Buddy Holly!

I know that he has a distinctive/idiosynchratic way of phrasing but his range and pure note hitting are second to none.

Just listen to the full recording of True Love Ways. : The pianist hits one note, Holly clears his throat, the pianist hits the note again and Holly sings unaccompanied "Just you know why" and then the orchestra hits in - absolute note perfect magic and light years better than any othe version since; most of them don't have the range to sing it properly. Many talk of him as a three chord wonder but you look at the sheet music for that song, nine chords with a change on almost every phrase for a song that he wrote at the age of 21.

R