Down to the top five…  to build the obvious anticipation (yeah right)  y’all are having for the final singers, I’ve decided to break it down to two today, two more in the next post, and one final post to reveal numero uno.  So here goes…

5.  Paul Rodgers

Depending on where you are located, Paul Rodgers is likely more famous to you due to one of two bands:  those in England grew up with him and his mates in Free, whereas those of us in the States are more familiar with his work in Bad Company.  Either way, Rodgers has one of the most soulful and bluesy voices around and has been a staple on classic rock radio for years.  In post Bad Company years he joined up with Jimmy Page in The Firm, cut multiple solo albums, and even joined Queen for a couple of tours and an album.  Rodgers’ midrange is tough to beat; he fits the pocket with great tone and easily shifts between the lowdown dirty vocal and the occasional higher range.  Even though Rodgers is in his mid-60s, he’s arguably a better singer now than he was back in the glory days of the 1970s.

Choice cuts:  “All Right Now”, “Bad Company”, “Wishing Well”, “Sweet Little Sister”

4.  Ray Gillen

Ray Gillen’s career, though relatively short due to his untimely passing, left us a handful of recorded gems that are hard to surpass.  Badlands was more of a cult band that never got their due during the hey days of hair, but the mark they left on the fans that they did have is longstanding.  Gillen had a strong, versatile, bluesy voice that deftly covered mellower cuts and heavier material with ease.  Not only did he record with Badlands but he provided background vocals on discs from artists like Savatage and Raging Slab, plus he even toured with Black Sabbath and sang lead vocals on demos for their Eternal Idol album (track down the Deluxe Edition of that album for those cuts!).  I feel fortunate to have met the man and band during a meet and greet for their first tour and the show they put on afterwards easily ranks high on my list of favorites of all time.  The guy had it all – a great mix of swagger, confidence, and bravado. Bo Bice of American Idol fame was aware of the greatness of Ray Gillen by covering “In A Dream” on one of the episodes and did a great job himself.

Choice cuts:  “In A Dream”, “Winter’s Call”, “The River”, “High Wire”