usually vey informative and I've certainly learn a lot I didn't know before
Keep up the good work
Garry