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In rock music, the lead singer is often the band's leader and spokesperson. While lead singers or spokespersons for any musical ensembles can be called a front man, the term is used very widely in rock music. Since the position commonly has an expanded role from simple lead vocalists, there have been
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sung by
African-American slaves. Songs of the late nineteenth century frequently used a leading solo voice (or "call"), followed by a choral response by other singers. As the style developed through early commercial recordings and performances in the early 20th century, the role of the lead vocalist
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There are as many types and styles of lead singer as there are styles and genres of music. However, the lead singer of a group or band is usually the main focus of audiences' attention. The lead vocalist of band is sometimes called the "front man" or "front woman", as the most visible performer in a
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It is uncertain when the term "lead vocals" was first used, but it may have emerged in the late 1930s, when rich vocal interplay with multiple voices where one or more voices may dominate began to impact on North
American popular music, which was previously dominated by solo vocals. The practice of
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or unless an instrumentalist bandleader is providing this role). The lead vocalist also typically speaks to the audience between songs, to give information about a song (such as who wrote it or why it was chosen), introduce the band members, and develop rapport with the audience. The lead vocalist
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may also play a leadership role in rehearsals, unless there is a bandleader who takes on this role. If the lead singer is a singer-songwriter, she or he may write some or all of the lyrics or create entire songs (including chords and melodies).
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group. While most bands have a single lead singer, many others have dual lead singers or other members of the band that sing lead on particular songs. The lead singer often defines the group's image and personality to the general public.
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or harmony vocals provided by other band members as backing vocalists. Lead vocalists typically incorporate some movement or gestures into their performance, and some may participate in dance routines during the show, particularly in
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The lead singer also typically guides the vocal ensemble and band with visual cues to indicate changes of tempo or dynamics, stops or pauses, and the starts of new sections (unless there is also a conductor onstage, as with a
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David "Hoag" Kepner (left) sings as the lead vocalist while playing the drums during a performance in the Drop Zone at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, while a rhythm guitarist sings backup vocals
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generally used different lead singers on different songs rather than keeping the same lead singer throughout. By the 1950s, singers such as
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cases in which the front man for a band is someone other than the lead vocalist. For example, while the lead vocalist for the band
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in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the
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Continuum
Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Volume II: Performance and Production
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Continuum
Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Volume II: Performance and Production
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recordings may well be a crucial one in the assimilation of the format of lead singer plus
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using a lead singer in vocal groups, however, has a longer history: an early form is the "
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performs in a typical rock band layout during a 1984 concert. Lead singer (front man)
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is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent
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Member of a band who sings the main solo vocal portions of a song
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Characteristics and exceptions in rock and pop music
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