Do you think the good country and southern rock singers focus alot on their singing technique?

Some great singers never took a days music class in their lives. However... many of these same singers have had surgery on their throats because they never learned to sing properly. They never learned to breathe or how not to strain their voice.
I can't tell you for certain if any of your favourites have had any training or not, but what I can tell you is... that not one of them started out singing the way they sounded when they started recording. Why..
Because everyones voice changes (not just men), we go from mimicking our favourites to finding new singers to emulate. Eventually you'll find you're own style. And then you'll find your voice, like the three men above.

As was explained to you in your previous similar thread, practicing use of your diaphragm and using proper breathing technique is the way to go.

I've listened to early...(I think it was early '60s) Willie Nelson. It was pretty rough and hard to hear. He changed a lot about his style and his voice became very listenable. Not sure whether or not he took singing lessons (surely doubtful) or just learned better technique or on his own or through help of others?

Whether or not any of these people took a single lesson is not as helpful to you as you attempting to take lessons and learning good breathing and singing technique. You can't lose as long as you have a good teacher and keep at it.

yes.
The good ones PRACTICE four to six hours a day. They practice making it look easy.

Joe(15 years of singing for my supper)Nation

Voice training, I don't know. Instrumentally, they may not be Jullliard graduates, but they tend to be very serious about skills and continued learning.

An excerpt from an interview with Willie Nelson about his training and musical family roots:


How did you come to start playing music?

"My grandparents raised me from the time I was sixth months old, and they were both music teachers, so they started out giving us voice lessons.

BTW: Practice your guitarwork until you can play the piece....with your eyes closed or in a completely dark room.

It's also a good idea to sing and play with as many different people as you manage. You learn a lot about both singing and playing.

Joe(as well as yourself)Nation

The mind boggles at the concept of Willie Nelson having ever received voice lessons. Same for Debbie Harry. I think both were great, but not because of their voices.

By the way, has anyone actually heard Bobby Dylan sing. The man should have stuck with song writing.

Early in his careeer 'til about 1969 or so, his voice was not pretty. I don't think he cared to cultivate a 'good' singing voice. It wouldn't surprise me if he intentionally tried NOT to sing 'pretty'.

An exception being Lay, Lady, Lay .


After his motorcycle accident that nearly killed him (broken neck, etc.).,. his sound was very different.

However, IMHO the period of time from around 1970- 1978 he sounded very good:

Sample these songs:

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Blood on the Tracks album particularly Tangled Up in Blue, Simple Twist of Fate, Hurricane