Normally, any stage Bono steps onto becomes his domain. His presence, his conviction, his ability to command a crowd are rarely matched.

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Normally, any stage that Bono sings on, he’d be the undeniable main event. But not when on stage with the force of nature known as Luciano Pavarotti. When Bono and Pavarotti sang the yearning ballad “Miss Sarajevo” together live, fans couldn’t help but note that Pavarotti blew him off the stage with his majestic vocal firepower. Tune in at 4:27 to hear Pavarotti deliver such a sublime series of melodies, ending in a goosebumps-inducing high run.

This kind of emotional power and total command of technique is why many consider Pavarotti to be the greatest of all time. The Music Man has to say that the performance is also a great showcase for the combination of Bono’s wistful soul vocals with the operatic power of Pavarotti. It’s such a compelling mix of styles, making for a completely unique performance. It’s also great to see Bono just watching in awe as Pavarotti sings – you could definitely tell Bono knew it was a special moment

The Pavarotti and Bono duet, which also featured U2 guitarist The Edge and Brian Eno, drew 29 million views when it was uploaded on Pavarotti’s YouTube channel. Fans couldn’t get enough of the performance, and added comments such as “Bono’s voice is so great. But then the greatest voice in history chimes in and you can witness just how next level he was” and “Pavarotti’s voice makes me cry. When he would sing, it was so angelic.”

Although they come from completely different worlds musically, Bono and Pavarotti have collaborated on several occasions. The duo also performed Franz Schubert’s classic “Ave Maria”. This pair delivered an understated and classy duet on the cover and again showcased that special chemistry their unique styles deliver when heard together. It’s also a great showcase for Bono’s development as a vocalist, as he sounds more confident and fuller when singing on a minimalist piece in this more recent performance.

Bono and Pavarotti performed their duet on “Miss Sarajevo” at the Pavarotti & Friends concert on September 12, 1995. The concert took place in Modena, Italy, and was held to raise funds for the War Child charity and their relief efforts related to the then-ongoing Bosnian War. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Bono and Pavarotti struck up a friendship after the charity concert. Bono spoke about Pavarotti after the tenor died in 2007, saying, “He lived the songs, his opera was a great mash of joy and sadness.” The U2 frontman continued, calling his late friend “A great volcano of a man who sang fire but spilled over with a love of life in all its complexity. A great and generous friend.”

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