Mariah Carey’s Excuse For Her “Controversial” Vocal Performance In Michael Jackson’s Memorial

Posted on July 8th, 2009 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: Live Performance, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, News

People are saying that Mariah Carey’s performance at the memorial was horrendous. We think it lacked, but we also understand these kinds of circumstances are hard for people to deal with.

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Mariah took to Twitter to explain why she sounded like she did…pop the top and peep

“Trying to sing today was basically impossible for me. I could barely keep myself from crying”.

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to pull it together and really do it right, but I was literally choked up when I saw him there in front of me….One thing I know is, we will never really have to say goodbye to MJ. His legacy lives on through his music and the millions of people he inspired with his timeless music. He will be forever in our hearts.”

We can appreciate that as well as accept this reason this time, Mariah

  • Aye

    I think she sounded well considering the circumstances. She is grieving as well. I don’t know how Jermaine was even able to sing.

  • http://stewartsynopsis.com/Site%20Index.htm We “Blacks” Are The REAL Hebrew Israelites

    Everyone knows Mariah can sing…so this is obviously a case of getting choked up.

  • bobbi

    i love mariah. she is my favorite female vocalist. however, her voice has been sounding strange for a few years now. does anyone know if she started smoking cigarettes?? she doesn’t seem to be able to make or hold notes like she use to.

  • @ Da Poet

    She can sing, thats not the issue. Her range is gone in her natural voice. Her falsetto is there and the high pitch remains, but her natural is kinda shot. Her voice wasnt trembling like she was keeping herself from crying. She sounded normal, just raspy & hoarse. Indeed I know it was hard…I can only imagine, so I give her props regardless.

  • nobody cares

    her voice isn’t what it used to be and that’s due to all the years of her using that stupid whispery baby voice to sing instead of using her full voice like she used to in the early days of her career. i doubt she could even perform one of her own hits such as “love takes time” or “someday”

  • t woods

    I was embarrassed by and for Mariah. She was the worst performer there. I noticed how she didn’t even attempt to hit those high notes. She immediately let Trey Lorenz take over. Weren’t those her parts that she sung in the song.

  • Serwah

    why do u people always want 2 speak badly about others? in this circumstance would you hv sang? that is the same way you spoke badly about Michael. stop judging.

  • sexy

    Sorry fans, Mooriah has lost her touch, admit it! Hahahaha

  • Nisha

    What is the problem? Her voice was okay lets hear you people get up there and sang. It was emotional for everyone to get up there and sing and I sure she was too. Grow up

  • Des

    @ t woods
    You know what I was kind of embarrassed too and I don’t even know why either…LMAO! I mean I don’t even know the chick…LOL!! But you know that feeling you get when you’re meeting somebody for the first time and they just look horrible and you have to show face…It was that kind of embarrassment…LOL!!
    I knew from the first utter that she left her voice in the suitcase…But like others said she did show up and it really wasn’t a concert so she gets a pass…

  • Nikki88

    the girl did fine. emotions were running high yesterday. damn.

  • sassynjazzy

    um before Mariah even started singing, I knew she was going to sound a mess, Mariah ALWAYS sound a mess when singing live ! when has that ever changed ?????

  • MH

    Im sorry but her damn emotions had nothing to do with it…THE HO CAN’T SING…Every performance she has did past the 2006 Grammys have been horrible and don’t even get me started on that Inauguration performance.

  • Chocolate Bunny

    Maybe she was overcome with emotions (though I didn’t see any signs), but, I was very disappointed in her performance. I really was hoping that the love, respect, and admiration that Mariah has for Michael would have helped her “belt that song out” like she did when she recorded it live. But, Trey Lorenz still got it!!!He carried Mariah through the song!!!

  • jfhdfjdshfdsjhkshf

    she still sound better than most female artist…wow that’s kinda bad wen u think about.

  • jfhdfjdshfdsjhkshf

    (most female artist out right now)

  • Always Something!!!

    She’s too grande to prepare and warm up her vocal cords like she’s supposed to and that’s what happens…typical of Mariah. I knew it would be yet another excuse.

  • quinn

    i know this is off subject but a real mj tribute should have had at least usher, chris brown, omarion or ginuwine dancing or all of them since he inspired all of their careers. that is all.

  • mojojojo

    ohhhhh chile the hate on here!!
    go on stage and try to sing for someone who inspired u and your career….then do it with there dead body in fromt of you…PLEASE she did fine it was shakey in the begining but she did fine

  • mojojojo

    @quinn
    Ohhhhhhhhh that would be hot!!!
    maybe soon maybe

  • DEEDEE

    ShampooPressNCurl…I do agree, her dress was not appropriate for a memorial service, but I wish ppl would get off her back for her performance. Yes her voice does not sound as well as it did back in the 90s, BUT this was the first performance of the memorial as well as this was her first time seeing Michael’s casket that can definitely be emotional. It was an emotional service, she apologized for it on her Twitter page and while we are on performances…the legendary Stevie Wonder had some quirky parts in his performance as well. But it all boils down to emotion…so get over it already!! Rest in Peace Michael and my prayers go out to the family!

