A legendary tennis champ turned into Linda Perry’s personal hype man at a concert in a downtown loft Thursday night.
The 4 Non Blondes frontwoman was belting out the band’s 1992 anthem “What’s Up?” during an intimate Soho Sessions performance when sports icon John McEnroe bounded across the stage, waving his arms to keep the crowd, which included his brother Patrick, Don Lemon, Gina Gershon, Kelly Bensimon, and Steve Schirripa singing along.
The surprise cameo brought some levity to an otherwise emotional evening for Perry, who is releasing her first solo album in more than 25 years, “Let It Die Here,” alongside a documentary of the same name which delves into her relationship with her abusive mother.
Linda Perry performed an intimate concert in NYC for the Soho Sessions, which take place in a Soho loft. Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God’s Love We Deliver
Perry revealed during the candid set that her mother used to hit her as a child, saying she would “look [back] at her dead cold.”
“There’s something really powerful when you’re getting hit, and you don’t cry,” Perry said. “It’s almost weirdly powerful, too. It’s like you’re just sitting there, and the pain .. . it gives you this energy.”
Perry is confronting her mother’s death, which happened in 2024, through her music.
She says she asked herself, “’How long are you gonna carry this, Linda? When are you gonna let it go? You don’t have anybody to fight. So what’s the excuse? Why are you still fucked up? Why is your head still twisted?’ I think it’s just because that’s who I am. And I have to come to a point where I have to realize, I’m okay with that. That will be my sacrifice, because I love the art the damage produces.”
Tennis legend John McEnroe stormed the stage to pump people up during the 4 Non Blondes song “What’s Up?” Matt Ramirez
Guests didn’t need much encouragement to belt out the tune. Matt Ramirez
Still, the hitmaker — who penned Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” and has worked with Dolly Parton, Pink, Adele, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love and Britney Spears — spoke lovingly about her mother, whom she financially supported and physically cared for during her final months.
“I love my mom. It’s very important to understand that. She had to become a survivor because her life was shit,” Perry said of her mother’s upbringing. “So I could understand and sympathize and have empathy where it was coming from.”
A documentary about Perry, “Let It Die,” is in select theaters now. Soho Sessions
The songwriter is releasing an album of the same name. Soho Sessions
The Soho Sessions, founded by Nicole Rechter and Greg Williamson, has hosted a slew of musicians including Keith Richards, Olivia Dean, Nile Rodgers, and Paul Simon.