Singers' First & Last Live Performances | Side-by-Side
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re taking a look at legendary singers’ first and last recorded performances. For this list, we’re focusing mainly (though not exclusively) on televised performances.
Queen (with Freddie Mercury)
This band’s breakthrough was basically an accident. In need of a replacement act for David Bowie, the longtime UK music program, “Top of the Pops” engaged the fledgling band. Their 1974 performance of the song “Seven Seas of Rhye” made them an overnight sensation. Although the gifted frontman’s life and career were tragically cut short by HIV/AIDS, Freddie Mercury’s last public performance with Queen took place six years before his death. Mercury played his final show with the band at Knebworth Field in 1986. Performed at the height of their powers as musicians, it’s an electric and heartstopping farewell to the original lineup.
Prince
The future star of “Purple Rain” was in his early twenties when he made his television debut in January 1980. Prince’s first televised performance was on “The Midnight Special,” where he performed “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “Why You Wanna Treat Me so Bad?” From the start, his androgynous voice and fashion and flamboyant stage presence were on full display. TV appearances were rare for the famously elusive multi-hyphenate artist. When he passed away in 2016, he had just completed an intimate tour which featured only him and his piano. Footage of his last concerts at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre quickly went viral. It was proof that even days before he passed, the magic was still there.
Ozzy Osbourne
Weeks before his death at the age of 76, the Black Sabbath frontman played his last gig. Ozzy Osbourne, the so-called Prince of Darkness, was overwhelmed with gratitude as he sat on a black throne and delivered one last incredible show for thousands of lucky fans. The moment was enormous and profound. He and Black Sabbath ended the show with their first big hit, “Paranoid.” It’s the same song they made their “Top of the Pops” debut with all the way back in 1970. Osbourne and the band are young rock gods in the making. His voice cuts through the shredding guitar with almost shocking clarity. It’s a power he never lost.
Selena
The “Queen of Tejano Music” was a teenager when she shot to fame with her family band. An early performance at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards gives us just a taste of the greatness to come. In 1995, the 23-year-old Selena was gearing up for a crossover English album. She played her final show to a packed Houston Astrodome. The concert is legendary, immortalized on film and in the 1997 biopic about her life. From the disco-infused setlist to her iconic outfit to her immense talent, the performance is iconic. It’s also incredibly poignant, filmed only a month before her murder. The Astrodome concert remains the perfect encapsulation of the talent we were robbed of.
The Beatles
Their breakthrough in 1963 was helped along by several televised performances in the UK. One of these was the 1963 “Royal Variety Performance.” Performing for an audience that included the Royal Family, this was the true big time. In 1969, the band hadn’t done a proper concert in nearly three years. They performed an impromptu set on the Apple Corps building in 1969. Recorded for posterity, the concert was thought to be a relaunch of their touring career. John Lennon left the group months later, and they disbanded for good. It turned out to be the original foursome’s last live set.
Amy Winehouse
Her jazz sound was already in place when the British audience first saw Amy Winehouse on “Later… With Jools Holland.” Making her debut on the program in 2003, she performed two songs from her first album, “Frank.” Three years later, she experienced major international success. But Winehouse’s highly-publicized struggles with substance use disorder overshadowed her talent. Footage from her last concert in Belgrade in 2011 shows her struggling to hold it together and facing a hostile crowd. For any fan, it’s hard to watch. Despite the odds being stacked against her, her passion and distinctive phrasing are still present.
Aretha Franklin
In one of her early TV appearances, the Queen of Soul rocked the studio of “The Steve Allen Show.” The 1964 episode was broadcast while she was still finding her footing in the music industry. Performing at the piano, she tore through a rendition of “Evil Gal Blues.” It’s not exactly the kind of song we would come to know her for, but she already has that fantastic voice and stage presence. She gave her final performance at the 2017 Elton John AIDS Foundation gala. Her voice, though not quite as powerful, was still marked by that unmistakable tone.
Elvis Presley
His appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” are frequently cited as the first taste the American public got of Elvis Presley. But he’d actually first demonstrated his hip-swinging, leg-shaking style for the American audience on “Stage Show.” In early 1956, he performed two spirited renditions of songs by Big Joe Turner, complete with that hip-swinging and leg-shaking. Presley’s youthful verve and nerve wouldn’t last to the end of his career. Years of hard living and nonstop performing had taken their toll by his last TV special in 1977. But even as you watch “Elvis in Concert,” he’s giving the performance of his life. He performs his hits like he knows it’s the last time.
Michael Jackson
When the Jackson Five made their television debut on “The Hollywood Palace,” it was 1969, and the youngest Jackson brother was only 11 years old. Michael’s first performance for a national TV audience is a primer for his unparalleled talents. At the time of his death in 2009, Jackson was in rehearsals for a series of concerts at London’s O2 Arena. The documentary “This Is It” gives us a glimpse of his ability to command a stage right up to the end. Taking us through the preparation for the concerts, the entire movie is a collection of some of Jackson’s last moments on a stage. No audience is necessary.
Whitney Houston
The people lucky enough to be at Tru Nightclub on February 9, 2012 had no idea they were witnessing history. It was Whitney Houston’s last public performance. Given her mentorship of up-and-coming artists, it’s fitting that her last song was a salute to her friend Kelly Price’s recent Grammy nominations. Houston passed two days later. Fans immediately mourned the woman and her voice, with many flashing back to the first time America got to see her. Her 1983 debut on “The Merv Griffin Show” is magical. She’s still young, but she tears through a classic song from “The Wiz” like a seasoned pro.
Have you seen any of these performances before? Tell us in the comments.
