00:00 "Thank you for being here tonight to honor my husband.
00:04 He wrote a song for me."
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at musical performances that might not immediately
00:11 strike you as unsettling until you learn the whole story.
00:22 Jesus Loves Me Whitney Houston and Kelly Price
00:27 Three days before the 2012 Grammys, Whitney Houston attended an event at a nightclub where
00:32 she performed an unplanned duet with fellow R&B artist Kelly Price.
00:41 The two sang "Jesus Loves Me," which seemed appropriate given their gospel roots.
00:46 This song choice soon took on a haunting sentiment, being the last public performance Houston
00:52 gave.
00:53 On February 11th, the same day that Houston was to appear at another pre-Grammy party
00:58 hosted by mentor Clive Davis, she was discovered dead in her Beverly Hilton hotel.
01:12 The Grammys had multiple touching tributes to Houston the following day.
01:16 In retrospect though, it doesn't get more chilling than Houston and Price's duet.
01:22 As casual as it was spontaneous, nobody could have predicted this would be Houston's swan
01:28 song.
01:31 Smile Jamaica Concert - Bob Marley
01:34 Bob Marley gave the performance of a lifetime on December 5th, 1976, solidifying Smile Jamaica
01:41 as one of his crowning achievements.
01:50 Had it not been for a moment when Marley pulled up his sleeves, you'd never guess that this
01:55 reggae legend was shot multiple times only two days earlier.
02:00 The intruders also hit band assistant Louis Griffiths, manager Don Taylor, and Marley's
02:05 wife Rita, the latter of whom survived a near-fatal blow to the head thanks to her dreadlocks.
02:16 Astonishingly, nobody died in the assassination attempt with Bob and Rita performing on stage
02:22 as planned.
02:23 While the shooting overshadowed the concert, it didn't define it.
02:27 Lasting over an hour, it's easy to get lost in Marley's music, forgetting how this performance
02:33 almost didn't happen.
02:41 What a Wonderful World - Ava Cassidy
02:44 Coming from humble roots in Washington, D.C., this artist was just starting to gain recognition
02:50 in the 90s.
02:56 On September 17th, 1996, Ava Cassidy found herself surrounded by loved ones at the Georgetown
03:03 music venue, The Bayou.
03:05 Participating in a benefit concert, Cassidy concluded her set with one of her favorite
03:10 songs, What a Wonderful World.
03:18 The song itself has always been bittersweet, but it's devastating to learn that this
03:24 was Cassidy's final public performance.
03:27 The previous July, doctors found that cancer had spread throughout Cassidy's body, suspecting
03:32 she had less than a year to live.
03:41 Despite seeking treatment, the melanoma took its toll that November.
03:45 Cassidy continued to grow a following over the years, but she tragically didn't live
03:50 to see this success.
04:00 Paris Performance - The Rolling Stones
04:03 The Rolling Stones tour of Europe '76 was winding down when the band played at the Pavilion
04:08 de Paris.
04:10 Their performance on June 6th seemed like any other.
04:19 What the cheering crowd didn't realize was that guitarist Keith Richards was enduring
04:23 every parent's worst nightmare.
04:25 Ten weeks earlier, Richards and his partner Anita Pallenberg welcomed their third child
04:31 into the world.
04:32 On the day of this Paris performance, Richards received word that his son was gone.
04:37 Richards initially kept the loss private going on with the show.
04:48 Although many questioned his decision, Richards didn't know how else to deal with the grief,
04:54 believing he would have shot himself had he not performed.
05:04 Not being there when his son passed would remain one of Richards' deepest regrets.
05:09 There Are Worse Things I Could Do - Vanessa Hudgens
05:13 Many considered Vanessa Hudgens the MVP of Greece Live, her rendition of There Are Worse
05:18 Things I Could Do being a highlight.
05:25 Betty Rizzo put up a tough front, but behind her brave face is a well of sorrow.
05:30 To an extent, Hudgens could relate during this vulnerable moment.
05:34 A night before the live special, Hudgens lost her father to cancer.
05:39 Like Rizzo, Hudgens showed great resilience during this difficult time, saying that her
05:44 sadness and desire to honour her father would fuel her performance.
05:56 Nowhere was this more apparent than during this emotional song.
