Singing

I knew I had to write about this. I'm writing about things I love and that mean a lot to me..and believe me. Nothing (well almost nothing) has meant more to me than singing.
I love to sing. I love to perform. I love being on a stage and singing for people...and I love singing just for me. To reiterate...I love to sing.

I don't know why I love it so much. I've not trained professionally...but I have spent hours singing with the singers and songs that have always been there for me. Singing, is my way of giving back to music all that it has given me. Also I love it for selfish reasons. It makes me incredibly happy.

I started off on Roger Whittaker. I grew up listening to him and I talked about how much that meant to me a little while ago. I grew up on soft songs...on love songs. I loved singing them. Then came on Dean Martin and Elvis. I learnt how to get my style from them both. I loved Dean's voice and Elvis's style and versatality. I love The Beatles and the songs they gave me. Learnt to play more of their songs on my old guitar than anyone else.
Then came Nat King Cole. He taught me control and how you could really make an impact without too much noise. He taught me what a voice can do...what a voice can be.
I loved Ray Charles...for everything!
Somehow I never got into Sinatra. Maybe thats for a later phase in life.
Then I discovered the standards sung by so many different people. Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly and many more singers who sang em back then and people like Michael Buble and Steve Tyrell who're doing so brilliantly now.
I fell in love with Norah Jones and John Mayer. They showed me that there's still hope for contemporary singers.

Oh and don't get me wrong. In all of this I found me a whole lotta rock too.
I love The Eagles, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, ACDC, Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Pearl Jam, Oasis, The Doors, Deep Purple (though I'm just getting into DP) and a lot more bands.
Also grew up on Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and other pop rock artists.
I've never been an angsty guy and the music I've loved has reflected that. I love happy songs...I do like sad songs a lot. They are as important as the happy ones...but I don't like depressing songs. I'm hopelessly optimistic and when I'm down...I don't like sad/depressing stuff.
I like sad songs when I'm happiest. I can relate with them better at that point of time.

And the other music that really really got to me was country music.
I loved Don Williams, George Strait, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Lee Ann Womack and so many more singers.
They taught me about telling stories and showing your feelings through songs. They taught me about the importance of simple melodies...and about simplicity in general.
I love country music...and I know that I always will.

And now I'm discovering the blues...and what a love affair that is turning out to be. Holy momma!
Dem blues, dey rock!
I will get to jazz someday too but that'll take a while I think.

So I'm an singer who likes oldies, pop, rock, a bit of jazz and the blues, country music and soul.
And I'll sing it all. I'm not a genre snob. I'll sing it all and with the same passion.
I have a band and we'll go out and rock a crowd...and I'm working with my pianist and if I can I'll go sing ballads and old standards with him.

I'm a singer. Thats what I will always be. I may not be the best...but I'll keep working at it...for life.
This is why I got into media...into radio and everything after that.

And now...I'm going back to my roots.
Ready or not:)...here I come.