In his prime, Ray Charles was amazing. Nat King Cole, who early in his career was known more for his piano chops, is and always will be an iconic vocalist. Bobby Darin was a hell of a singer, with a swagger that has rarely been matched since his all too short career ended at the age of 37. Last, but not least is the Master, the Voice, the Chairman of the Board, Old Blue Eyes himself - Francis Albert Sinatra. He did it his way, and nobody has ever done it better. Sinatra didn't just sing a song... he interpreted it with impeccable phrasing, he made you feel as if he had experienced whatever the lyrics conveyed (because he had!), and his natural ability as a fine actor gave him a stage presence and lent an ambience that his contemporaries could never equal. He made you feel like he was singing to you, and that whatever happiness or sorrow you may have encountered in life, he had been through it too, all too many times. Who else could sing of lamentations, heartbreak and being down and out in a way that was, and still is so totally relatable. One listen to the classic Sinatra album - Sinatra sings for "Only The Lonely"- is all that's needed to convince most anybody that Sinatra was in a class by himself.
