Well said Mr. DJA...
"Entertainer" is a broad term. When we think of it, we are so blessed to have so many of them. Up until 100 years or so ago, it required a great deal of effort to be entertained. Now we live in an entertainment-saturated world. I guess this all boils down to what do you, as an individual, like to do for "entertainment." For me, it's music, books, art, and movies in that order. That said, my picks are:

Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Count Basie, Most of the big bands, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Neil Young, Elvis, Billy Joel, Elton John, Dylan, The Who.
Most of the great jazz players and singers - Miles Davis, Monk, Coltrane, Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong, and so on...
Writers of the 20th Century: Agatha Christie, Wodehouse, Waugh, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Pinter, Whitman, Belloc, etc.
Art: Hopper, Miro, Pollock, Klein, Kandinsky, Klee, Chagall, Warhol, Picasso, Rivers, and so on...
Films of Hitchcock, Fellini, George Stevens, John Ford, John Houston, Otto Preminger, Tarantino, and so on...Actors: Cary Grant, Jimmy Steward, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, Peter Lorre, Jack Nicholson...ETC.

The list(s) can go on and on...

I love this topic. Can see the merrits of all choices....however I think you miss the obvious.

Sinatra I do love and he rocked his generation but fizzled. Never liked Elvis from day one, respected his popularity but a chick act for me and he crashed. Now I have always said Daffy Duck was my my favorite screen star and have a Daffy Pez container on my work desk, Sinatra or Elvis do not share that honour. Mick is the greatest rock front man of all time, but I have always looked at him as Keiths hood ornament (sorry for that one).

I side with Jonny Depp when he declared Keith the greatest performer of or time.
Why you ask. His longevity, he has probably influenced more generations through live performances (my test of a performer), folks take thier grandkids to see the show. He truly strikes me as genuine and loves his craft...the live performance.
He personifys the guitar rock god. And to wrap it up with a line from a great Canadian songsmith with a Sinatra twist he can truly say "I did it my way" which I respect, and what a way he invented. He will not fade, will not crash but as Buddy Guy says will just drop, and do so just being Keith.

Just read this on The New Republic website, about someone you wouldn't think of...


Crossing You in Style
Christopher BrayApril 18, 2012 | 12:00 amPrint

Henry Mancini: Reinventing Film Music
by John Caps
University of Illinois Press, 278pp., $29.95

YOU LOVE HENRY Mancini. You might not know it but you do. If you have ever popped your lips through the opening bars of the theme to The Pink Panther or gargled a few of the words to “Moon River” in the shower, you have been grabbed by the Mancini groove. You’re not alone. Billboard magazine once ranked Mancini nineteenth on its chart of highest-selling album artists, putting him alongside Frank and Elvis and the Beatles and the Stones and lots of other acts that you could identify at a glance.

Not so Mancini. I think there’s a picture of him on the front of John Caps’s monograph, though for all I know this is just any old guy with a low-parted comb-over, a noncommittal smile, and a tragic taste in plaid sweaters. Mancini’s name, meanwhile, is picked out in the kind of bouncing Day-Glo type they used for the credits of The Pink Panther. The accountant in me cannot help feel that the publishers should have gone the whole cool cat route and put a picture of His Pinkness there, too. Mancini may have sold records by the truckload, but his anonymous face, which might have been designed not to embody his singular sound, isn’t the kind to move books.

Nor do you know Mancini much better for having read the book. Caps’s main resource for the details of his subject’s life is his autobiography, Did They Mention the Music?, a dull showbiz backslapper that Mancini co-authored with Gene Lees back at the end of the 1980s. But so what? Since all that matters about Mancini to those of us not married to him or fathered by him is his music, the dearth of material on his life ought not be a problem.

