section_path: Artistry/Singing
section_name: Singing
paragraph_text: Singing
  
  Wilson's vocal style was shaped by studying the Four Freshmen, from whom he developed a versatile head voice that allowed him to hit high notes without resorting to falsetto, although he did use falsetto on some Beach Boys tracks. He recalled that he "learned how to sing falsetto" through listening to Four Freshmen renditions. Rosemary Clooney also influenced his singing; by mimicking her phrasing on recordings like " Hey There ", he learned "to sing with feeling".
  
  Initially, his singing was characterized by a pure tenor voice; later in life, he employed this range only rarely. Fearing that a high vocal delivery might fuel perceptions of homosexuality, he avoided it. After the early 1970s, his voice degraded following heavy cigarette and cocaine use, with 15 Big Ones marking the emergence of what biographer Peter Ames Carlin termed Wilson's " baritone croak". In a 1999 interview, Wilson compared his style to Bob Dylan 's "harsh, raspy voice".
  
  Wilson's vocal style was shaped by studying the Four Freshmen, from whom he developed a versatile head voice that allowed him to hit high notes without resorting to falsetto, although he did use falsetto on some Beach Boys tracks. He recalled that he "learned how to sing falsetto" through listening to Four Freshmen renditions. Rosemary Clooney also influenced his singing; by mimicking her phrasing on recordings like " Hey There ", he learned "to sing with feeling".
  
  Initially, his singing was characterized by a pure tenor voice; later in life, he employed this range only rarely. Fearing that a high vocal delivery might fuel perceptions of homosexuality, he avoided it. After the early 1970s, his voice degraded following heavy cigarette and cocaine use, with 15 Big Ones marking the emergence of what biographer Peter Ames Carlin termed Wilson's " baritone croak". In a 1999 interview, Wilson compared his style to Bob Dylan 's "harsh, raspy voice".