Vocal hiccup is a "

hiccup A hiccup (scientific name singultus, from Latin for "sob, hiccup"; also spelled hiccough) is an spasm, involuntary contraction (myoclonic jerk) of the diaphragm (anatomy), diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute. The hiccup is an in ...

ing" singing technique which was notably used by

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

Buddy Holly

used the "vocal hiccup" in many of his songs. It is described as "a clipped ‘uh’ sound used to emphasize certain words", for example, "We-UH-ell, the little things you say and do, make me want to be with you-UH-ou..." in his record of the song '' Rave On'' (1958). Edward Comentale asserts that Holly's hiccup technique comes from the southern tradition of "

eefing Eefing (also written eeephing, eephing, eeefing, eefin, or eefn') is an Appalachian (United States) vocal technique similar to beatboxing, but nearly a century older. NPR's Jennifer Sharpe describes it as "a kind of hiccupping, rhythmic wheeze tha ...

". He describes it as follows: "he uddy Hollycuts off the sound at the back of the throat, blocking the flow of sound so that it pops out again with greater intensity - hic-a! A sharp break or silence is immediately followed by a loud burp, an extra 'supplemental' syllable." Scott "Buddy" Cameron, known for his impersonation of Buddy Holly, in particular in the 2005-2009 production of '' Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story'' musical, among other "trademark" features of Buddy Holly, uses "lilting vocal hiccup".

Michael Jackson

started using the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, in the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" on the '' G.I.T.: Get It Together'' album. The next time he used this technique several years later, in his 1979 solo album '' Off the Wall''. Jackson's hiccup technique is described as "somewhat like a

gulping Swallowing, also called deglutition or inglutition in scientific and medical contexts, is a physical process of an animal's digestive tract (e.g. that of a human body) that allows for an ingested substance (typically food) to pass from the mo ...

for air or gasping".

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

claimed on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

'' that Michael Jackson took the vocal hiccup technique from her.Diana Ross & The Supremes: On The Today Show (2000)
(retrieved June 28, 2019)

References

Singing techniques Michael Jackson Buddy Holly {{music-stub

Buddy Holly

Michael Jackson

See also

References