00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at artists who continued performing live while
00:11knowing how close they were to the end.
00:14Bob Marley
00:21An icon not just of reggae, but also of Jamaica as a whole. Bob Marley's music and message
00:27continued to resonate more than 40 years after his death.
00:30To make everything come true, we got to be together.
00:34In 1977, the musician was diagnosed with melanoma under his right big toe nail. Though his doctors
00:41advised amputation, he refused.
00:43He loved football, so I think the thought of having his toe amputated was just unacceptable to him.
00:51He continued performing around the world. In September 1980, he collapsed during a jog in
00:57Central Park, later learning his cancer had spread. His final concert was two days later
01:02in Pittsburgh. The remainder of the tour was canceled, and he sought alternative medicine
01:06treatments for his illness. He passed away on May 11, 1981, at age 36.
01:12He did it. He did it. And that was the last time we perform on stage together.
01:20Eva Cassidy
01:21Renowned for her remarkable soprano voice, Eva Cassidy's fame grew considerably in the years
01:27following her tragically short life.
01:29The sun's gonna trouble the world.
01:32In 1993, a malignant mole was removed from Cassidy's back. Three years later,
01:37she experienced an intense, prolonged pain in her hip. She then learned that her cancer had spread
01:43to her lungs and bones.
01:45In her death, she's become even more famous, and people just love her voice.
01:49Cassidy's final public appearance was that year, at a benefit concert in her honor,
01:54at the Bayou in Washington, D.C., which she closed with an emotional rendition
01:59of What a Wonderful World. She died on November 2, 1996, at age 33.
02:05What a wonderful world.
02:11Gord Downie
02:12As frontman and lyricist of the tragically hip, Gord Downie was true Canadian music royalty.
02:18That night in Toronto, well, let's check it for four.
02:23Though his Canada-centric songwriting might have limited their appeal outside of their home country,
02:28that didn't really matter, given how adored they were there. When news broke in 2016 that
02:34Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, fans were devastated.
02:38It's my difficult duty today to tell you that Gord Downie's brain tumor is incurable.
02:43But the band continued touring, with their final tour chronicled in the documentary
02:48Long Time Running. Due to memory issues from his illness,
02:51Downie had to use multiple teleprompters during the band's final shows.
02:55I come from downtown!
02:59Their last concert was held on August 20, 2016, and simulcast live to millions.
03:05Downie also performed some solo concerts afterward, before passing away on October 17,
03:112017, at the age of 53.
03:14Now dress rehearsal, this is our life!
03:22Jimmy Buffett
03:23Jimmy Buffett's music is imbued with a carefree,
03:26good vibe spirit, and one that's provided comfort to many during times of sadness and stress.
03:37Though Buffett died following a four-year battle with Merkel cell carcinoma,
03:41a rare skin cancer, he continued performing and touring steadily during those years.
03:46Merkel cells, the least common of these more aggressive or malignant cancers,
03:50they're diagnosed probably 3,000, 3,500 cases a year, so not a very common skin cancer.
03:55He didn't disclose his illness, but he did have to cancel some shows due to health issues.
04:01His final performance was an impromptu concert on June 2, 2023, at Sunset Cove,
04:07a restaurant in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He passed away on September 1, 2023, at age 76.
04:14What a moment. What a life.
04:17Greg Ullman. In some ways, it's remarkable that Greg Ullman lived for as long as he did.
04:22I'll be strong to just stand my cross to bear.
04:29The founding member of the Ullman Brothers band's life was complicated by his substance
04:33use disorder, particularly alcohol.
04:36I went through a long period of my life of drinking. I mean, serious drinking.
04:43In 2007, Ullman was diagnosed with hepatitis C. The following year, tumors were found in his liver,
04:50requiring a transplant. However, he was diagnosed with liver cancer just two years later in 2012.
04:57Though Ullman was told he had between 12 and 18 months left, he lived for longer than predicted
05:03and continued recording and performing.
05:05His final performance was on October 29, 2016, in Atlanta, as part of the Laid Back Festival.
05:18He passed away on May 27, 2017, at age 69.
05:23Toby Keith.