06:00 While it works beautifully within the context of Rizzo's character act, the audience is
06:04 moved to tears knowing that Hudgens is doing everything in her power to keep it together.
06:17 Munich Germany Concert - Nirvana For grunge fans, seeing Nirvana live was a
06:22 one in a lifetime opportunity.
06:24 March 1st 1994 would be the last opportunity, although nobody realised this at the time.
06:37 Playing at Terminal 1 of Munich Rheem Airport, Nirvana had several more gigs lined up on
06:42 their in utero European tour.
06:44 Shortly after the performance, frontman Kurt Cobain came down with a serious case of bronchitis
06:49 and laryngitis.
06:55 Cobain's history of substance use, coupled with severe depression, went into overdrive
07:02 during this time.
07:04 As performances were cancelled and rescheduled, the future of the band was called into question.
07:09 With the discovery of Cobain's body on April 8th, three days after enduring a self-inflicted
07:14 gunshot wound, it became clear that the Munich performance would go down in history and notoriety.
07:25 Rule the World - Take That No matter who wins the gold, the closing ceremony
07:30 is always a triumphant Olympic moment.
07:33 For Take That member Gary Barlow, it was one of tragedy and recovery in 2012.
07:47 As the flame was extinguished at the London Summer Olympics, the English pop group performed
07:51 Rule the World.
07:53 The lively tune makes the audience feel like they can illuminate the sky, but this particular
07:57 performance serves as a reminder of how suddenly a star can fade away.
08:07 A week before the ceremony, Barlow and his wife Dawn Andrews lost their stillborn daughter.
08:13 As devastated as they were, Barlow found the strength to perform alongside his bandmates,
08:19 dressed in black with a phoenix in the backdrop.
08:28 Equally inspirational and heartbreaking, the stars came out that night.
08:39 The Last Concerts - Selena On February 26th, 1995, the Queen of Tejano
08:45 music performed before a sold-out crowd of more than 66,000 at the Houston Astrodome,
08:51 setting a new attendance record.
08:56 It was not only a historic night for music, but also fashion with Selena sporting a now
09:01 iconic purple jumpsuit.
09:03 Even if the concert wasn't marked by tragedy, this would have been a performance to remember.
09:09 That said, this concert is remembered as Selena's final bow.
09:18 The following month, she was murdered by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar.
09:24 Several years later, Selena's last concert would be immortalized through a live album
09:28 and DVD release.
09:35 As grateful as we are for these recordings, Selena's fiery performance reminds us how
09:40 much more she had to offer.
09:49 I'll Never Love Again - Lady Gaga 2018's A Star is Born delivers an emotional
09:55 wallop as Lady Gaga's Ally pays tribute to her late love Jackson through the finale,
10:01 I'll Never Love Again.
10:10 As tear-jerking as the song is, it's even more powerful knowing what drove Gaga's genuine
10:16 performance.
10:17 Before shooting, Gaga received word that Sonia Durham, a friend since childhood, was about
10:23 to succumb to cancer.
10:29 Gaga immediately left to be by Durham's side, but arrived 10 minutes too late.
10:34 Director/co-star Bradley Cooper was more than willing to postpone, but after talking with
10:39 Durham's husband, Gaga decided that returning to the set would be the best way to honor
10:52 her friend.
10:53 Ally might be singing for Jackson, but Gaga sang for Durham, saying she gave her "a
10:59 tragic gift."
11:00 West of the Rockies Tour - Elton John
11:29 Thanksgiving 1974 saw two superstars collide as John Lennon joined Elton John at Madison
11:36 Square Garden for a surprise performance.
11:46 Little did anyone realize, this would be among Lennon's last public appearances before his
11:50 1980 murder.
11:51 Elton John also came close to death in 1975, announcing that he had taken 85 volumes before
11:58 jumping into his pool.
12:06 John's premature death was thankfully averted with an emergency team showing up to pump
12:11 his stomach.
12:12 Despite feeling overworked to the point of nearly taking his life, John performed at
12:16 Dodger Stadium two days later, saying "I have a very strong constitution, and the show
12:23 must go on."
12:24 Fans were elated to see John, although few knew how fortunate the world was that he was
12:29 still standing.
12:36 Which music performances do you look at differently, knowing their backstory?
12:41 Share your thoughts in the comments.
12:55 [music]
13:04 (upbeat music)
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