Karaoke Forums

Do you see a lot of people that actually could have a chance at a real singing career?  It really isn't that hard anymore to get your voice out there.  Sometimes I hate seeing people with real potential only doing karaoke when they could be singing original songs and gain an audience.

Things have changed a lot with the advent of the internet for musicians. YouTube allows people to get themselves out there. Things like Craiglist give a place for musicians/writers to get together.  

Yes, there are a LOT of people out there singing who under the most rare of circumstances could have a career. But a career in music is NOT what it is chalked up to be. Read some of the publications about the music business.

The BIG hitch is ORIGINAL. Not every good singer is a song writer. You will go NOWHERE (or almost nowhere) singing someone else's stuff.

My husband is lead singer in a band (started long before we started our karoake biz) and they are famous worldwide...and have a second album pending...thanks to the internet. So it is possible.

I do love the fact that really great singers are out there, entertaining everyone without the cost of a $100 or $200 ticket - probably the thing I like best about this business - people share their talent, have a wonderful time doing it, and we all get to hear and appreciate their talent!

K

Having a singing career is not so much about talent as it is about persistence and production. There are many, many singers who are more talented than some stars.

I would argue that you don't need to be a singer-songwriter. Not everyone is at all. But you have to get some good songs to sing, that is to be sure. And you have to find someone to give you a break.

If you have enough persistence to persevere despite constant discouragement, you can make it on some level in the music business given a normal amount of talent. Once you do that, it is a question of getting the right break.

There may be the few-time-in-a-generation singer that can make it simply on talent, but there aren't many Elvis or Whitney types out there. Many more were like Martina or Madonna -- good or great singers but better promoters with tonnes of persistence.

I have a higher than average talent pool at karaoke.    Good singers are not a surprise at my show.

A LOT of people can sing very well.  Not many people would pay to hear them.  The music business is 5% music and 95% business.

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Okay, who took my pants?

Sad to say but you are 100% right in my opinion, the days of the Led Zepplins, The Eagles, U2's, Aerosmith's real bands that write a majority of their songs, play their own instruments are for the most part gone. Flavor of the month is in and longevity is out. One bad album and you are kicked to the curb. All of these bands in my opinion had great singers.

100% in agreement with you. Add to it the American Idol Mentality and we're int he pits. I have been listening to music heavily since 1965 so I've 'heard' the changes and from around 1990 it all went downhill, imo

Few would be happy in a performing arts lifestyle, it's by no means luxurious,  and many that are excellent singers aren't composers.  Many opt not to ruin a hobby/ love of music by going into such a buisness and getting kicked around.  Great artist isn't what enables a person to become popular in the industry.  The industry wants money, and what's marketable, little else.  As for amazing talent, there's so much of it in the amateur realm it's scary.  The most talented artists (not just in  music but all areas of art) are folks few know exist, but certainly no names any of us have or will ever hear of.  Internet will change that a TINY bit at most.. but each decent sized city has a handful of musicians comparable to the best out there, some that haven't crawled out've the woodwork yet.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

So true Steve, ever hear of Danny Gatton, the man is considered the greatest guitar player you never heard of, and he could not hardly stay with a label.

They say history repeats itself, maybe soon we will see great singers fronting great bands again, hopefully in my lifetime.

I consider Bono of U2 to be a fantastic songwriter, and in his day he was a decent singer, but a phenominal showman.

i hear good singers often! its pretty great

All great responses.  Music is a business that is for sure.  Nowadays though many if not most singers do not write their own songs, especially in the Pop genre.  There is a great amount of songwriters that can't sing at all.  Linking them up is something I love to do.  
If a singer gets a pro sounding demo out there I think they have a legit shot.  Selling music and "a package" has never been easier.


www.skyelab.com

I hear singers each and every time I go to karaoke that sound better than many on radio (and american idol)

You have to have the "package" to make it in the music biz:

*Not necessarily any talent
*Not necessarily a great voice
*Good looks
and
*The willingness to hand your life over to a "manager"



But as far as "great singers" , no they are not such a novelty any more. I, for one, think the karaoke industry has brought this about. Tons are getting in lots of practice- and figuring out they have talent, who never sang before except singing along with the radio. ~long live karaoke~  :D

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Legit shot is usually a real long shot, though. Ever wonder why B. Spears continues to be dragged out into the limelight in spite of horrendous personal problems? And why she is forced to do shows that she is obviously not ready to do? Because she's into the record company for so much money. They sink TONS of money into artists and then recoup their investment with record sales (which are precipitously down), merchandise (KISS is the king of this club), and concerts.

Common knowledge now that record companies have had to really shift the way they do things. People like Madonna have shifted their gears as well, going with other less specific organizations (wish I could remember the name of the company in England she is going with) that will do EVERYTHING for her.  

A multimillion dollar contract doesn't mean anything to an artist because EVERYBODY else gets paid before they do, realistically. And had the Dixie CHicks not gone after Sony (with the first ever successful law against them) they would have been in the same boat as a lot of artists - a lot of shows and not much $$ to show for it.

I find it really interesting that for years we have been forced to buy a LOT of really second rate cuts on albums because they wanted to sell the WHOLE album - one song, and MAYBE two, on average for a lot of artists were worth anything at all. Now with downloads, we can buy ONLY what we want, and that is what is hurting the record companies. They've been ripping us off for so long, it's crazy.

