THE AMERICAN crooner John Gary signed his first contract with RCA records just before the Beatles came to America. His success came at the end of an era and was quickly overwhelmed. He never made it to the pop charts. The dreamy songs of romance and love that were his speciality and that he sang with such moving intensity lost favor. But the sentiments he expressed and his remarkable artistry had a timeless quality. He was one of the great voices of 20th century popular culture.

Born in 1932, Gary was known for his astounding vocal range, which varied from a sustained falsetto to a rich baritone. He often sang to lush, velvety orchestral accompaniment, which contrasted well with his highly controlled voice  (he once held a record for underwater breathing endurance) and was sometimes cloying. His version of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” one of my favorite of his songs, is available for 99 cents from Amazon. You can listen to two Gary songs — “Tammy” and “Stranger in Paradise” — at the website for his fans. Notice how he articulates the words, “I hear the cottonwood whispering above” in “Tammy.” That’s classic John Gary.

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