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>>There are lots of terrific singers who don't have great voices. Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday, Tom Waits, Steven Tyrell, Dr. John and on and on. Yes, Johnny Cash is a perfect choice. The thing is they all worked out how to sing the song so that the song mattered. Never did they sing as though the singer was all that was important. That was my problem with Houston. Same with Streisand, Dion, and others of that ilk. I just can't listen to them in spite of the fact that they all have wonderful vocal chords. I just don't find their renditions at all interesting. Boring, in fact. As far as I'm concerned, they may as well all be Barry Manilow. ;)
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>Same page. And I add Ricki Lee Jones and Leon Redbone

If I'd tried to list everybody, I'd eventually have gotten 'round to them. Add to that, most evey great blues singer that ever was. Not to mention the late great Janis Joplin.

Still, there are good singers with good voices too. I don't mean to make it sound like only singers with 'non-pure' voices are any good. Connie Boswell is/was a great case in point. Ann Hampton Callaway, Anita O'Day, Paul Robeson, Cat Russell, Jackie Ryan, Cesaria Evora, to name a few.

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>And in Dr. John's case I still would rather he shut up and play. Great piano doesn't need vocals.

Can't argue, but I still like his singing. This is a man who has it all. I assume you do have the two volumes of Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack?

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>( Maria Muldaur and Lydia Pense - great voices but no chance of them wanting to do Celine Dion covers <s> )

I still think of Maria Muldaur as Maria D'Amato. I still have all the Kweskin Jug Band vinyls from back in the day. Now there is somebody really interesting. She went from jug band to semi-rock to terrific jazz singer, and all with that very strange voice.