Sinatra Up Close And Personal

As fate would have it, I went on a nation-wide tour with Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine in 1992. Up to that point, I had never heard Sinatra sing live. Of course, it was rumored that Frank could not sing artistically any more, but the truth was that his voice was deteriorating. Frank was 78 at the time, and many of fans came to hear him not because they expected outstanding singing, but to pay homage to the great man whom they feared would soon retire or die. Many wanted to boast that they had attended one of the last concerts of Sinatra's long and illustrious career.

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The Rise and Triumph of Caruso

In the first two decades of the 20th century, the modern Bel Canto singing tradition had its most prominent incarnation in the most revered opera singer in modern history, Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). Before his star began to rise, singing technique and the meaning of the Bel Canto style itself had already begun to change to reflect new developments in opera and aesthetic taste. At the moment that Caruso stepped into the spotlight, the final phase of the new meaning of Bel Canto was finally enacted. Indeed, the last chapter of the modern installment of the Bel Canto style was provided by Caruso’s art as it matured over the course of his career.

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Singer Spotlight: The Artistry Of Whitney Houston

I’ve found success in Hollywood by empowering famous singers and entertainers through my special knowledge of how to expand dramatically the capacity (the power) of the human voice. One of my most remarkable experiences in this regard was teaching the great Whitney Houston, one of the supreme singers in American history. She hired me to help her bring her immortal tones back to life and to rebuild her legendary vocal skills.

Why was Whitney so special? There have been other exceptional singers, some of whom could even outdo Whitney in pure, virtuosic vocal ability, and still others who had more beautiful voices. Furthermore, Whitney's artistry - even when it was at her best - was not always without flaws. For example, she sometimes employed too much vibrato in her sustained tones, and she could sing with excessive force ("Didn't We Almost Have It All" - for both artistic imperfections). So why do we care so much about her? Let's start with the character of the voice itself.

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Beauty Of Tone, Power, And Enrico Caruso

All the legendary voice masters from the classic Bel Canto era of the 18th century point to one vocal characteristic as being the most potent weapon in the singer’s artistic arsenal: beauty of tone (a close second was spectacular, florid singing). They understood that beauty draws the listener near—that is, it fascinates the mind, seduces the senses, enchants the human spirit, and opens the heart. In fact, the most beloved singers of any era of music history have always had, above all else, a vocal quality that their admirers found irresistible. Enrico Caruso was famous for his legendary “golden voice.” Many stories have been told about his glorious tone and the effect that it had on his listeners. It wasn’t uncommon for fans, as well as fellow singers and conductors, to be emotionally swept away by the sheer sound of his voice.

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Sinatra And Singing From The Heart

Singing from the heart is the most sublime expression of the singer’s artistic spirit, because it’s in these moments that the artist is giving his best to fulfill his duty as an intimate communicator. Part-and-parcel of this spirit are personal qualities—both masculine and feminine—that make up human emotional life.

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