These three legendary singer-songwriters don’t (or didn’t, as one of them is no longer with us) sound exactly the same as they did when they were young musicians. But there’s no loss of quality to be found. Age really did them some favors in terms of their vocal ability and distinct sounds.
Videos by American Songwriter
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is still active as a musician today, decades after The Beatles called it quits in 1970 and many years after he launched his successful solo career. And while he doesn’t quite hit those Beatles-era high notes (who could?) nowadays, his voice has taken on a raspy and much more soulful edge. McCartney is also quite smart musically, especially when it comes to choosing the right keys. He sounds just as powerful today as he did when he was just a young Liverpoolian kid in a band. The emotional depth is still very much there, and personally, I prefer his well-aged voice nowadays.
Leonard Cohen
The incomparable Leonard Cohen left this world in 2016, but his well-aged voice toward the end of his life rivaled the voice he boasted early in his career in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s worth noting that Cohen wasn’t particularly known for having powerhouse pipes. Rather, he was known for his incredibly vulnerable lyrics. That being said, the man could definitely sing. And he had one of the most distinct voices in the singer-songwriter world. That voice aged beautifully through the years, gaining a lower and somewhat jazzier vibe.
Tom Waits
Tom Waits, from the start of his career in the 1970s to today, has always had the most distinct voice ever. Even in early works like Closing Time from 1973 and The Heart Of Saturday Night from 1974, you can detect the gravelliness that would come to define Waits’ voice and body of musical work. He’s one of the most legendary singer-songwriters of his generation, and that smoke-soaked and gravely voice is an important part of his legacy. It was part of his aesthetic, after all. And through age, his voice has just gotten deeper and more gravelly in the best way possible. Nobody sounds quite like him, and no one likely ever will.
Photo by Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
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