Originally Posted By: Larry Kehl

BUT what then do you/we call professionals (alive and dead) who sing/play essentially most if not all other peoples songs:

Frank Sinatra
Mchael Buble
Diana Krall
Tony Bennett
Aaron Neville


Apples and oranges comparison. These people are not local bar band people. They sing standards (other than Neville) in huge arenas. The discussion is about the bands who play for 80 locals in corner bars, most of whom don't know good from bad.

Even The Beatles early albums had a lot of cover. (How many people think Twist And Shout is a Beatles song?) They did Meredith Wilson's 'Til There Was You too! Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Honey Don't, Slow Down, Matchbox.... there is a long list of songs that were covered by The Beatles. Would I call them less that outstanding songwriters because of it? Oh hellz no!! They were one of the best writing teams ever.

Everybody does covers at some point. Sinatra did not write nor did he play, but I hold him in the highest regard possible. When I make jokes about my own voice I always say "Does that software have the Sinatra setting?" because The Chairman was the best ever.

Apples and oranges.