[sc_rufctr]

All the people mentioned on the OP were stand outs in their day.
There's no way to know how those same people would have performed today.

What made them special is that in their day they were the best. Timing and luck play a part but their "specialness" was always there.

An ex girl friend of mine once said that the only reason Elvis Presley was so successful is because he had the right sound and look at the right time.
That may be partly true but like all successful people Elvis worked hard and always had that voice that never let him down.