I Am Older, Can I Still Grow My Voice?
What About Singers That Have Lost Their Voices?
In answer to your question:
Steve Perry started out with strong technique and left that to move on to a more “distorted sound” that was unsupported. It did not take him very long to lose that beautiful Sam Cook sound he once had. He never spent the time or effort to go back and return to a good workout program to help him stay on track.
Axle ONLY used mask. That will NEVER be able to support that kind of singing over time.
Coverdale was always only a street singer…
Miljenko Matijevic had a naturally high voice but you can clearly see and hear pitch issues and neck tension issues way back even when he could sing high.
You are also hearing other “younger” artists go through this now.
Listen to Chris Cornell. Little by little he is writing lower stuff and losing range because of incorrect technique. Yes he took from one of the same coaches I took from (as did Myles Kennedy and M Shadows) but notice how they are all losing range.
If you don’t “work out” the voice correctly, you will lose it over time. If you jump from show to show, and the chicks and worrying about what someone might think of you doing your workout back stage, you have become too big for your britches and it will cost you.
Remember, I will say this again.
The voice is a muscle. And like ANY muscle in the body will grow even into your 70’s with proper consistent training.
If you get in trouble, don’t do what these singers have done and keep singing on an injury.
Stop, back up, and go back to the basics and build back up.
If you were an athlete with a serious injury developing, would you play on it night after night?
And if you did, what would eventually happen?
You guessed it, you would be taken out of that level of the game permanently.
This has been the secret to my longevity.
I’m not a super hero. I just know the truth about the voice and realistic practical approaches that are the ONLY thing I have found to work in my 30 years of singing and recording.
Now finishing up the age question:
I have someone right now from the UK who is in fact in his 70’s. He posted a testimonial for me on my website.
He has never belted a full voice B below middle C.
I now have him singing a chest voice E ABOVE middle C.
This is no accident folks.
It’s proper training + workout consistency + common sense that will be your key to longevity
Ken
