More feedback regarding Voices of the Century list - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby A. Gil

Mr. Eduardo H. dela Cruz of 10 Kalayaan, Batasan Hills, QC, sent a letter containing his choices for the great voices of the century list: You hit the nail right on the head when you wrote that some of those included in the voices of the century could not even win a singing contest had their lives depended on it. I suspect that most of those polled by the survey firm were hip hop boys and girls whose concept of music is playing metallic instruments full volume until it breaks the eardrums rather than soothing the tired soul of a listener.

Really I could not imagine for the life of me how such names as Patti Page, Vic Damone, Eddie Fisher, Four Aces, Trio Los Panchos, ABBA, to mention a few, were not included on the list. Have they not heard such immortal pieces as Tennessee Waltz, An Affair to Remember, Oh My Papa, Three Coins in the Fountain, Historia de Un Amor and Chiquitita? If so, then I pity them as they lost one half of their lives.

As to the choice of Frank Sinatra as the voice of the century, I can live with it. After all, Sinatra is one of my favorites, though my choice is none other than the ageless, velvet-voiced Perry Como, who recently passed away at the ripe age of 89. Perry Como outlasted Sinatra in terms of longevity, Frank died at 82, but in terms of durability as well. Perry recorded his last song Wind Beneath My Wings, in 1990 at the age of 77 with nary a crack in his voice, unlike Frank whose crack in his voice in his 60’s and 70’s was quite evident. Anyway here’s my complete list of the greatest 100 voices of the century;

Perry Como; Mario Lanza; Vic Damone; Elvis Presley; Frank Sinatra; Eddie Fisher; Patti Page; Four Aces; Trio Los Panchos; ABBA; Frankie Lane; Jo Stafford; Toni Arden; Gordon McCrae; Pat Boone; Tony Bennett; Andrew Sisters; Jerry Vale; Bing Crosby; Eydie Gorme; Steve Lawrence; Maureen McGovern; Melissa Manchester; Sheena Easton; David Pomeranz;

Tom Jones; Barry Manilow; Jack Jones; Barry White; Anita Bryant; Neil Diamond; Beatles; Bee Gees; Connie Francis; Georgia Gibbs; Teddy Randazzo; Jeffrey Osborn; Pointer Sisters; Village People; Basia; Sarah Vaughn; Peggy Lee; Kitty Cullen; Eddie Howard; Placido Domingo; Andrea Bocelli; Luciano Pavarotti; Celine Dion; Samantha Lee; Julie Andrews;

Nelson Eddy; Jeanette McDonald; Lynn Anderson; Felicia Saunders; Marty Robbins; Lettermen; Solomon King; Anne Murray; Whitney Houston; Engelbert Humperdinck; Sue Thompson; Elton John; Olivia Newton-John; Al Martino; Nana Mouskouri; Alan Dale; Robert Goulet; Glenn Campbell; Barbra Streisand; Diana Ross; Edna Savage; McGuire Sisters; Mills Brothers; Dean Martin; Dusty Springfield;

Petula Clark; Kenny Rogers; James Ingram; Shirley Bassey; Paul Anka; Neil Sedaka; Lanie Hall; Angela Bofill; Michael Jackson; Michael Johnson; Helen Reddy; Kenny Rankin; Bread; Jane Morgan; Rosemary Clooney; Johnny Ray; Roy Hamilton; Jackie Wilson; Harry Belafonte; Tony Martin; Don Cornell; Linda Ronstadt; Lennon Sisters; Teresa Brewer; Patsy Cline; John Denver; Don McLaine; Ray Peterson, Ink Spots; Air Supply; Lucio Gattica; Doris Day.

Thank you very much for sending in your own list, Mr. De la Cruz. I am happy to note that many of the names among your choices are my personal favorites. And speaking of your top voice, here is a letter I received from somebody who is a real Perry Como fan.

Mr. Rufo R. Rivera, an engineer from Guagua, Pampanga sent in this piece about the late Perry Como: It’s really sad to know that my favorite singer is now gone. Perry Como, who lived for almost 89 years was able to entertain the musical world for more than 50 years. I’m sure many of his songs will keep on being played even after a long, long time. How can we forget Some Enchanted Evening, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Far Away Places,You’ll Never Walk Alone,You’re Just in Love, I’m Always Chasing Rainbows, Till the End of Time and many, many more.

When I was in college, my cousin and I always looked forward to seeing The Perry Como Show every Wednesday evening at the Zaratan’s residence in UP Diliman. I have not seen many concerts before but I’m glad I did not miss seeing Perry Como when he had his concert at the Folk Arts Theater on Dec. 10, 1982. I remember the date so well because I still have the ticket to that concert up to now. That is how much I admire my favorite singer.