00:00All I can do is transpose a T for two
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at artists known for one song whose life stories ended on a down note
00:11Tommy Page
00:16Before turning 20, Tommy Page had a number one hit with I'll Be Your Everything, which members of New Kids on the Block helped him write and produce
00:23Aside from his hit single, Page is probably best known for his appearance on the Full House episode, Crushed, where he was the object of Stephanie's affection
00:37After his career as a performing artist ended, Page went back to NYU and graduated from its Stern School of Business
00:43When he returned to the music industry as a record executive
00:50His tenure was instrumental in the careers of artists like Green Day, Alanis Morissette, and Michael Buble
00:55Sadly, Page died in 2017, and is believed to have taken his own life
01:00The Singing Nun
01:07Jeanine Decaires was a Belgian nun and then-member of the Dominican Order, when her song, Dominique, took off
01:20The cheery tune about the priest, named Saint Dominique, was nominated for several Grammy Awards in the mid-1960s, winning one
01:27In 1966, there was even a movie based on Decaires' life starring Debbie Reynolds as the titular singing nun
01:33His armor was devotion and the gospel was his soul
01:36Unfortunately, her success was short-lived
01:39Though still religious, Decaires found herself in disagreement with the convent and the Catholic Church
01:44After parting ways, she tried unsuccessfully to continue her music career, but money troubles got in the way
01:49Decaires and her life partner, Annie Peixia, took their own lives in 1985
01:54Though the singing nun is gone, Dominique lives on in movies and TV shows
01:58Domenique, nique, nique, nique, mais la vie, je l'ai veron, l'écon et la vie, j'entends
02:04Jennifer Page
02:06A light pop track from the late 1990s, Crushed by Jennifer Page isn't a song you would associate with tragedy
02:11See, you're doing me a kiss, it doesn't take a scientist
02:16However, a decade after the song came out, Jennifer Page faced a host of tragic setbacks
02:20In 2008, her parents both died about two weeks apart
02:30And in 2010, their home was washed away in a flood right before Page was set to sell it
02:35In 2015, she was diagnosed with skin cancer, though she ultimately recovered
02:39Pages admitted that these tragedies kept her spirits down, but her music and her fans were able to help her power through
02:49Not like every thing I do, depends on you
02:53Ray Smith
02:54Fans of the Fallout video game series might recognize the Ray Smith song, Right Behind You
02:59However, the song that Smith received success on the charts with was the early 1960s hit, Rockin' Little Angel
03:10Rockin' Little Angel, come down from the sky, down from the sky, come on down from the sky
03:15Despite the Rockabilly track selling more than one million copies and peaking at number 22 on the Hot 100
03:21Smith wasn't able to replicate another hit
03:23Rockin' Little Angel, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so
03:29After some shows and bouncing from record label to record label, he and his family moved to Burlington, Ontario, Canada
03:34Where he eventually returned to playing country music
03:37Rockin' Little Angel, you're all so sweet, you're all so sweet, you're all so sweet
03:42In 1979, Smith took his life at the age of 45, Rob Bass and DG EZ Rock
03:48If you're a fan of old school hip-hop, then you've certainly heard It Takes Two by Rob Bass and DJ EZ Rock
03:54I wanna rock right now, I'm Rob Bass and I came to get down
03:58I'm not internationally known, but I'm known to rock the microphone
04:02The song, which peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs Chart, was a top 40 hit on Billboard's Hot 100
04:08Helped its eponymous album reach platinum status
04:10It Takes Two is such a classic that it's been used in samples by artists such as Snoop Dogg
04:15And in video games such as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
04:18The duo from Harlem had been friends since the 4th grade and had moderate success in the 80s and early 90s
04:28However, diabetes complications would lead to DJ EZ Rock's death in 2014 at age 46
04:40Scatman John
04:52John Paul Larkin had a rough childhood in which he struggled with stuttering
04:55Though he was able to cope by playing the piano, Larkin also struggled with substances and alcohol
05:07After relocating to Europe, the American released an album where he fused jazz with Europop
05:12And the 1994 single, Scatman, Skee-ba-bop, ba-da-bop, really took off
05:17Its popularity, including multiple number ones in Europe, led him to take on the Scatman persona
05:28To help him shed his insecurities related to his speech difficulties
05:31Following his newfound success, the 53-year-old Larkin encouraged young people to accept themselves
05:36No matter their shortcomings
05:37Scatman John continued to make music for a few more years
05:40But unfortunately died of lung cancer in 1999
05:43Blind Melon
05:49This 90s band had some critical and commercial success
05:52Thanks to their performance of their song, No Rain
05:54Though it has a cheery, folksy melody
06:01The alt-rock track was actually based on bassist Nathan Towne's girlfriend's depression
06:05I just want someone missing me
06:10The music video for the top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit was directed by industry veteran Samuel Baer
06:17And is best remembered for the young woman in the B costume
06:20However, just after Blind Melon released their second album
06:23Lead singer Shannon Hoon died from an overdose of illegal substances
06:26You don't like my point of view, you feel that I'm insane
06:31The band struggled to replace him and broke up in 1999
06:35Only to reform, break up, and get back together again throughout the 21st century
06:39You don't like my point of view
06:41OMC
06:42Short for Otara Millionaires Club
06:44This group from New Zealand is best known for How Bizarre
06:48Now a major source of 90s nostalgia
06:50Following the chart-topping track
06:55OMC managed to find continued success in their native New Zealand
06:58For a short time thanks to other singles off of their one album
07:01However, in 1998, frontman Pauly Fumana and OMC partner Alan Janssen
07:13Went to court over royalty disputes
07:15But they got back together in 2005 to record more music
07:23Sadly though, Fumana died of progressive, die-my-elinating neuropathy in 2010 at the age of 40
07:29Del Shannon
07:35This artist is best known for the hit song Runaway
07:38Shortly after the Rock and Roll Tune's 1961 release
07:46It was the number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 for a month straight
07:50And it was selected as one of Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time
07:54While Shannon continued to have a bit of success during the next few years
08:02His music career hit a bit of a rough patch in the 70s
08:05Due to his alcohol use disorder
08:07In 1990, mounting pressures and possible mental health issues
08:15Led Shannon to take his own life
08:17Nine years later, he was honored with a posthumous induction
08:20Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
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08:41The mother of SNL cast member Maya Rudolph, Minnie Riperton, was a talented singer who had a five octave vocal range
08:57Her vocal range was on full display for the 1974 song, Lovin' You
09:01No one else can make me feel the colors that you bring
09:08The Billboard Hot 100 chart topper was a soul and pop number written by Riperton and her husband, Richard Rudolph
09:14Unfortunately, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1976 and became an outspoken advocate, spreading awareness
09:21She was later honored by President Jimmy Carter with the American Cancer Society's Courage Award
09:29She did not disclose her terminal status publicly and continued to make music, putting on a brave face
09:34Three years later, she would die at the age of 31
09:37Which one hit wonder do you think deserved more hits?
09:47Let us know in the comments
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