Alas, Caps rather makes it one, by shoehorning biographical parallels into his readings of the most innocuous tunes. To hear Caps tell it, the yearning lilt of “Moon River” and the languorous ache of “The Days of Wine and Roses” are aural correlatives for the young Mancini’s “estrangement from his father,” while in the sly twang and drone and blare of the theme to, say, A Shot in the Dark “one can hear his mother’s reassurances and good humor.” Praise be, then, that Caps doesn’t think to link the “steady-stomping ostinato in E minor for bass guitar” that Mancini penned for Peter Gunn to the memory of the knuckle raps that pa meted out when little Henry fluffed his piano scales.

From lessons at home, Mancini graduated to Aliquippa’s “Sons of Italy” marching band, as well as to teaching himself notation by listening over and over again to his parents’ few classical records and writing down what he thought he’d heard on hand-drawn manuscript paper. Dad was sufficiently impressed by this extracurricular work to pay for proper lessons with a famous German classical pianist in nearby Pittsburgh. But it was Glenn Miller’s big band sound that Mancini most wanted to ape, and while in the big city he snuck into the Stanley Theater to introduce himself to the resident conductor, Max Adkins. Bowled over by what the teenager showed him, Adkins took him under his wing, teaching him the basics of orchestration, as well as the etiquette of rubbing along in polite society.

But it was the G.I. Bill that really gave us the Mancini we love. Without its backing he would likely not have been able to afford to study at the Westlake School of Music. There he attended one-on-one theory and harmony classes with Alfred Sendry, a former classmate of Bartok, and orchestration with Mahler’s son-in-law, the romantic-turned-atonalist Ernst Krenek. Anyone who admires Mancini’s score for Stanley Donen’s Arabesque, with its thunderously unsettling chromatic bass riff and its double harmonic (Arabian) melody line that can never quite settle on either A minor or G minor, should be thankful for what he learned at Westlake—and doubly thankful that he wanted to share it with us. If Bernard Herrmann’s scores for Hitchcock served to introduce many people to the discordant ideas of late romanticism, Mancini’s functioned to popularize the yet harsher sounds of Viennese modernism. Even the lovely waltz-time theme he wrote for Donen’s Charade, which finds room for an astonishing diminished C sharp arpeggio in it’s A minor melody, can pain as much as it pleases.

Along with “The Days of Wine and Roses,” “Whistling Away the Dark,” (from Darling Lili) and “Moon River” (Breakfast at Tiffany’s), “Charade” was one of Mancini’s best songs—songs that, not coincidentally, showcase words by America’s greatest lyricist, Johnny Mercer. Part of Mancini’s luck as a composer who straddled the awkward gap between the age of the Great American Songbook and the age of pop was that a guy who had written with Arlen and Kern and Carmichael was still around to spar with and be spurred on by. John Barry once said that all movie songwriters “bow at the altar of Mr. Mancini,” but though Barry’s melodies gave Mancini more than a run for his money, there were no lyricists around who were anywhere near Mercer’s league—which is to say, Barry’s own. Barry quit writing for the Bond movies when the producers saddled him with Duran Duran and A-Ha as collaborators. Fair enough, though he might just as well have been touchy about the second rate stuff Lionel Bart wrote for From Russia With Love or the nonsense about webs of sin Leslie Bricusse gave him for Goldfinger. Three years later, Bricusse penned the words to Mancini’s glorious “Two for the Road,” though I doubt anybody around today can sing them. Read this sentence and try not singing “Moon River.”

And so, while Mercer was a door to the past, Mancini could not be a door to the future. Caps suggests that Mancini’s appeal during his heyday of the 1960s spanned the era’s musical gamut: whether you liked the Beach Boys or the Beatles or Burt Bacharach or John Barry, you were likely fond of Mancini, too. I daresay he is right, though none of those acts made a smooth transition into the next decade—the decade that put paid to the idea of the song as something carefully composed rather than just thrown down. At the end of the ’70s Mancini found himself writing the score for Blake Edwards’s 10, a movie about a songwriter who finds he can no longer write songs. The result was Mancini’s last melodic masterpiece, “It’s Easy to Say.” Which it may well be, although anyone reared on Mercer’s gorgeous litanies of long open vowels will find George Wells’s lackluster lyric, with its clumsy clutches of consonants and aspirants, far from easy to sing.

