Well You Don’t Say: 10 White Singers We Once Thought Were Black

November 28th, 2011 - By MN Editor

"Michael McDonald"

Just a heads up, if you were thinking this was going to be one of those posts that idolizes “blue-eyed soul singers” or says folks are out here trying to “sound black” (as if there’s one way to sound black), you’re mistaken. This is a list about a few individuals with voices that we accidentally assumed at one point and time belonged to black people. It wasn’t until videos popped up for some of our favorite jams that we didn’t see a black man or woman, but a white man or woman–and it surprised the hell out of us. A lot of these singers are probably your personal favorites by now, some you may have never heard of, but don’t lie, you know you were telling your friends at one point or another, “Oh snap, I just assumed he/she was black…”

You’re not the only one.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/angela.floydingram Angela Floyd Ingram

    I really appreciate the added videos.

  • lizarde

    You forgot Rick Astley. He sounded like a mature black man, but he was a 24 year old white guy.
    Also – Dave Wakeling of General Public for some reason. I thought it was always the black guy singing (Ranking Roger) rather than the blonde. Gorgeous voice.

  • rapunzel

    Teena Marie had one of the worse voices I’ve ever heard, the only voice worse than hers was Paula Abdul’s.

  • Micaela

    Thank you for the Little Dragon music suggestion. Excellent taste!

  • MC

    WHAT THE HECK!!! Robin Thicke is white??? :O That one I didn’t see coming!

  • kokochip

    The first time I heard Amy Winehouse, I SHO’ didn’t think she was white!!

  • knobodi

    you know what’s strange? i’m white and i could tell the “just a bill” guy was white. *shrugs*

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Morgan-Garriss/1198334814 Morgan Garriss

    wow–no Average White Band (they’re European too)? No Hall & Oats? Also, Bobby Caldwell also intentionally did not include his image on his album art because no one was sure how to market him.

    And, I mean..no one ever thought Christina Aguilera was black–everybody just knew that chick could sang…DO OVER! lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/cylersmom Catrina Morris Johnson

    Bobby Caldwell was the most surprising to me

  • Brawny71

    How could you leave off Taylor Dayne and Hall & Oates?!

  • Nappy Black

    Taylor Dayne wasn’t on the list.