THE DEEPEST VOICE IN THE WORLD?! | Ep. 28 This is the Legend of Eric Hollaway
He first sang in his church’s children choir. Then, he sang in the U.S. Army. Then he was discovered for having the deepest human vocal range, the basso profondo.
He did not even have his first singing lesson until he was 25 years old!
Oktavists are vocalists who sing in the basso profondo range. Oktavists are EXTREMELY rare: at one point, there were only 12 in the entire world! He is one of them.
Meet Eric Hollaway, aka thatbassvoice, an oktavist, YouTuber with over 726,000 subscribers, and voice actor whose has been featured in numerous films and video games, including the award winning “DOOM Eternal”.
Join Amos Vang and Eric Hollaway as they share Eric’s legendary adventures, from serving in the U.S. Army as a nuclear warhead technician while entertaining and singing in an a cappella group for German audiences, to returning back to the U.S. and being discovered by two music professors for his voice, to learning and training in the different operatic styles and traditions, and to working with the legendary Mick Gordon on providing his voice to “DOOM Eternal’s” unforgettable music. Amos and Eric also discuss musicality, the unique characteristics of the basso profondo range, and the most important lessons that Eric has learned from his career.
Eric’s Instagram: @thatbassvoice
Eric’s YouTube channel: @thatbassvoice
Tomorrow by Scott Buckley – released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au
-- CHAPTERS --
0:00 – Introduction
4:00 – What inspired Eric Hollaway to pursue music?
8:30 – Eric Hollaway explains his childhood musical community environment!
10:31 – What were the most important lessons that Eric Hollaway learned from his childhood musical community environment?
12:51 – When did Eric Hollaway discover that he could reach the male bass vocal range?
17:13 – Eric Hollaway served in the U.S. Army and was part of an Army a cappella group!
25:07 – Eric Hollaway studied opera in college, competed in bass voice competitions, and received a voice scholarship immediately!
26:58 – Up until age 25, Eric Hollaway NEVER HAD A VOICE LESSON BEFORE!
33:35 – Imperfections are beautiful!
34:04 – How did Eric Hollaway discover that he can reach the basso profondo range?
37:44 – “I found my people”
38:59 – Discovering oktavism and Glenn Miller helped Eric Hollaway discover his true identity in voice!
40:08 – “Eric, come up!”
42:55 – How rare is oktavism and the basso profondo range?
45:52 – What inspired Eric Hollaway to pursue voice acting and singing full time, and to create thatbassvoice?
48:08 – Doom Eternal: Eric Hollaway was in it! How did Eric Hollaway work with Mick Gordon?
55:22 – Eric Hollaway sings that song from Doom Eternal!
56:55 – What is musicality to Eric Hollaway?
1:06:17 – If Eric Hollaway was immersed heavily into the world of professional music making in his childhood, then he would not have enjoyed music as much as he does now.
1:11:25 – What is the basso profondo? Is it even possible to train to become an oktavist?
1:19:31 – What are the greatest misconceptions of singing and oktavism that Eric Hollaway has seen?
1:21:24 – One must have vocal training and healthy lifestyle habits, no matter how talented they are!
1:22:55 – Chocolate and bass voices: good or bad?!
1:27:02 – Luciano Pavarotti influenced Eric Hollaway!
1:28:59 – Mario Lanza, Placido Domingo, and Thomas Hampson
1:32:42 – What are the most important lessons that Eric Hollaway has learned from his career?
1:34:50 – What are the most rewarding things that Eric Hollaway has experienced from his career? What advice would he give to people who want to pursue this career?