What happens to the voices of some singers when the age?

1. 85

   mtkomoriposted 14 years ago

   What happens to the voices of some singers when the age?
   
   Why do the singers'  voice quality change as they age or why can't they hit the higher notes the way they used to when they were younger?

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2. 94

   jpcmcposted 14 years ago

   During puberty, physical changes in the voice box affect the tone and quality of the voice.  For older singers, I guess it's more of the lifestyle and health.  Smoking can affect the voice just as certain health conditions.

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3. 85

   mtkomoriposted 14 years ago

   I meant "when they age".(oops!)
   Mariah Carey's voice apparently has changed quite a bit and her voice is less clear. Elton John's voice has become lower after surgery, but his voice still has energy. Apparently, singing is very hard on the vocal chords and if a certain singing style that puts stress on the vocal chords is maintained, a singer can lose his/her voice. Akina Nakamori, famous Japanese singer can't sing like she used to. Her voice is almost half-gone, I was disappointed when I saw her on youtube.In her case, she was using drugs, so I don't think it was her singing style that did her voice in.

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4. 61

   duffsmomposted 14 years ago

   I am not a singer, but used to have a decent voice.  Menopause changed the tone of my voice--add to that natural hearing deficit of age and the voice and being able to sing on key is a memory.

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5. 70

   DonDWestposted 14 years ago

   Age has nothing to do with it, as you get older, your poor decisions regarding your health in your youth WILL catch up with you. Not a singer, but your vocal cords are a physical instrument of your body like any other, and probably need to be taken care of. . .

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6. 61

   In the beginningposted 14 years ago

   I think its true their voices tend to expire, for some that mean awesome its a new sound kinda like ray charles but for some that mean "what a shame" but the cool thing is that if they become great in the world, the worlds ears tend to change in the sense that they can still hear the greatness inside the voice even if the voice is gone

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7. 60

   justificationjennposted 13 years ago

   Some people develop sores on their vocal cords that can affect longevity of voice.

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8. 59

   Angel709posted 13 years ago

   Vocal cords and muscles can deteriorate with age like any other part of the body--nutrition, health challenges, over exertion, genetics all can be weighing factors. The strength of the body and muscles over time regenerate slower than the decline resulting in weaker muscle tone, shaky voice and/or hands, brittle bones, etc.

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9. 71

   collegatariatposted 13 years ago

   Like every other part of the body, age and wear and tear will take their toll on voices.  However, if a singer uses good technique and takes care of his/her voice, they can sing quite as well, if not with the same range, as when they were younger (opera singers tend to last longer than lots of pop artists, simply because they have a healthier technique).  Believe it or not, talking is harder on the vocal cords than singing properly-- there's an old story that some Broadway artists have it written into their contracts to not speak a word on the day of a performance!

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10. 58

    Felixedet2000posted 13 years ago

    I want to answer this question as a professional musician, yes it is true that their voices will not be as sharp as it used to be when they were still relatively younger, but one striking difference between mature voices and youthful voices is the fact that as singers aged, the quality of the voice improves more than it was.The quality goes higher while the pitch goes down a bit.

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