by Cicely Richard

Created on: May 24, 2008

With their smooth, silky voices, male R & B singers melt the hearts of women all over the world. Their lyrics of longing, loving, sex and protest speak to people in many cultures. They are so well-known that, even though some of them have left us, we don't even need to say their last names. We know them simply as Marvin, Otis, and Barry. Women love them for their sexy voices; men love them for what they do to women. One thing is undeniable; they've stamped their melodies on the hearts and minds of generations of music lovers.

Marvin Gaye is undeniably one of the greatest male R & B singers of all time. He is one of the few musicians to have hit songs in the 60's, 70's and 80's. This is remarkable because Marvin grew up in a home where his pastor father restricted music and singing unless it was for religious purposes. Yet, in the infancy of Motown, he becomes one of its rising stars. His duets with Tammi Terrell, especially "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," live on to this day, often heard on movie trailers and on commercials. In the 70's, his music reflects the uncertainty of life at a time when the Vietnam War was raging. Yet, he also wants everyone to make love with "Let's Get It On." When everyone counted him out, he resurges in the 80's with "Sexual Healing." Unfortunately, his life is cut short when he is murdered by his father during an argument.

Otis Redding, like Marvin Gaye, gains recognition during a time when African-American musicians were finally getting some of the respect that they deserved. Like many African-American musicians of that time, he gets his musical training as a youth singing in church. His music blends gospel and rhythm and blues, forming soulful melodies that still resonate with individuals today. Unfortunately, Otis doesn't get to flourish as much as he could have because, like many legends, he dies way too young. He is only 26 years old when he dies in a plane crash on his way to the Monterey Pop Festival. However, his song "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," released posthumously, still lives.

Barry White has put many people in the mood for love with his booming voice and his orchestrated melodies. His two nicknames, "The Sultan of Smooth Soul" and "Maestro," prove fitting for a man that not only sang of love, but wrote songs of love for other artists. In the late 60's and early 70's, he creates the Love Unlimited Orchestra, who "Love's Theme" proves that in the disco era, a song can be both unique and marketable. However, White's life could have turned out differently. Growing up in a high-crime area, as a youth, he spent some time in jail. Instead of that being his defining moment in life, he rises above his circumstances. Like any great artist, his music transcends the era it was originally created in, and he proves that he is still marketable in the 90's. He releases the album The Icon is Love which includes the hit song "Practice What You Preach." His voice is timeless. Sadly, he dies in 2003 of renal failure.

There are many more great male R & B singers and some legends in the making, but these three men live on because their music is not a passing fancy. Their music can still be heard on the radio in many places around the world, and their names are recognizable to both old and young. Many present-day musicians look up to these men as inspirations in their own fledgling careers. Thus, their impact cannot be denied.

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