LOL

I am imagining someone collecting folk songs, and tape recorder in hand, asking my grandfather, "Now, are you sure you know all the history of this song and have a real folk delivery so we can call this recording folk music?"

The question of the thread was about voice, not whether someone knows all the history of a song, etc. Be that at is it may, imitating a style or another singer's sound is not what I would recommend. Folks singing songs were just being themselves. Relax and be yourself.

I love to learn all I can about the history of a song, but I would not demand that of someone else if they just wanted to sing a folk song.