The lead vocalist (or lead singer) is the member of a band A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. In each musical style different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles perform who sings Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can either be sung a cappella or accompanied by musicians and instruments ranging from a single instrumentalist to a full the main vocal portions of a song. Lead vocalists may also play one or more instruments (most commonly rhythm guitar Rhythm guitar is the use of a guitar to provide rhythmic chordal accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a musical ensemble. In ensembles or "bands" playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres , a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition supports the melodic lines and solos played on the lead, piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is widely known as one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in Classical music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive,, keyboards A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments. In common language, it is mostly used to refer to keyboard-style synthesizers or bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb (either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping, or thumping), or by using a plectrum). They are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the spokespersons in interviews and before the public. On rare occasions, the frontman of the band is someone other than the lead vocalist (i.e. Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are a British heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975. The band is directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the group has released a collective total of thirty albums: fourteen studio albums; seven live albums; four EPs; and five compilations.)
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Ambiguous lead vocalists
Some rock groups, such as The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. From 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Rooted in skiffle, Gomez Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport. Their first album, Bring It On, won the Mercury Music Prize in 1998, Kiss Kiss is an American hard rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Easily identified by its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. Kiss has, The Beach Boys The Beach Boys is an American rock band, formed in 1961, who gained popularity for their close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance. Brian Wilson's growing creative ambitions later transformed them into a more artistically innovative group that earned critical praise and influenced, Eagles The Eagles is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, Pink Floyd Pink Floyd were an English rock band who earned recognition for their psychedelic music in the late 1960s, and as they evolved in the 1970s, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art, and elaborate live shows. One of rock music's most, 10cc 10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. Initially comprising four musicians — Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme — who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the “10cc” name in 1972, Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American pop punk band from San Diego, California, formed in 1992. The band formed as "Blink" with vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor. In 1998, midway through a U.S. tour, current drummer Travis Barker replaced Scott Raynor. Blink-182 is recognized as a key, and The Band The Band was a rock music group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999. The original group consisted of four Canadians: Robbie Robertson (guitar, piano, vocals); Richard Manuel (piano, harmonica, drums, saxophone, organ, vocals); Garth Hudson (organ, piano, clavinet, accordion, synthesizer, saxophone); and Rick Danko (bass guitar, have more than one featured vocalist, making it difficult to establish a single "lead singer" or "frontman." Other bands, such as Green Day Green Day is an American punk rock trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tré Cool for the majority of its existence. The band is credited as one of the three main bands, along with The Offspring and Rancid, which set the punk revival in, Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band which formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, chief songwriter after 1981), Andrew Fletcher (keyboards) and Vince Clarke (keyboards, chief songwriter 1980–81). Vince Clarke left the band after, Alice in Chains Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and former vocalist Layne Staley. Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released four studio albums, three EPs, two live albums,, Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in 1967 in London, Status Quo Status quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" - literally "the state in which" - is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are. The related phrase status quo ante, literally "the state in which before",, Toto, Blur Blur are an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing. Following a stylistic change—influenced by English guitar pop groups such, Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have avoided categorising themselves as any one genre. The band also incorporated classical music, blues-rock, pop and progressive, The B-52's The B-52s are a New Wave rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia, United States, in 1976. In their heyday, their music was marked by the female harmonies of Cindy Wilson (vocals) and Kate Pierson (organ, vocals), Ricky Wilson's (guitar) surf-style guitar, Keith Strickland's (drummer) "go-go beat" drumming, and the generally spoken word or, Oasis Oasis were an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (bass guitar) and Tony McCarroll (drums, percussion), who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar and, The White Stripes The White Stripes are an American rock duo, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consists of songwriter Jack White and his ex-wife Meg White (drums and occasional vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums within the Detroit independent music underground, the White Stripes rose to prominence in 2002, as part of the garage, The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1965 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although never commercially successful while together, the band is often cited by many critics as one of the most important and influential, The Who USA: Decca, MCA, Warner Brothers, Universal, The Clash The Clash were an English punk band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer , Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass guitar,, Queen Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, and one of the most commercially successful musical acts of all time. The group originally consisted of Freddie Mercury, , Brian May (lead guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen's initial works were chiefly glam rock, heavy metal and progressive, The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in April 1962 by guitarist and harmonica player Brian Jones, pianist Ian Stewart, vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup, Daughtry, Wings Wings were a rock group formed in 1971 by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. To date, Wings remains the only "permanent" group that any of the former members of The Beatles belonged to after the band's breakup in 1970, Type O Negative and The Cars The Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson. The band originated from Boston, Massachusetts, and were signed to had, in addition to the designated "lead singer," one or more members who provided significant lead vocals in the course of the group's career.
