10 One-Hit Wonders with Tragic Backstories

WatchMojo

Behind some of music's most memorable singles lie heartbreaking tales of loss and struggle. Join us as we explore the poignant stories of artists who reached the top of the charts, but faced devastating personal challenges. From health battles to untimely deaths, these are the bittersweet legacies of unforgettable hits.

Transcript

00:00All I can do is transpose a T for two

00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at artists known for one song whose life stories ended on a down note

00:11Tommy Page

00:16Before turning 20, Tommy Page had a number one hit with I'll Be Your Everything, which members of New Kids on the Block helped him write and produce

00:23Aside from his hit single, Page is probably best known for his appearance on the Full House episode, Crushed, where he was the object of Stephanie's affection

00:37After his career as a performing artist ended, Page went back to NYU and graduated from its Stern School of Business

00:43When he returned to the music industry as a record executive

00:50His tenure was instrumental in the careers of artists like Green Day, Alanis Morissette, and Michael Buble

00:55Sadly, Page died in 2017, and is believed to have taken his own life

01:00The Singing Nun

01:07Jeanine Decaires was a Belgian nun and then-member of the Dominican Order, when her song, Dominique, took off

01:20The cheery tune about the priest, named Saint Dominique, was nominated for several Grammy Awards in the mid-1960s, winning one

01:27In 1966, there was even a movie based on Decaires' life starring Debbie Reynolds as the titular singing nun

01:33His armor was devotion and the gospel was his soul

01:36Unfortunately, her success was short-lived

01:39Though still religious, Decaires found herself in disagreement with the convent and the Catholic Church

01:44After parting ways, she tried unsuccessfully to continue her music career, but money troubles got in the way

01:49Decaires and her life partner, Annie Peixia, took their own lives in 1985

01:54Though the singing nun is gone, Dominique lives on in movies and TV shows

01:58Domenique, nique, nique, nique, mais la vie, je l'ai veron, l'écon et la vie, j'entends

02:04Jennifer Page

02:06A light pop track from the late 1990s, Crushed by Jennifer Page isn't a song you would associate with tragedy

02:11See, you're doing me a kiss, it doesn't take a scientist

02:16However, a decade after the song came out, Jennifer Page faced a host of tragic setbacks

02:20In 2008, her parents both died about two weeks apart

02:30And in 2010, their home was washed away in a flood right before Page was set to sell it

02:35In 2015, she was diagnosed with skin cancer, though she ultimately recovered

02:39Pages admitted that these tragedies kept her spirits down, but her music and her fans were able to help her power through

02:49Not like every thing I do, depends on you

02:53Ray Smith

02:54Fans of the Fallout video game series might recognize the Ray Smith song, Right Behind You

02:59However, the song that Smith received success on the charts with was the early 1960s hit, Rockin' Little Angel

03:10Rockin' Little Angel, come down from the sky, down from the sky, come on down from the sky

03:15Despite the Rockabilly track selling more than one million copies and peaking at number 22 on the Hot 100

03:21Smith wasn't able to replicate another hit

03:23Rockin' Little Angel, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so

03:29After some shows and bouncing from record label to record label, he and his family moved to Burlington, Ontario, Canada

03:34Where he eventually returned to playing country music

03:37Rockin' Little Angel, you're all so sweet, you're all so sweet, you're all so sweet

03:42In 1979, Smith took his life at the age of 45, Rob Bass and DG EZ Rock

03:48If you're a fan of old school hip-hop, then you've certainly heard It Takes Two by Rob Bass and DJ EZ Rock

03:54I wanna rock right now, I'm Rob Bass and I came to get down

03:58I'm not internationally known, but I'm known to rock the microphone

04:02The song, which peaked at number 3 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs Chart, was a top 40 hit on Billboard's Hot 100

04:08Helped its eponymous album reach platinum status

04:10It Takes Two is such a classic that it's been used in samples by artists such as Snoop Dogg

04:15And in video games such as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

04:18The duo from Harlem had been friends since the 4th grade and had moderate success in the 80s and early 90s

04:28However, diabetes complications would lead to DJ EZ Rock's death in 2014 at age 46

04:40Scatman John

04:52John Paul Larkin had a rough childhood in which he struggled with stuttering

04:55Though he was able to cope by playing the piano, Larkin also struggled with substances and alcohol

05:07After relocating to Europe, the American released an album where he fused jazz with Europop

05:12And the 1994 single, Scatman, Skee-ba-bop, ba-da-bop, really took off

05:17Its popularity, including multiple number ones in Europe, led him to take on the Scatman persona

05:28To help him shed his insecurities related to his speech difficulties

05:31Following his newfound success, the 53-year-old Larkin encouraged young people to accept themselves

05:36No matter their shortcomings

05:37Scatman John continued to make music for a few more years

05:40But unfortunately died of lung cancer in 1999

05:43Blind Melon

05:49This 90s band had some critical and commercial success

05:52Thanks to their performance of their song, No Rain

05:54Though it has a cheery, folksy melody

06:01The alt-rock track was actually based on bassist Nathan Towne's girlfriend's depression

06:05I just want someone missing me

06:10The music video for the top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit was directed by industry veteran Samuel Baer

06:17And is best remembered for the young woman in the B costume

06:20However, just after Blind Melon released their second album

06:23Lead singer Shannon Hoon died from an overdose of illegal substances

06:26You don't like my point of view, you feel that I'm insane

06:31The band struggled to replace him and broke up in 1999

06:35Only to reform, break up, and get back together again throughout the 21st century

06:39You don't like my point of view

06:41OMC

06:42Short for Otara Millionaires Club

06:44This group from New Zealand is best known for How Bizarre

06:48Now a major source of 90s nostalgia

06:50Following the chart-topping track

06:55OMC managed to find continued success in their native New Zealand

06:58For a short time thanks to other singles off of their one album

07:01However, in 1998, frontman Pauly Fumana and OMC partner Alan Janssen

07:13Went to court over royalty disputes

07:15But they got back together in 2005 to record more music

07:23Sadly though, Fumana died of progressive, die-my-elinating neuropathy in 2010 at the age of 40

07:29Del Shannon

07:35This artist is best known for the hit song Runaway

07:38Shortly after the Rock and Roll Tune's 1961 release

07:46It was the number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 for a month straight

07:50And it was selected as one of Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time

07:54While Shannon continued to have a bit of success during the next few years

08:02His music career hit a bit of a rough patch in the 70s

08:05Due to his alcohol use disorder

08:07In 1990, mounting pressures and possible mental health issues

08:15Led Shannon to take his own life

08:17Nine years later, he was honored with a posthumous induction

08:20Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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08:41The mother of SNL cast member Maya Rudolph, Minnie Riperton, was a talented singer who had a five octave vocal range

08:57Her vocal range was on full display for the 1974 song, Lovin' You

09:01No one else can make me feel the colors that you bring

09:08The Billboard Hot 100 chart topper was a soul and pop number written by Riperton and her husband, Richard Rudolph

09:14Unfortunately, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1976 and became an outspoken advocate, spreading awareness

09:21She was later honored by President Jimmy Carter with the American Cancer Society's Courage Award

09:29She did not disclose her terminal status publicly and continued to make music, putting on a brave face

09:34Three years later, she would die at the age of 31

09:37Which one hit wonder do you think deserved more hits?

09:47Let us know in the comments

09:48Check out these other clips from WatchMojo

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