Kanye West breaks down on stage in Paris
November 19, 2007

It was his first time on stage since he lost his mother, but that didn't mean that Kanye West had recovered from the tragedy he experienced just a short time ago. When Kanye West took to the stage in Paris on Saturday, emotions made their way to the surface, in front of all to see.

For more than an hour, Kanye West put on a show much like any other concert, keeping the 5,000 fans on hand entertained. That is, until the set list moved on to "Hey Mama", at which point the only thing Kanye West could manage to say was, "This song is for my mother..." According to one concert goer who was quoted by People Magazne, "He just cracked. He was at the end of his concert and had just started to dedicate the song and then he just lost it completely."

A packed house at Paris's Le Zenith offered up their encouragement for Kanye West, as the crowd started chanting, "Kanye, Kanye." People Magazine also quoted Le Parisien journalist Meddy Magloire who said, "He said the word, 'Mother' and just couldn't go any further." Magloire further described the situation, which was captured and posted on YouTube, by saying, "A back-up singer, the DJ and a guitar player came over to console him. It looked like he might collapse. He just couldn't continue. He just stood there in a spotlight, crying while the band continued playing."

As Kanye West wept in the spotlight while the band re-started "Hey Mama", there was hope that the song may finally go off. However, West left the stage while the band played the opening bars to the song. Roughly 15 minutes later, though, Kanye West gathered himself back together and took to the stage to end the concert with "Stronger". Magloire noted, "He was very nervous, seemed to have gathered himself up, and had a lot of energy. He kept shouting out to the audience, 'I need you... I need you right now.' and the public was screaming back. It was magic."

The show in Paris was the first performance by Kanye West since his mother, Donda West, died after undergoing cosmetic surgery. Donda West's death on November 10 has been linked to her tummy tuck and breast reduction, though an autopsy has not revealed a conclusive cause of death. Kanye West has cancelled upcoming shows in Amsterdam and London so he can attend his mother's funeral, though the rest of his European tour will go on as planned.