O/T: Singers that sound like ..

I always thought the lead singer on Ozark Mountain Daredevils' "Jackie Blue" was female. It wasn't until sometime in the mid-80's that I
found out otherwise.

The 1981 hit "Somebody's Knockin'" always confused me too. I would've sworn Terri Gibbs was male by her voice and I thought "Wow...a guy
singing about another guy?" I couldn't believe we'd come that far at the time, as it was only 1981. Also, I didn't have the 45 at the time so
I didn't know that the first name was spelled with an "I" on the end as opposed to a "Y". I only heard the DJ's say the song was by Terri
Gibbs, and for all I knew it could've been a guy who spelled his name "Terry".

I think some people also assumed Mick Hucknall of Simply Red was female when they had their first hit in the US in 1986, "Holding Back The
Years". I remember hearing it one time on the radio and after Mick sang the last line, "That's all I have to say", the DJ come on and said,
"That's all she's got to say...".

Never made a connection to Michael Jackson and the Klymaxx song, but I did find it hard to believe that Siedah Garrett was actually singing
on her duet with Michael, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You". Her vocals sounded to me like it could have been Michael singing.

Also never noticed anything different about Nick Gilder. If anything, his voice on that song sounded like a guy holding his nose, lol.

Also thought the same thing when "Vision Of Love" first came out. But now that more than 30 years have gone by, it's easy to hear the
differences in their voices.

I think it was the late 80’s or early 90’s when I discovered “More Today
Than Yesterday” by Spiral Staircase was sung by a guy (Pat Upton was
the lead singer, so I never thought twice about it), and “You Were On
My Mind” by We Five was sung by a female. Had thought the opposite
on both those 1960’s songs for years.

I do remember the Klymaxx song being mistaken by some for Michael
Jackson, and certainly I can understand that. But I must have known
right away who the artist was (don’t remember if it was introduced
beforehand by a DJ on the radio or if I saw a video).

I think I first heard “Hot Child In The City” on a New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
or something on tv, so I saw him “sing” (lip-synch) it before I formulated
my own image.

Jon O.

A couple that were a little before my time, but my brothers remember...

"A Horse With No Name" - America (sounded like Neil Young)
"Don't Say You Don't Remember" - Beverly Bremers (sounded like Donny Osmond)

I personally remember lots of talk at the time that "It's A Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler sounded a lot like Rod Stewart.

Also, that "Oh Sheila" by Ready For The World sounded a lot like Prince.

My dad thought Simply Red was female. I was more used to
the male falsetto (ie Russell Thompkins of Stylistics).

I always thought Carly Simon singing "You belong to me"
was doing a very good El Debarge impression.

"Ben" and "Got To Be There" sounds like those songs could
have been recorded by a young Donny Osmond.