Jerry,
    I've been reading this thread with more than a little interest. Any clue as to where the music comes from is fascinating to me. I haven't posted until now because, in my case, it's one heck of a loaded question.

    I'm something of a natural mimic. The result on my singing is that I have gained or borrowed (deliberately or unconciously) something from every singer that I have ever heard.I knew in my bones from the age of five that I would grow up to be a singer, so all of the music that I absorbed in my childhood was taken in with that in mind. One of these days I'll have to get around to the growing up part.
                                                                                                                                          
    The first two singers that I actually remember immitating were Bing Crosby and Frankie Laine. I was probably the only five-year-old in America who knew all of the words to "Call of the Wild Goose" ( I was a strange kid). Most of the earliest song that I learned were from Big Band or Jazz singers; Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante (his phrasing was always remarkable), and almost any singer who showed up on any of the variety shows on TV. I grew up watching Roy Rogers and Gene Autrey on TV and, although I never directly immitated either of them, thier music has left it's mark on me.

    As the 1950's turned into the 1960's I discovered three amazing things; Rock and Roll, Allen Sherman, and Roger Miller. Everything which I had been doing up to that point changed. From Rock and Roll I learned a whole new set of rhythms and phrasings. From Allen Sherman I learned how to sing a joke. From Roger Miller I learned a whole new way to use my voice. That mutant, country scat of his was a revealation.

      Somewhere during this period I was introduced to the music of The Kingston Trio. Thus began my transformation (degeneration?) into a "folkie".

       After that it starts to become something of a jumble -- Johny Cash, Ernie Ford, Otis Redding, PP&M, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, James Brown, anything from Motown, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Alemeda Riddle, Ethel Merman, Frank Profit, and on and on.

      The last big influence didn't happen until the early 1970's. It was Dennis Locorrierre and Ray Sawyer of (are you ready for this?) the band Dr. Hook. Dennis was, and is, the most emotional singer I have ever heard. When he sings a happy song he's more joyful than any five people should be allowed to be. When he sings a sad song you can feel him almost ready to burst into tears. Ray can yodel like nobody else I've ever heard and does it just to mess with people's heads. He's the main reason that I yodel. I even recorded his tune "The Yodel Song". It has, over the years, become my showpiece.

    Through time all of these people have become part of my peculiar style.

Stephen Lee