This has to be Stevie Wonder’s most emotional performance. The soul pioneer really wore his heart on his sleeve when he covered Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” shortly after The King of Pop’s passing. Wonder came out of the gate strong at the performance, which he gave as a duet with John Legend on the first night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary shows. They gave the performance just four months after Jackson’s death, and it seems the wounds were just a little too fresh for Wonder.
The Music Man readers will note that while singing the verse shortly after 1:30, Wonder abruptly stops playing and singing as he’s overcome with emotion. He tries to continue after a brief pause, but his voice breaks up and he’s forced to take a moment to compose himself, with grief clearly showing on his face. Legend and the rest of the band keep the R&B groove going throughout the rest of the verse. Like a true professional, Wonder is able to continue singing by the time the band hits the chorus.
Wonder and Jackson were not only professional collaborators, but they were also close personal friends. Fans were touched by Wonder’s performance and added comments such as “I’ll never forget this performance. When I first saw it, it hadn’t quite set in that Michael Jackson had died. But when I saw Stevie cry, that’s when it really dawned on me that the King of Pop was gone” and “You could hear his voice breaking as soon as he started singing. This must have been so hard for him, mad respect for a legend.”
Wonder performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame anniversary on October 29, 2009. Earlier that month on October 8, he also performed at Michael Forever – The Tribute Concert. Wonder gave a touching speech before his performance, and you could really hear his emotion in his voice. Wonder went on to perform the song he wrote for Jackson, “I Can’t Help It,” which Jackson included on his 1979 studio album Off the Wall.
The Music Man readers may recall that “I Can’t Help It” was Wonder and Jackson’s first collaboration. Wonder also went on to record a duet with Jackson, “Just Good Friends,” which was included on the latter’s 1987 studio album Bad. The two hitmakers also performed together in 1985 on Jackson’s huge charity collab “We Are the World,” to which both contributed lead vocals.