  • Come On People

    she sang like she was choked up, like she had been crying which should be understandable.

  • http://soopaflhi@hotmail.com SOOPAFLHI

    I seen no emotion from her besides this pitiful face every now & again; personally it’s an excuse she just didna’t sing well period, point blank. Everyone else had emotions running high & they still maanged to sound good sooooooooo yeah right Mariah go home & moisten them vocal cords. I agree this woman is just not what she used to be & people need to except & admit that. This is fact, NO HATE she is fine with me but don’t make excuses for your shortcomings own them & do better next time.

  • RACKS

    I thought it was horrific and I love her voice. Maybe she was not feeling well but still wanted to be there to perform **shrugs **

  • YAYA LUV

    HUM…WELL I LIKE MARIAH BUT FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS HE VOICE HAS BEEN KINDA OFF SO IDK IF HER BEING EMOTIONAL HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT BUT IT WASNT ABOUT HER ANYWAY IT WAS ABOUT MICHAEL. ATLEAST SHE TRIED. IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL TIME FOR EVERYONE SOME PERFORMANCES WERE BETTER THEN OTHERS BUT LETS JUST LEAVE HER ALONE THIS TIM AND FOCUS ON WHO ITS REALLY ABOUT RIGHT NOW.

  • YAYA LUV

    TIME*

  • onebigman

    ont get it–she started out a little shaky—but mariah sounded real good in her song. you guys are crazy

  • SHIELA

    Mariah LOVER HERE. to be honest she has had vocal problems since rainbow. I think it was the meds she was on, after her breakdown, once she came back her vocals were NEVER the same. She had an incredible voice look at UNPLUGGED, live vocals were INCREDIBLE.

    She now can’t even sing an entire song live. Look at We belong together, she sings the song, and lips the ending to a LIVE sounding track (like Britney, Janet, Madonna, Michael jackson, BEYONCE Usher currently do–track sounds like a live vocal but it’s NOT).

    SO VERY disappointmented in Mariah’s live performances, I’ve just given up hope on her.

    i’m SO not excited about her new CD, i use to be so excited, now i’m just like, this lazy chick is a gag.

  • MIKEY

    @ SHIELA

    i know you always hard on these singers but i got to agree with you mariah is hiding the fact that something is wrong with her voice

    just tell your fans she continues to lose fans one by one with these horrible or lipsing performances

    i am not supporting this new cd due to all the lipsinging and bad performances

  • Atl_finest

    This is not the 1st time MC sound horrible live. Even though I have every CD, I never would pay to see her live cause I knew she was not a live singer or performer. In her 20yr career, Mariah has only toured a couple times without 1 sell out crowd. There is a reason for that & she proved it yesterday.

  • Tropical English

    @ quinn

    Dammit, how old are you?

    Usher, Chris Brown, Omarion, Ginuwine? Fool you crazy. That would have been a TRAVESTY.

  • Tropical English

    Wait, Usher was cool to SING, not DANCE. He done lost a few steps in the dancing just like MC lost in the singin.

  • Ara

    Yeah, I thought she sounded like she was about to cry too, it was very emotional.

  • http://www.freewebs.com/bestsexever christy

    Mariah okay I understand.. I’m not really into rating memorial service performances anywhoo..smh

  • frida

    I didn’t think I would be affected so much by his passing, but, as soon as the gospel singers started, I had tears falling down my cheeks.Can only imagine what it must’ve been like to sing and try to hold it together.
    And, may I add, my esteem of Al Sharpton has gone up 1000 pts for his amazing speech.
    Every single thing he gave credit to Michael for, is right on the money.
    Gotta go, I’m crying just remembering the memorial.

  • mz. b

    usher was choked up, he had tears in his eyes and almost bust out crying, mariah is just gettin old n losin her voice….sry 2 say but shes been sounding suspect 4 a while.

  • FabulousMe

    Mariah is f^cking old. That is whats wrong with her voice damn. She is old and done. She is trying to still be “hip” and shyt but is failing miserably. Why cant you people understand that Mooriah is over? She cant sing without a backup track and wont, yesterday was the only time she has had to sing without a backup track in YEARS! and what you get is her sounding horrible. Thats the real her.
    And her skanky ho dress was inappropriate for a memorial performance. Why does everything she wears have to be cut down to her raggedy damn navel? With her akward fake t!tties. How F^cking DREADFUL!

  • FabulousMe

    And Stevie Wonder still sounded FANTASTIC despite being in mourning as well. Jennifer Hudson was on point as well despite being 11 months pregnant! So stop giving old lady Mooriah excuses.

  • http://bossip MoniSings

    I’m shocked at some of the comments. Mariah was clearly very choked up at the beginning of the song. That she made it through shows how much of a trooper she really is. It is very, very difficult to sing when you are emotionally overwhelmed.

    I agree that overall, Mariah has not sounded like she did at her peak, but I think it has more to do with her material than what she’s capable of vocally. I think she needs to very much back away from all this Hip Hop stuff she’s trying to do, and leave it for the younger artists.

