I Love Shirley Bassey

How can she be one of the world's most popular recording artists, and yet seem obscure at the same time? A search turns up nothing here. No mention on the 525-post, 8-year old Best Female Vocals thread.

Now normally I'm a classic rock and roll kind of guy. I love the Dead and Pink Floyd, etc, etc, and I only discovered her recently via YouTube. Now you can't sum up a 50-year show business career with one video, but here's a start: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Wg6k9cWhM. Anyway, I have purchased several of her albums and she just knocks me out. The 50's and 60's stuff is before my time, so while I think it sounds good, it's not really my cup of tea. So far her 1970 album "Something" is my favorite, and I love everything forward from that point!

What I love about her: First and foremost that voice. Then her relationship with her audience. They love her, she loves them. She's not all haughty and stuck up like Diana Ross. Shirley's quite sexy, unlike Barbra Streisand, who has zero sex appeal in my opinion (YMMV). And Shirley's sexy without being borderline crass like Cher. The audience comes first with Shirley, not her own ego. I am mesmerized!!