Artists who were really good but didn't fit into the 'niche' that a company was looking for meant that they were signed to a deal, their 'stuff' was put on the shelf, and by signing them the company kept them from going anywhere else and being successful.

Don't get me wrong here. For years my SO's band has worked the fringe of 'getting signed' and opted not to. In spite of that, they have worldwide play...Not to the same extent as some of the favorites of the minute that you might see on VH1 or CMT - just means that the horrendous volume of signing money hasn't run through their hands and back into the hands of the signing company.

Obviously shows like Am Idol have had tremendous impact on those who will never be 'famous' like B Spears, Aguilera, Lopez, etc., but people like Chris Daughtry have managed to make it because of it.

There are still those who look waaaaaay down on karaoke singers - probably because in a lot of places it is still a horrible joke...and maybe they've never been to a show that was like a mini Am Idol. I'm proud to say that many, many nights I've had a room full of people where the MAJORITY chose to spend their weekend night coming to a karaoke show that really highlights local talent  - professional in everything but the signing bonus.

Getting signed ain't all it used to be.... My father-in-law used to say it isn't what you make, it's what sticks to your hands in the end.

K

Generally speaking, I don't find too many people who "look down" on others who are genuinely having fun and enjoying themselves!  But, sadly, I must admit that I've been to karaoke shows where I wonder just how much fun is being generated.

There is currently a show nearby me where it seems that those in attendance aren't having fun.  They politely applaud, but there's no real enthusiasm in their responses.  And who are they acknowledging?  They're responding to the same performers, who are singing the same material, to basically the same audience they sang to last time, in order to enjoy their "moment in the sun".

If I were accused of looking down on a person such as I have just described, it wouldn't be because he/she ventured out to sing karaoke, it wouldn't be because of the quality of the effort, it would because that person wasn't venturesome enough to try different genres, different styles, different songs, too keep it "fresh", keep from getting boring, keep it challenging, keep it.......

Now back specifically to this thread.  Elliot Gould, Barbra Streisand and several others I know were in the chorus of Irma LaDouce on Broadway.  Just because you get paid to sing professionally doesn't mean you qualify for a successful career as a solo singer.  And even if you have such qualifications it doesn't mean you'll obtain said status.  Few have ever heard Elliot Gould sing!  And while most people knew Barbra Streisand the singer, until she ended up in movies she wasn't known for her acting!

So, what does it really mean to the world or to the singer if you happen to think that someone at your karaoke show has what we all might agree is even an exceptional voice?  And of course, Simon can't agree with Randy and Paula as to what is good on Idol!

Right on

with todays digital technology and the pitch corrector that all artist uses, you are becoming a product to sell and your voice is no longer what really matters!

And no, it has nothing to do wheter you can write songs or not, Celine never wrote a song and isn't she the biggest star??? Now, if David Foster wishes to write me a song and believe in me, I'll be a star, but that will never happen, so I'll stick to my chocolates...

I think Elvis sang every song that was ever written.

Was Elvis such a tremendous vocal talent or was it his charisma and his sexy looks that made him bigger than life?    Total package.

Celine Dion has a fantastic voice.

You don't even need to be able to sing on to be a top seller. Just look at Britney Spear; she can't even sing her owe song live. I don't think she can sing her own song in a karaoke set up.

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

and politician/ debator right ?  Alot of these front folk know how to present themselves, and are quite assertive (or have a tremendous drive), well above average intellect too in many cases.. but they do have the knack for public presence. Some of these rockers have really surprized me,  they are extremely intelligent... Believe it or not,  I wasn't aware of this in the earlier days !     Quite honestly I thought  it was requisite that some sort've severe deficiency and/or form of mental illness existed to qualify as a musician.  



As does Linda Ronstadt IMHO... OF course as already stated it's not raw singing ability that often gains one rank in industry as "singer songwriter".



How can we not look at her ?  Every newspaper, and news headline has her escorted in handcuffs or a straight-jacket from a court or mental hospital someplace with her shaved head with a caption telling us that police and medical staff have taken all sharp objects, belts, children etc- away from her. It's not only singing she can't do live, but she can't even live her own life.  

Personally, I think she's trying to gain some publicity so she can run for president in 4 years against Shannon Dougherty and Danny Bonaducci.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I think the point being made is that "real singer" can preclude "conventionally skilled and trained", or what many recognise to be the "mainstream aesthetically pleasing" voice in a style we have past familiarity with.  The mainstream listener doesn't pick the singer, the singer is fed to the public by the business industry, and we get used to the singer over time, possible ?  We get trained.

I think "singers" are people that have tremendous drive, and as a result can and do endure what it takes to cut thru the nasty stuff that exists within the industry,  not an easy thing, they really want to be singers too, not so much the talent.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

 LMAO  LMAO  LMAO

I'll take part in her defence.   It's pretty hard to do all of those coordinated dance moves and sing good at the same time, live.  Try it at karaoke.   Dance around pretty energetically and see if you can sing good.   I know i can't.    I can barely walk and sing good.

A live show needs all of the fast pace to keep it from being boring.  And to make you think you got your $150 ticket price worth.   I wouldn't doubt the majority of those high energy acts are lipsyncing.   Try playing basketball and carry a tune.