I know lots of singers who can easily memorize thousands of songs, even variations, and present them with conviction. I'm not one of them. I need reminders along the way. It could be some sort of minor learning disability, at least compared to the masters, but without a lyric sheet I'm pretty much useless, even if it's something I've sung all my life. Now, I don't have to have my nose burried in a book, but I do need the first line of a verse or chorus now and then, unpredictably. Therefore singing without printed help is exceedingly difficult. This has nothing to do with being illprepared, and to be excluded from jams or sessions on this basis would be unfair. Strangely, I can hear the chord changes and remember melodies okay, and follow them okay too.

This can't be blamed on genetics in my case, God knows my folks had/have minds like steel traps. Instant recall isn't my forte.

This weakness has prevented me from singing openly on many occassions when I would otherwise love to contribute, and has not been healthy for my selfconfidence. Nonetheless, I continue to work on it.

While I agree that preparation should be paramount before performance, and crutches be discarded asap, recall ability does not directly correspond with singing ability.

My two cents. Mooh.