To be a good singer, does one have to be born with a good voice? Or can anyone be a good singer with lessons?

Anybody can sing... but not anybody can have an amazing voice, and I think the amazing voice comes from natural talent but also with practice. So if you're born without the talent, yes you can get better but you can only go so far because your natural abilities don't let you go any further

Anyone can sing well. It's a matter of learning to use the equipment you were born with. The physical differences between the major stars' bodies and the average person's body are minute. Find a qualified teacher in your area who will explain exactly how the voice works and help you understand how to use it. I've had 60-year-olds in my studio who went on to have local careers even though they'd never sung before.

In my experience, I've found that singing is mostly natural talent. If you have both a nice sounding voice and musical talent you can possibly go far with singing. If you voice is naturally just "ok", I think you can only do so much. Our voices are unique and we really can't change them. Your voice IS your instrument. Obviously, we can't go out and buy a new voice like we could with a guitar or piano. Unfortunately, what you have is what you have to work with. I certainly don't think that someone with an "ok" voice should quit singing. If you love to sing, then sing. Polish your voice to the best it can be through lessons and practice and do the best you can with what you got. Of course, some people who make a living out of singing do so simply because they are unique. There's a lot of artists out there who really aren't GREAT singers but they are making it in the business because they write good songs or have a unique sound or whatever.

One needs to know oneself :) People like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey were born with that gift of huge voices. I believe that talent is one thing but also anyone can become a good singer with lessons and usage of the correct technique. Perseverance and Vigilance is what we all need :)

I think that most people have the ability to sing. For some it comes naturally and others require help. Singing lessons can greatly benefit anyone who desires to sing. Becoming an international artist is something entirely different. That takes talent, dedication, and most of the time knowing the right people. There are phenomenally talented singers that the world will never hear and some people with marginal talent that are overplayed on every radio station. That's just the way it works.