Those who do not like this voice have to realize what they are missing. Ethel Merman was not so much a singer on the stage, as she was indomitable force on the stage. That big brassy sound was never duplicated and her stage presence never muted. Ethel was on Broadway for forty years, and made a success out of virtually every musical she graced. Nobody has ever had that kind of career win/loss statistic on the boards. It may not translate well on a small screen, but she was without parallel in musical comedy history.
Miss Ethel Merman, is truly my inspiration and the reason I get up in the morning! Listening to everything she sings just makes me wanna go up and hug her, just to say “Thank You For Being You!” R.I.P
This is from the Ed Sullivan Show (note the applause at the end) and not from the studio taping of the entire revival, which seems impossible to acquire.