Amen..when Irving Berlin was asked what place Ethel Merman held in American musical theatre he proclaimed "Ehel Merman IS American musical theatre". Nobody better then Berlin to know.

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Her voice was as clear as a bell and very unique that no one could describe it, and it suited her personality.

She was more abrasive in the 70's when she was an old lady, which is how most people remember her and parody her in shows like Forbidden Broadway.
Very true, the Merman most people remember today is the late 60's/70's Merman who was then sixty-plus and had a harsher tone in her vocals (I have more of a problem with the affected "ringing" in her delivery during this period with than her "yelling"). I've just seen her in some of her 50's tv things like MERMAN ON BROADWAY and ANYTHING GOES however and was stunned how terrific she was in middle-age though, easy to see why she was still a Broadway sensation into her fifties. Yes she was loud but there was an excitement in her performances and an emotional edge to her voice that really wasn't there as a senior citizen singer.

She's always been a love her or hate her performer. I personally love the sound of her voice but many don't and didn't even in her prime. She was more abrasive in the 70's when she was an old lady, which is how most people remember her and parody her in shows like Forbidden Broadway.
Open the door for Mr. Muckle!!

Yes, I was around(somewhat) in the 60's-70's and recall her fame;perhaps I would had appreciated her acting more

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I understand court, I personally didn't connect with her talent(voice)

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Her 'name' was fine, too bad about the rest

Her name was a guarantee that investors in a show would see their money back along with a handsome profit. In fact, her name was enough to get a show written and produced!
"'Nature,' Mr. Allnut, is what we are put here to
rrrrrriiiiise
above!"

I know,she was atrocious.

I agree with you Chester. Ethel has always seemed loud to me as though she is yelling for a cab or something. I know people say it's belting but to me it just sounds like shouting and yelling her songs rather than actual singing. Her voice has an unpleasant ring to it in my opinion.

Oh, god. Why do people have to take this thread seriously?
Okey, then. Text amended. Please, for the love of god, I know you have a beautiful voice, but why do you have to shout from the bottom of your lungs so it will reach the thirtieth row when you are standing next to the people you are talking to, every single time? So, happy now?

You might not like the sound of her voice but she didn't scream. She just had a big voice. Her voice wouldn't have lasted so long if she had been forcing her delivery.
Open the door for Mr. Muckle!!

I've heard Merman sing before. I'm a big fan of Cole Porter, especially "Anything Goes". The problem is, I can't stand her voice. Really. It's like having your eardrums pierced by diamonds, it's that sharp. Doesn't matter how I try, I just don't like her voice.

There were no microphones in theaters when Merman started out on Broadway. In fact, there weren't microphones in Broadway theaters until the mid-1960s.
There also weren't electronically-amplified orchestras so loud that performers had to shriek to be heard above them, even though amplified themselves. I can assure you that if Merman had at any time been overshadowed by the orchestra, it wouldn't have happened more than once. She'd have had a little talk with the conductor, and that would have been that.
Merman actually made belting look effortless - you never saw that woman sweat onstage, never saw the work
behind
the belting.
I'd recommend seeking out some Merman recordings from the 1940s and 1950s - you won't find a clearer voice (though admittedly neither the voice nor the style are for everyone).
"Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke."

LOL she had a very good, strong, loud voice. Like Al Jolson, Ethel was using her stage trained instincts to reach the back of the house.