American Idol, Vocal perfection and Charisma

In my opinion shows like American Idol which require a person to have an awe inspiring vocal range are doing more harm than good to the music industry. They are finding a face and a voice. Can this face and voice write songs that REALLY touch peoples hearts? I doubt it.

Charisma is not taught. True charisma in the entertainment industry is molded through a traumatic event or slowly created through many difficult times while growing up.

I am going to mention several artists from the history of Rock and Roll: Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Kurt Cobain, Tom Petty... None of these men has the pipes of anyone in the finals of American Idol but they all could write songs; songs that really touched and influenced people. They all had/have a charisma that cannot be quantified but you know it when you see it. None of these phenomenal talents could have a chance on today's American Idol but their gifts to the music industry are undeniable. I look at Kurt Cobain. Listen to his music and what do you notice. The man really could not sing very well. Ya he held his own in his genre but he was no Freddy Mercury. But his original music exuded a passion and a pain. He touched a cord with youth and charsimaticly (and involuntarily) led a movement. How about Mick Jagger? He can also hold his own vocally but boy did he and Keith know how to write songs. Then there is Bob Dylan. Let's be honest, this man would have made the "worst performers" compilation on American Idol. He couldn't really sing but he could write not just powerful songs but powerful anthems. Come on, he influenced the Beatles and countless other artists in the 60's.

That reminds me; sometime in the 90's, I think, several of the Jackson (Jackson 5 fame) kids recorded an album and I remember when listening to it and thinking 'somebody else wrote this song for them and they have no emotion when singing'. They sounded like a bunch of rich spoiled kids with no ambition that were given a project to do one day. Hey let's record an album! It kind of bothered me a bit. There is also a video on YouTube of Nancy Sinatra singing "These boots...". She comes across as a talentless, rich kid who finds cutting records as a hobby. You can tell if this individual was not Frank's daughter then she would not have a snowball's chance you know where to be where she was.

As I note the parade of "perfect" vocalists on American Idol that are singing other peoples songs I get a little saddened. I would rather see another kid without perfect pitch that can write and sing songs, which they wrote, that deeply touch me.