Thanks to a strong choral community and their distinctive intonation, Welsh vocalists are a prominent force across the musical landscape – from Bonnie to Bassey, Jones to James Dean Bradfield, Kelly of the Stereophonics to H of Steps. And yet according to listeners of BBC Radio Wales, the platinum-selling, Cardiff-born Shakin’ Stevens has the most revered vocals in Wales: a recent poll earned him the title of greatest living voice.
Before you sniff at such a prospect, let’s not forget the artist’s many accolades: not only was he the UK’s biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s, but he was also a cheerleader of revolutionary socialism in his youth. As Alexis Petridis once wrote in a piece about this underground hero: “Let us hail the real Shaky: Lennon-besting, audience-terrifying hero of British communism; a singer cheered by the Stones and the late John Peel; scientifically proven to be better than Can.”
But is Stevens truly deserving of his new title? Does his jovial delivery of Merry Christmas Everyone really outdo Pennie’s backing vocals on the Automatic’s Monster? And what about Steve Strange or Cerys Matthews? And Dave Edmunds or Duffy? In the comments below, let us know which Welsh vocalists you think should have been mentioned, and we’ll post a playlist of the results on 17 June.
