Spooky Nature.

[xyzzyplugh]

Why Do accents, mostly, disappear when people sing? Bob Geldof, Lulu, U2, Tom Jones. etcs. And mostly I'm wondering if this ties in with the stammering 'Pop Idol' who, barely able to speak, could burst into perfect singing on a whim. .

[Quizmonster]

You'll find some explanation of both these phenomena if you click http://www.ncvs.org/lifelong/faqs.html

[Kit]

Not forgetting Catatonia (Welsh) and Abba!

[flashpig]

It could be as simple as people just putting it on. There was something published by some linguist chap who found that English singers copied American singing accents to the point where their singing contained more american features than were in american songs, if that makes sense. One of these was a type of r - i think postvocalic or something. Also the 'folk' accent. Putting on a cornish sort of accent, but one utterly different to actual cornish. You had pobably forgotten you'd asked this question and quizmonster probably answered it, but his link no longer works.

[sherryleal]

What about Keith Urban? Not only does he lose his Australian accent when he sings, but he aquires a southern one! Weird. I'm still trying to figure this one out.