From here it was downhill all the way. Mancini’s fans can be forgiven for thinking it a mercy that he checked out at the age of seventy, in 1994, a victim of pancreatic cancer. His career had fallen victim to the untrained giftlessness that rock and roll had unleashed. I like a power chord as much as the next man, but it is time we faced the fact that the language of songwriting has been impoverished immeasurably by the reinvention of the C-to-F-to-G-and-back-to-C ditty.

Mancini liked to call his theme tunes question marks—pieces of music that made the audience ask “what’s going on here, and what’s going to happen?” They worked by wrong-footing the listener, by fooling you into thinking they were going to go one way when all the time they were sneaking over somewhere different. To be sure, the Beatles could work the same tricks, but that is because Paul McCartney was a genius able to instinctively decipher what generations of musicians before him had to have drummed—and beaten—into them at the coalface of the keyboard. Henry Mancini was one of the last of them—a properly apprenticed craftsman who, in the right circumstances and with the right partner, could occasionally nudge at greatness himself. If a man of such enormous talent couldn’t sustain the traditions that sustained him, then aren’t we, like the Julie Andrews of Darling Lili, “whistling in the dark,” like the Audrey Hepburn of Breakfast at Tiffany’s “after the same rainbow’s end”—the one that isn’t coming any time soon?

Christopher Bray is the author of Sean Connery (Pegasus). He is at work on a cultural history of Britain in the 1960s.

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superrevvy

No way the Edge should be in there...perhaps Bono...didn't see him anywhere. Also, not that I have any disagreement otherwise but way too few women.

Speaking of Rhianna, lets give her the Greatest entertainer of the 21st century (so far).

Who's the dude flipping both fingers ?

Is that Enema ?

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Edith Grove
Who's the dude flipping both fingers ?

Is that Enema ?

I think you already knew that and just wanted an excuse to say Enema.

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treaclefingers

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Edith Grove
Who's the dude flipping both fingers ?

Is that Enema ?

I think you already knew that and just wanted an excuse to say Enema.

Yeah, I'm in that kind of mood, and I can't believe he's considered "iconic."

The Edge! OMG

At the risk of seeming self-important rather than -- as I see it -- being lucky and growing up in Los Angeles at the right time I have to violently disagree about...The Edge and his ilk.

First off, there is no single greatest performer. A few thoughts if I may...

If Elvis hadn't been a pill popper and a druggie especially in his last years...if he had been straight and had done world tours as Gazza mentioned he would be higher on my list. I met him in the 60's and saw him up close when he did the 1968 "comeback tour" TV special at NBC studios in Burbank and I saw him in Las Vegas several times and in arenas in LA and Long Beach. The NBC taping was terrific and he was digging every minute of being Elvis. The first Vegas show I saw several years later was fun, the second less so and when I saw him the third time there I knew I should not see him again.

Sinatra in the late 1960s was beyond wonderful, at the top his game.

Saw Judy Garland in Vegas in the 60's before she went to England. I was young, didn't know what to expect. It took three minutes to realize that this tired, unhappy, vulnerable lady was one of a kind. I am SO glad I had this opportunity.

I've seen most of the music performers on that Top 50 list except Coltrane.

I am and will always consider myself blessed to have seen The Rolling Stones numerous times when they were great -- in London, LA and Europe. They are THE rock band for me.

I've seen a lot of the blues greats through the years and I am most grateful
for this.

There is one solo performer I will always feel blessed that I saw at just the right time. early 1960s. At the beautiful new Huntington Hartford Theatre on Vine Street in Hollywood. Sunday afternoon I walked into an environment that continues to stand out in my mind as one of a kind excitement. I didn't know him but Cary Grant was sitting next to me and my mother. The entire floor of the orchestra seats was filled with the cream of Hollywood -- James Cagney, Frank Sinatra and on and on. They repeatedly stood up in awe. They applauded continually. For Sammy Davis Jr.

