Here are some “great” lip syncing performances throughout the ages.
n In of the most famous lip-syncing scandals ever, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan – better known as Milli Vanilli – were outed as lip -syncers during a 1990 concert when their pre-recorded track started skipping. When it was revealed they didn’t even sing on their studio albums, they returned their Grammys and quickly fell from grace. Their names are now synonymous with faking it.
n Ashlee Simpson was outed during a 2004 Saturday Night Live performance when her backing track played a song different from the one she was singing. She tried to play it off by awkwardly dancing around the stage, but was the laughing stock of the entertainment world for a few days.
n At the 2007 BET awards, 50 Cent stumbled through his performance, missing cues and then being thrown for a loop when his music started looping instead of playing the vocals.
n In 1983, Michael Jackson lip synced his way through “Billi Jean” during a Motown anniversary special on television. His performance of the song was still so great, no one seemed to care he wasn’t really singing.
n In an August 2003 show at Madison Square Garden, R. Kelly put down his mic during a song and let the pre-recorded track go on singing. On purpose. The audience supposedly responded positively.
n At Super Bowl XLIII, Jennifer Hudson lip-synced the National Anthem because the producer said there were too many “variables” to do the song live.
n During this partially lip-synced performance on Good Morning America, Mariah Carey actually sings the words “Stop singing my part, baby” to a backup singer.
n Britney Spears, a repeat offender of lip-syncing crime, made her fake vocals so obvious during an Australian concert that fans walked out.
n Not only did Luciano Pavarotti lip sync ”Nessun Dorma” during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics, but the orchestra and conductor faked it as well.
From Michael Jackson to Beyoncé, a brief history of lip syncing
