People hear the soul, black influence in my voice. I grew up listening to CKLW and all the black stations like WLBS.

Madonna

SoulBlackInfluenceVoice

It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me.

Frank Sinatra

Billie HolidayGreatestMusicalInfluence

My greatest teacher was not a vocal coach, not the work of other singers, but the way Tommy Dorsey breathed and phrased on the trombone.

Frank Sinatra

TeacherVocalSingersTommy Dorsey...+1

There's only one person in the United States we ever wanted to meet ... not that he wanted us. And we met him last night. We can't tell you how we felt. We just idolised him so much. ... You can't imagine what a thrill that was last night. Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles.

John Lennon

United StatesMeetElvisIdolised...+3

I stopped smoking. When I stopped smoking, my voice changed... so drastically, I couldn't believe it myself.

Bob Dylan

StoppedSmokingVoiceChanged...+2

What you must understand is that my voice comes from the energy of the audience. The better they are, the better I get.

Freddie Mercury

VoiceEnergyAudienceBetter