You might as well say also you can't play jazz if you're not black!

What a stupid, ignorant, & irresponsible comment and from someone who's supposed to be open-minded being in the music business!

Yep. Actually when Steve challenged her, she was almost speechless. She had to shut up.

Doing the Michael Bolton thing - LOL. MB is very very successful. Steve could be quite pleased to be as big a star.

I thought it was an insult to Michael Bolton because at least he can actually sing soul songs half-convincingly. As for Steve.....

steve has a great voice,

How Sharon could slate Steve and then go on to praise VWS is beyond me. Steve was in tune; Voices With Flab were all over the place.

don't hold back now...say what you mean.

Hehe - I usually do. Just call me Simon.

Simon called them the Fat Buskers on cd:uk yesterday

Did make me laugh!!!

steve is a boring singer the point sharon was making is that he can sing soul but he tries too hard to be too much like a mo town soul artist. he should just be himself.

Well watched Steve again and thought he was even better a second time. I had to switch off after his performance though, because I couldn't bear to hear such ignorant comments again. Surely Louis and Sharon, must have been able to hear the audience's reaction. Or maybe they're assuming it's just housewifey hysteria! At least Simon has been prepared to give credit where credit was due, but Louis and Sharon seem incapable of acknowledging a good performance. The show has to be about each judge giving their honest opinion. Despite what everyone says about Simon, I do believe he tells it straight and may jokely refer to it, but is not obsessed with a personal vendetta against the others. It's become cringe-making now. Last week Cassie was the casualty of the infighting - this week Steve's performance, is belittled because Louis and Sharon are consumed with the fact that Simon had the choir.

This is spoiling it and threatens to ruin the rest of the show.

I was shocked at Sharon's stupidity when I heard her say this! I mean a clear clear example is Elvis!!! Steve is great, a voice like his has been missing from these type of shows from the very beginning.

That was a totally dumb comment to make from Sharon. Paul Young and Lisa Stansfield, for example, are both white and have great soul voices.

Yes Sharon was rude to say that to Steve but that is her opinion and she was not being PC but she is entitled to her opinion. It is not the first time that she has said something like that on this show. Poor Steve in the green room look gutted and tried to defend his passion for soul.
I saw the team members behind Sharon laughing away, they clearly thought it was funny as i am sure some other people did to.
I never even thought of Steve as a soul artist until people started writing it about it here last week. Ok maybe Lisa Stansfield but Paul Young no way. Maybe people have a different idea what they regard as soul. Elvis Prestley is not a soul artist in my book.
Joss Stone is not soulful enough for me and Will Young he sounds like a choir boy to me and his voice completely grates on me after a while. That is one of the reasons why i will not his album ever.

Besides Lisa Stansfield there have been many great singers of "blue eyed soul". The Righteous Brothers, Roy Orbison, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Dusty Springfield and Van Morrison come to mind. One of my favourites is Michael McDonald, including his work with the Doobie Brothers. Mick Hucknall is no mean soul singer as well.

you forgot michael jackson

you know, I thought Sharon was a very open minded woman, but now seeing her on this show, I think she is not as open minded as I once thought! What an idiotic comment for her to make. BUT, i dont think she really meant it towards steve, she was prolly just getting another dig at simon which seems to be her favorite passion right now! she is classless. I hope she looses this competition just so she can have a nice trip back to reality!

Nope, I forgot Jay Kaye.

good shout..

The King could sing anything but was not really known as a
soul singer. Early in his career, he did use some soul songs but mainly sang them in a rock and Roll style.

Is Steve a soul singer? I just thought he had a girly voice.

Out of that list there other than Lisa Stansfield who has already been mentioned i would have only said that i think that Michael McDonald is a soul singer i think. Well clearly there is all different types of soul but i do tend to prefer the tone of black voices myself.
Also I am not sure about Rick Astley i think that he might pass for soul as well.

Ever heard of singers giving their own interpretation/version of a song?