Who is your choice for easily identifiable and awesome voice?

John Hurt.

Edit: mybad, I didn’t read the details.

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv Good one. Does he sing, too?

current singers – regina spektor, Billie Joe
older singers – elvis, Jim Morrison, Louis Armstrong

when i first saw the question I thought of the voice of an actor not a singer: Morgan Freeman

Roy Orbison and Maria McKee.

@live_rose Morgan Freeman for sure. Also James Earl Jones and Willem Defoe.

@frdelrosario Roy Orbison definitely!!! What an amazing falsetto.

@Zen James Earl Jones was my second non singer thought

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, who also has a skull-pal named Henry.

Tom Waits
Ol’ Dirty

@peedub Tom Waits fer sure.

James Earl Jones – Darth Vader!

John Huston – voiced Gandalf in the animated versions of RotK and The Hobbit.

Michael Clarke Duncan – the huge black dude from The Green Mile and Armageddon.

Gene Hackman – Lex Luthor from the Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

Whoopie Goldberg – ” I’m poor, black, I may even be ugly – but dear god, I’m here” – The Color Purple.

I loved Tom Waits’ ranting in Bram Stokers Dracula.

Oh Oh… Ving Rhames! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000609/

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv – Yes, he has some terrific cinematic cameos. I thought he was particularly great in Down By Law, as well as the character Benny in Rumble Fish.

Phil Hartman – Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz
James Earl Jones – Darth Vader

@Zen is my choice!

(mainly because of the easily identifiable and awesome parts)

@Nihilus Welcome to fluther. Give him some lurve jellies.

@XOIIO—Meet me for drinks at 8 in another question?—

Who can forget the magnificent voice [and unmatched delivery] of MITCH HEDBERG?

@peedub Very true.

All great answers, but with a nod to the already noted Roy Orbison, I’ll add Nat King Cole (but you kids are way too young for that one). See ya….Gary/wtf

@whatthefluther Who you calling way too young… extra lurve for Nat King Cole.

Janis Joplin, Tom Waits, Lyle Lovitt, Leonard Cohen, Bing Crosby, John Prine

Jack White, Neil Young and Eddie Vedder

Here is one of my favorites of Eddie.

Chris Isaak (OK, so he probably doesn’t deserve to be on this list, but he has a great voice, can hit the high notes, he’s got one wicked song, and a very wicked video here, which happens to be one of my favorites, and how can you possibly go wrong with Helena Christensen rolling on the beach half naked….so before you bitch about this selection, watch the video, which I highly suspect you will enjoy….then you can thank me….ok, bye…I’m off to watch it again).

sometimes it pays to be a kiss-ass

LOL jk

Barbra Streisand has always been my number 1 choice for distinctive voice!

Other singers are: Dusty Springfield, Judith Durham, Rod Stewart, Chris Rea, Cher, Dlly Parton, Anastacia and I am sure there are plenty of others that I have forgotten right now.

My choice for speaking voices would be: Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Briars, David Attenborough and Stephen Fry

@whatthefluther Two things buddy: I agree with you on Chris Isaac, especially about the video, and secondly, what happened to your signature – seeya Gary/wtf???

@Zen….Perhaps a bit of over-excitement at getting back to the video? Hey, that gives me an idea….... See ya….Gary/wtf

@whatthefluther Chris Issac’s Wicked Games is one of the top plays on my IPod. You can’t watch the video without feeling something!