While the lead vocalist often defines the group's image and personality to the general public, several bands, such as AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered a pioneer of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as rock and roll, Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are a British heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975. The band is directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the group has released a collective total of thirty albums: fourteen studio albums; seven live albums; four EPs; and five compilations and Van Halen Van Halen is an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. They have enjoyed large scale success since the release of their debut album Van Halen . As of 2007, Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number-one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. During the 1980s they also had more Billboard have changed lead singers and maintained the original band name and, to some extent, identity. Other bands such as Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in 1967 in London, Journey Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California, with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s. During this period, they had hits with a series of power ballads and rock songs, including "Don't Stop Believin'&, Genesis Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Phil Collins , Mike Rutherford (guitar and bass guitar), and Tony Banks (keyboards). Peter Gabriel, Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett also played major roles in the band in its early days. Genesis are among the top 30 highest-selling and Black Sabbath have gone in an almost completely different musical direction when their new frontperson came in.
Frontman
The lead vocalist of a band is sometimes called a frontman. This term "frontman" refers to the duties of musical leader amongst the band and spokesperson for the band before the public. While lead vocalists or spokespersons for any musical ensembles can be called a frontman, the term is used very widely in rock music Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1950s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music. The sound of rock often revolves around the electric guitar, a back beat laid down by a rhythm section of electric bass guitar and. Since the position commonly has an expanded role from simple lead vocalists, there have been cases in which the frontman for a band is someone other than the lead vocalist. For example, Pete Wentz Pete Wentz is an American musician, best known for being the bassist for the American rock band Fall Out Boy, the bass player for the band Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, that formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist-rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley, is generally called the frontman, both in the media and by the band members themselves, since he represents the band in most interviews and has most contributed to the band's image in the popular media.[1] Additionally, Dave Clark of The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. They were the second group of the British Invasion, after The Beatles, to have a chart hit in the United States ("Glad All Over" #6, February 1964).[citation needed] was the group's drummer, not the main vocalist. Other bands that have other members as frontmen include Angus Young of AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered a pioneer of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as rock and roll and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and former vocalist Layne Staley. Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released four studio albums, three EPs, two live albums,. In several bands (such as Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968, consisting of Jimmy Page , Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin), and John Bonham (drums). With their heavy, guitar-driven blues-rock sound, Led Zeppelin are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal and hard rock. However, the band', Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band, Queen Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, and one of the most commercially successful musical acts of all time. The group originally consisted of Freddie Mercury, , Brian May (lead guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen's initial works were chiefly glam rock, heavy metal and progressive, Journey Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California, with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s. During this period, they had hits with a series of power ballads and rock songs, including "Don't Stop Believin'&, Van Halen Van Halen is an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. They have enjoyed large scale success since the release of their debut album Van Halen . As of 2007, Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and have had the most number-one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. During the 1980s they also had more Billboard, Oasis, The Who, Motley Crue), the lead guitarist or bassist may share spokesman responsibilities with the lead singer. Usually, this is derived from that guitarist's specific role as a co-songwriter, co-founder and/or co-vocalist. Also in some cases, there are two frontmen, like in the band, Underoath, with singers Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie. Chamberlain came in later in the band, but is the main vocalist, while Gillespie is the only original member, making them both frontmen. Another example is Blink-182, with singers Tom Delonge who also plays guitar and Mark Hoppus who is also a bassist. The two usually carry out most media together while the band's other member, drummer Travis Barker usually remains quiet. Barenaked Ladies is another band with two frontmen, Steven Page who also plays rhythm guitar and Edward Robertson who also plays lead guitar. The Barenaked ladies' other members do occasional lead singing.
In some cases, lead singers have even less of a defining role. For instance Ayreon, traditionally a one-man project often employs besides the voice of the permanent member a wild array of guest vocalists on most albums while Delerium has only one permanent member though being consistently a duo while recently all vocals have been performed by guest musicians to individual tracks. The approach to commission vocalists as guest musicians for single tracks is not uncommon in various forms of electronic music and progressive rock.
See also
References
- ^ CARAMANICA, JON (December 12, 2008), "The Frontman in the Background". The New York Times. (accessed 2009-01-19)
Categories: Singers | Musical groups | Occupations in music
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Margaret Phillips
ue, 01 Sep 2009 16:50:00 GM
Through the years, he had been involved in several bands and was . lead vocalist. and guitarist in some of them. He had played throughout Otago and Southland and, in the late 1980s, decided it was time to try his luck in Christchurch, ...
