I'LL BE THERE

Mariah Carey had
included "I'll Be There" as a last-minute addition to her MTV
Unplugged setlist, after she had been informed that most acts on the show
commonly perform at least one cover. "I'll Be There" was the sixth
track on Carey's MTV Unplugged special, taped on March 16, 1992. It
was performed as a romantic duet, with Carey singing Michael Jackson's
lines and R&B singer Trey Lorenz singing Jermaine Jackson's
lines. The program and resulting MTV Unplugged album were produced by
Carey and Walter Afanasieff, who played the piano for the performance.

The MTV Unplugged special aired on May 20, 1992,
and was a notable success. Carey's label, Columbia Records, received many requests
to release "I'll Be There" as a single, which had not been planned. A
radio edit of the song was created which removed dialogue portions of the
performance, and "I'll Be There" was released as a single. In the
U.S., the song was issued with "So Blessed" as a B-side; in the
United Kingdom, the "I'll Be There" single included the live version
of "Vision of Love", and
the album versions of "If It's Over" and "All in Your
Mind".

"I'll Be There" was nominated for the 1993 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with
Vocals and Best R&B
Song, losing both categories to Boyz II Men's "End of the Road". The "I'll Be
There" music video, directed by Larry Jordan, was compiled from footage of
Carey's MTV Unplugged appearance.

During Michael
Jackson's memorial service on July 7, 2009, Carey and Lorenz
sang their rendition of the song in tribute to Jackson.