Simon & Garfunkel, Andy Williams

It is hard to get much less hip these days than Andy Williams. I think he had one of the greatest voices ever and certainly in his generation. You can see here that with little rehearsal, he fills in a harmony part worthy of the Beach Boys. Professionals, nobody stepping on each other's voices, exquisitely timed. Of course, Paul and Artie sang like angels back then.

My stepmother worked for Andy in the sixties, after she worked for DiMaggio at Mr. Coffee. I had the pleasure of taking celebrities around his golf tournament in a cart one year as a kid. He drank a lot back then but I remember him as a nice man. Later he collected native american and I liked him even more. What a smooth and beautiful voice he had.

The difference between my generation and the previous is that they had real singers back then, people that worked on their vocal crafts rather than just accompanying an instrument. Who fills that role today and in the last forty years since Morrison and Joplin? Tom Jones. Who else? 

Of course singer translates to schmaltz for the generationally averse so I can see how the change took place. But it is tragic in a way. People like Bing and Bobby Darin are relegated to the historical scrap heap, no longer relevant. We must reject everything our parent's admire, remember? It can't be any good.

Who has replaced Dean Martin, Frank, Andy, Tony or Tom? Nobody.