Lox - my opinion is yours - with only one slight correction: Learn to enjoy the song yourself as long as there's nobody present to object to what you don't like either. Once you enjoy your song - why not allow others to enjoy it too? Be confident - they are much more like you than you are maybe thinking.

Don't worry if you sound a little like the artist you learned the song from. Of course you like it also because of the very special way he did it, why should that be some bad way? And why not also learn singing some way that isn't bad?

One of my own recent experiences: I finally (FINALLY - pfffff) got the lyrics of 'Tom Traubert's Blues' by Tom Waits, a song I knew from the performing of Rod Stewart. When I then was ready to tackle that song I also found a sample of Tom Waits performing it himself. Well there may be people who consider the voices of Tom Waits and Rod Stewart to be similar - I don't, they are very different. But both sing that song exactly the same way which was new to me, and I had to learn singing that way too before I could enjoy my own performance. Let me tell you that my own voice is COMPLETELY different from those of Tom Waits and Rod Stewart. Now that I'm through with it I don't think I have to hide - as long as I obey the special way of singing this song needs to develop its special charm.

Of course that is not a method some professional singer can get along with. Once you are a star and a millionaire you can select the songs that fit your voice and your way of singing - and that's what the people want to hear from you, so you'll just get even richer by that. Those who must sing what is paid to be sung ... yes, Alice, that's athletic, and those professionals do have my whole respect. It's such a pity that they simply aren't allowed to enjoy me - I suppose they wouldn't consider difficult what I want - and I would even pay for it.

I am getting my money from some other source, I needn't obey the restrictions professional singers suffer from, so I can enjoy the freedom of any great star AND his success (in terms of singing, not of income, but that's enough for me).

I also don't worry of copying something or someone. *BG* - that would take me an amount of work I'm MUCH too lazy for. (I can't understand professionals who spend that work - when they are done the audience takes them for the juke box - no joke, they do.) When there is a song that I can't make fit my personal style or v.v. - well I don't forget it, I just leave it alone for the moment.

Singing is fun, it's joy - at least, thank God, to me. It's true, nobody can sing without practise, but with it everybody can - that's an aspect which can be called athletic, but I wouldn't use that word to explain what singing is. (And I would never dare to tell how or what singing 'should be'.)

Hoping not to sound like a parrot - take it easy. Sing as you enjoy it yourself and it will be enjoyed by others as well.

Joerg