The stories behind these performances will shock you! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at musical performances that might not immediately strike you as unsettling until you learn the whole story.
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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)