He was no longer with his father and Uncle. This was likely his first solo show. He sang a fabulous range of material magnificently (This was way before "Candy Man" and other lesser stuff). His dancing was superb. He was amusing. He was happy. He was as GREAT as he gets.

I put Sammy's own brand of dancing at that top slightly next to Rudolf Nureyev who I saw at the Shrine Auditorium with Margot Fonteyn.

In "Paradise Lost, RN took a casual but breathtaking leap into the air.

And he decided to simply stay there. Suspended in space. THRILLLING.

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Come On
I say Frank Sinatra!

LOL, it took you 7 years to figure that out ?

Keep On Rolling

..Hey good one revvy but maybe ya should sqeeeeeeeze Jimmy Rodgers in there somewhere

ROCKMAN

Elvis

As far as Frank goes, the last 10 to 15 years of his performing life, he acted as if he was doing you a favor by doing a live show. When an artist acts like he just doesn't care anymore, I cross him off my list.

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Edith Grove

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treaclefingers

Quote
Edith Grove
Who's the dude flipping both fingers ?

Is that Enema ?

I think you already knew that and just wanted an excuse to say Enema.

Yeah, I'm in that kind of mood, and I can't believe he's considered "iconic."

he's not even ironic...at least we could have enjoyed that!

Comparing some of these guys is like comparing the 1927 Yankees to the 1972 Dolphins and trying to determine who was best. To a large degree they are apples and oranges. Some were solo artists, some were frontmen. Sinatra had a voice beyond compare but didn't write his own songs/play his own instruments like The Beatles and Stones. Elvis played guitar but did he write a lot of his own material?

Imo an easier question is picking the five greatest music acts of the 20th century. Imo in no particular order it is The Beatles, The Stones, Elvis, Sinatra and Bob Dylan.

"There's a guy in my block, he lives for rock he plays records day and night. And when he feels down, he puts some
rock 'n' roll on and it makes him feel alright. And when he feels the world is closing in he turns his stereo way up high.
He just spends his life, living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy."

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FrankM
Comparing some of these guys is like comparing the 1927 Yankees to the 1972 Dolphins and trying to determine who was best. To a large degree they are apples and oranges. Some were solo artists, some were frontmen. Sinatra had a voice beyond compare but didn't write his own songs/play his own instruments like The Beatles and Stones. Elvis played guitar but did he write a lot of his own material?

Imo an easier question is picking the five greatest music acts of the 20th century. Imo in no particular order it is The Beatles, The Stones, Elvis, Sinatra and Bob Dylan.

I think there are a few that died too young to make it in there....I'd like to offer Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin, and Jimi Hendrix as 3 excellent examples of what might have been had they not met their demise at such an early age.

Yeah especially Buddy Holly. Had he lived he might have been another Elvis and he wrote most of his own material, produced his own records etc..

"There's a guy in my block, he lives for rock he plays records day and night. And when he feels down, he puts some
rock 'n' roll on and it makes him feel alright. And when he feels the world is closing in he turns his stereo way up high.
He just spends his life, living in a rock 'n' roll fantasy."

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FrankM
Comparing some of these guys is like comparing the 1927 Yankees to the 1972 Dolphins and trying to determine who was best. To a large degree they are apples and oranges. Some were solo artists, some were frontmen. Sinatra had a voice beyond compare but didn't write his own songs/play his own instruments like The Beatles and Stones. Elvis played guitar but did he write a lot of his own material?

Imo an easier question is picking the five greatest music acts of the 20th century. Imo in no particular order it is The Beatles, The Stones, Elvis, Sinatra and Bob Dylan.

In fairness, thats got nothing to do with being an entertainer or performer, Frank.