    Overall, based on the situation she was facing, I still give her pretty high marks. She still has it in her to do some amazing stuff – she just needs to bring her game up and stop trying to sound like everybody else. That will be her downfall.

  • http://bossip.com chocolate chip

    Miss Piggy blew it!!! She shouldn’t have even been able to sing at his funeral- where was butt boy Nick- he is lousy on America’s got talent

  • Don’t ask …. just listen

    Puh-leeze….I don’t know who THIS Mariah is, but the one I use to know could blow! It didn’t matter what the circumstances were, she would tear it up every time. Now, she ain’t neva been a good performer/dancer, but if you put a microphone in her hands, it was on!

    She didn’t look shaken up to me at all…she looked more like an average singer. The hand movements were just ridiculous….so were her hands supposed to help her hit the notes??? And what in the hell was she thinking when she picked out that dress?

    Well, hopefully we won’t be seeing her perform at any more funerals cuz a sistah just can’t take that again!

    WE MISS YOU MICHAEL!

  • Daphne

    @ YAYA LUV

    Agreed!

  • Raiza

    How many times have you seen an entertainer singing at another performers’ funeral? Uh….never! You don’t know for sure what that girl was going through. I can tell you from experience, that when a vocalist cries the throat tends to tighten and it makes it extremely difficult to sing. Its true that she hasn’t given her ultimate performance in some time but I don’t think its fair to clump this one in with the rest.

  • S. Willis

    I don’t care what anybody says: Mariah’s performance was pure crap, and her voice has been sounding this way for a while now. And like some others have said…she is getting old, but instead of aging gracefully, she’s still trying to keep up with the young girls and she looks desperate and silly. Please don’t make excuses about her being “choked up.” This was just her real voice without any back-tracks or layered vocals, period. I used to love her, but now she’s so fake and commercial, and I won’t even mention the tacky dress…ugh!

  • Latindoll

    She needs to stop smoking those Marlboro Lights

  • Tiffany

    Mariah’s voice has been like that for a while, she just can’t sing like she used to

  • Nicole

    Mimi damaged her voice from hitting those high notes. They are very damaging to the vocal cords. Plus she uses her voice in a different way than most do… she is never going to sound the same as she did 15-20 years again. Whitney is in the same boat, and not just because of drugs- voice damage. It’s kind of inevitable for them.

  • nikki

    Mariah Carey came out and looked down and saw that casket and her eyes were visibly red…..she is a phenom singer and is entitled to a slip every now and then especially under those circumstances. I’m not mad at her and she looked great.

  • lamrit

    She sounded awful at MJ memorial. She used the excuse that she was choked up that is why she could not sing, but I did not see her breaking down like I saw Usher. He still managed to sound great even though he had tears running down his face. She sounded the same at MJ memorial as she does on her albums-that whisper voice. I have noticed for years that she sings her songs with a whisper. She does not hit the high pitch notes anymore.

  • Lies and Bullshit-aka-The Truth

    what Tiffany said and I like Mariah. she just don’t have it anymore… she said in her one song “purple, taking me higher. I’m lifted and I like it” so, it is possible she smokes.

  • debi

    staight garbage. I was embarresed for her

  • sepia830

    I don’t think she sounded allthat bad under the circumstances. Regardless Mariah still possesses one of the best voices in the music industry. She has incredible range. Maybe getting too much d*ck is throwing her off a bit, but still….

  • SimplePleasures

    I love Mariah and I’ve been a huge fan of hers for years, BUUUUUT…she’s been sounding pretty bad live for like the last 4-5 years. I think she has permanently damaged her vocal cords.

  • ksully

    Something has to be wrong.. her and Whitney are simply not what they used to be. Sadness!

  • Debra

    Check out her Twitter page…ok you haters, you step out on stage, first one out the block, and see MJ, lying in front of you, hold it together! Give her a break….MC, you were brave to attempt it…

  • evilicious

    where do some of you people come from………
    stop the hating….critizing…the negativity
    start thinking before you throw your opinions out there…..
    always make your actions, deeds and your thoughts count…
    you are just as important as the next person…
    be a positive influence on someone ..on anyone..
    i pray for you…..

  • Robert

    Mariah on a bad day sounds better then half of the female garbage out here trying to sing today.

  • Star

    Maria sounded just as bad when she sung for one of President Obama’s inauguration balls. No more excuses!!!

  • Indy

    Whatever Mariah…your voice is not what it use to be. Jennifer Hudson did have any problems singing nor did Jermaine Jackson or that little british boy.

  • kc

    Poor excuse. She wasn’t any sadder than anyone on that stage.

    And inappropriate her dress.

  • natural

    Mariah is not a great live performer, but still she’s still one of the best female singers ever.

  • 14egpyt

    The best performance was when Jennifer Hudson sang,you see people- she KNOWS what it is like to have a loved family member MURDERED!!.She knows that GOD will make a way for the Jackson family in time, to heal. The Rev. Al Sharptons’words was my next best,when he spoke directly to the three children.AND THOSE WORDS PEOPLE, WILL BE A TATOE INSIDE OF THEIR(the childrens’) HEARTS’ AND MINDS FOR EVER!

  • 14egpyt

    *TATOO*

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