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'He was the most commercially successful singer of rock and roll, but he also had success with ballads, country, gospel, blues, pop, folk and even semi-operatic and jazz standards. His voice, which developed into many voices as his career progressed, had always a unique tonality and an extraordinarily unusual center of gravity, leading to his ability to tackle a range of songs and melodies which would be nearly impossible for most other popular singers to achieve'

Elvis Presley#87

VoiceGenreVersatility

About this quote

What does it mean?
Elvis succeeded across many genres, using a unique tonal center to tackle songs most popular singers couldn’t.
In plain terms
His voice let him sing many styles that others couldn’t handle.
What can you take from it?
A distinctive vocal timbre can broaden artistic reach.

Where it applies

  • album planning
  • concert setlists

Putting it to work

  • explore varied genres
  • highlight vocal strengths

Questions to consider

  • How does tonal uniqueness affect genre crossover?
  • What are risks of overextending style?

Another view

Success in many genres may dilute artistic identity.

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