Of that, there is usually little question. He has range, he has power and subtlety, and he has emotion. Unfortunately, he also has one of those voices that people either can't get enough of or hate like nails on a chalkboard. A recent and slightly amusing (at least to us Z'nuff fans) thread on Usenet illustrates this beautifully (as well as giving a good, if frustrating,  example of how unknown Enuff Z'nuff still is). Thank goodness I happen to agree with Shock Jock Howard Stern who called Donnie "one of the premier vocalists of our time". He has one of the most unique and distinct voices around, and with it he is as instantly recognizable as Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger.
     So why, then, doesn't he use it all the time?
     To answer this we must look to the band's main influence: The Beatles. Donnie and Chip Z'nuff generally write with a bit of the Fab Four in mind, taking that pop sensibility and gift for instantly hummable melodies and add a generous helping of their own brand of harder rock. Sometimes though, they go all out with the sound and produce songs such as 1991's "Time To Let You Go" . On these, Donnie tends to alter his voice a bit to suit the songs' style. Indeed, he often sounds so close to a young John Lennon it's eerie.  There's nothing wrong with that of course; it's simply a matter of taste. I usually enjoy when he does this...until I picked up Seven. 
     Seven contains what quite possibly may be my favorite Enuff Z'nuff song of all time "It's No Good". It is a simple, melodic, catchy, toe-tapping, thought provoking, beautiful little tune - and Donnie very nearly ruins it with his poor Paul McCartney impression. The first time I had heard this song was on the live concert webcast by JamTV. To hear it, click  this link and move the slider on your RealAudio player to approximately 32:50 (if you don't have RealAudio yet, you can download it  here ). This version isn't too bad, but if you listen to the studio version he forces the impression so much that he actually goes out of tune a few times. In my Opinion, simple is sometimes better, and I would have loved to have heard the song sung by Donnie in his true voice. 
     Again, this is strictly subjective. I've been singing in bands most of my adult life, and I have always tried to emulate the singer of whatever song we were performing (that wasn't one of our own). It is a skill that requires practice, and makes things much more interesting during the course of a show for the lead vocalist. It's also a kick to have someone come up to you and tell you that you sound better live than the person you're trying to emulate! I'm sure that this is part of the reason why Donnie chooses to sing in this style and, for the most part, I'm glad he chooses to take risks like this. However, I'm also glad that Paraphernaliadoesn't offer any tracks like this. 
     I'm a Donnie Vie fan. The Man Can Sing. And that's all I need.