Your last comment is hard to argue against, though.

re: 50 most iconic

1) only about 45 of my original list made it onto the poster. others on
IORR convinced me to switch out five or six. it developed as a
tangent/outgrowth on a r'n'r hall of fame thread.

2) there seemed to be gigantic consensus on about 40 of the names. as with
any such list, it is the 10 names on either side of the cutoff that are most
contentious. the most disputed name back when i did this was joey ramone,
with a fair lot wanting johnnny rotten instead. the arguments were
reasonable on both sides, but joey slightly prevailed.

3) same with bono. he was on the list, but the overwhelming consensus was
two U2ers were at least one two many. as an aside, no one was more hated on
my original list than bono, so i gave in and dropped him when duke
ellington's name was raised. one argument i was sympathetic to is that
edge's music has more to do with their success than's bono's fronting.

4) agree that as a class women are underrepresented. on the one hand, this
list was not really about classes or categories (but on the other hand, that
did influence some borderline decisions).

5) from memory, some other borderline misses were bing crosby, freddy
mercury, judy garland, george harrison, eric clapton, les paul, and about
five others whose names escape me at the moment. jimmy rodgers' name did not
come up, and i would have to research him further to know whether i agreed.
an example that made the list, because of what others told me and what i
researched, was cole porter. so when i do another such list (which is never)
i'll further research jimmy rodgers.

6) one great thing about the list is how many non-famous-singers and
famed-as-composers-too made it onto it. so far at least, the 21st century
would be just-about-all-singers i think. we can always hope that that will
change in the next 88 years.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2012-04-19 01:57 by superrevvy.

Bluzdude I agree with you about Sinatra.
I understood his greatness when I saw him in his prime but I had no illusions I'd want to see him over and over. I stopped buying later Reprise albums and did not want to have good memories erased seeing him live when he got well into his 60's. It was sad then, and Frank could be cocky...just like Keith.

It's one of the reasons I enjoy Jagger, Watts, Wyman for still being strong in live performance at advanced ages.. McCartney is another who does not embarass himself on stage. After all, these guys and other rockers never expected to last more than a few years.

I have to say Sinatra. Not my favorite but looking at his career he did it all from his pre war voice to losing his voice and getting back a much deeper and better voice, to winning an oscar making classic films and being a fabulous entertainer. Elvis would be second he defined what a rock singer does on stage and MJ is third he took it a step further than Elivs and he can still whip up a crowd. The Beatles should get mentioned as a recording act but they stopped touring and had a very short career albeit a revolutionary one. Others to mention Michael Jackson, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, the full Who of the seventies (has there ever been a better live act). not to mention many others.

No idea who is the 'greatest', but Freddie Mercury should definitely be on the shortlist.

Freddy Mercury WIPED AWAY Jagger as a frontman.

____________________________________________________________________

New Track - Indoor Sunshine
[www.thepowergoats.com]

Tie between Don Rickles, Richard Pryor, Freddie Mercury, Mickey Rooney and Muhammad Ali.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-04-19 03:08 by Max'sKansasCity.

I just googled Don Rickels... he's still alive! So is Mickey Rooney!!

____________________________________________________________________

New Track - Indoor Sunshine
[www.thepowergoats.com]

yup... better add Mickey to my list too... he is a gooder.

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jamesfdouglas
I just googled Don Rickels...

I saw Mr Rickles at the Canyon club in LA a couple of years back,
HE WAS AWESOME.... He is a must see (probably sooner than later)





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-04-19 03:15 by Max'sKansasCity.

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jamesfdouglas
Freddy Mercury WIPED AWAY Jagger as a frontman.

stop.

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treaclefingers

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jamesfdouglas
Freddy Mercury WIPED AWAY Jagger as a frontman.

stop.

Dont stifle opinions

Freddie was a very good entertainer but wiped away Mick as a front man give me a fluckin break he could not carry Mick's kock strap though he may have wanted to!! Oops I'm being politically incorrect!

Mick IS a better front man, but Freddie was pretty good too..... all opinions