05:24With hits spanning the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s, Toby Keith was a true country music legend.
05:31Let's solo cup, I fill you up, let's have a party.
05:38In June 2022, Keith broke news of his stomach cancer diagnosis at the end of the previous year.
05:45Though he understandably didn't perform very much in his final years,
05:49the times he did were very poignant.
05:51Here many moons I have lived
05:54His final TV performance was at the inaugural People's Choice Country Awards at the Grand Old
05:59Opry, where he was also honored with the Country Icon Award. In December 2023, Keith played three
06:06sold-out concerts at Las Vegas' Dolby Live at Park MGM. He passed away on February 5,
06:122024, at age 62.
06:15"'Don't let the old man in.'"
06:18Tammy Terrell
06:19Best known for her incredible duets with Marvin Gaye, young vocalist Tammy Terrell seemed poised
06:25for decades of musical success.
06:27"'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough.'"
06:32This became far less certain in 1967, when she collapsed into Gaye's arms during a concert. Though she
06:39was initially diagnosed with exhaustion, it was later revealed to be something far more serious,
06:45a brain tumor. She continued performing while also undergoing numerous surgeries in hopes
06:50of saving her life.
06:51"'My love is alive, only down in my heart, although we are miles apart.'"
06:57Sadly, Terrell's health troubles persisted, and by 1969, she had to stop performing for good.
07:04She died on March 16, 1970, at age 24.
07:07"'There ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you.'"
07:13"'To you.'"
07:14"'To you.'"
07:15Warren Zevon
07:16One of the most idiosyncratic songwriters of his era, Warren Zevon's lyrics were as rich
07:22in detail as they were in hearts and humor.
07:25"'I who well was abundant.'"
07:28In August 2002, the beloved artist announced he had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare
07:35cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. A regular guest on David Letterman's talk shows,
07:40Zevon's final performance in public appearance was on The Late Show.
07:44"'Hoist the mainsail, here I come.'"
07:48This was not just the performance of a single song. Rather, practically, the whole show was an ode to
07:55Zevon, who performed three songs and was interviewed, delivering this timeless advice.
08:00"'You're reminded to enjoy every sandwich.'"
08:02Zevon passed away on September 7, 2003, at age 56.
08:08Aretha Franklin
08:09The undisputed queen of soul, Aretha Franklin was still performing up until the very end.
08:14"'Before the day I met you, life was so unkind.'"
08:21While time had taken somewhat of a toll on her powerhouse vocals,
08:25she was still able to wow a crowd.
08:27"'You can't reach me, baby, what a fuck.'"
08:30However, medical issues required her to cancel shows at various points over the years. For years,
08:36there had been speculation that she had been fighting pancreatic cancer, which her family
08:41confirmed upon her passing. Her final performance, on November 17, 2017, at Elton John's yearly AIDS
08:48Foundation Gala, was described by John himself as phenomenal, though Franklin was visibly unwell.
08:54She still managed to pull off a jaw-dropping curtain call.
08:57"'You hear great singers perform often, but it's, uh, I'd call it soul-piercing,
09:03because you really feel it all the way down to your soul.'"
09:05Franklin passed away on August 16, 2018, at age 76.
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09:27Glen Campbell In 2011, just a few months after announcing
09:31he would be embarking on a final goodbye tour. Country music icon Glen Campbell broke the news
09:36of his diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease.
09:38"'This indicates that in all likelihood, your difficulties are due to Alzheimer's disease.'"
09:44Despite this, he continued on with his tour, performing with a band made up of family members
09:49and delivering shows overflowing with emotional resonance.
09:52"'I hear you singing in the wire.'"
09:56While Campbell had some performance difficulties, his voice was still in great shape. The tour lasted
10:02over a year, beginning in Toronto and ending in Napa, with 148 concerts performed.
10:08"'I'm still here, but yet I'm gone.'"
10:13Campbell passed away on August 8, 2017, at age 81.
10:18"'I'm not gonna miss you.'"
10:20Have you ever seen an artist perform live when they knew they were dying? Let us know in the comments.
10:26"'I'm not gonna miss you.'"
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