Following the sudden, shocking death of sister Leslie, Nick Carter poured his grief into a recent performance. Taking the stage at Irving Plaza in New York, the former Backstreet Boy dedicated ‘Falling Down’ to his fallen younger sister.

A visibly distraught Nick coughed a bit and sniffled before taking the mic. “I’ve never done this before, and I never thought I’d ever have to,” Nick began, his voice breaking, “but I’d like to dedicate this song to my sister.”

Without altering his lyrics at all, Nick transformed ‘Falling Down,’ originally a track about a failed relationship, into a haunting ballad about his personal tragedy. “I’m going down, I don’t wanna live my life without you / The hardest thing I ever do / Is try to pick myself up off the ground,” he sang. “Trying to outrun all the memories / But I keep falling down / I keep falling down / And it’s like you still got a hold on me / Cause I keep falling down.”

Leslie was only 25 when she passed away on Jan. 31 in New York. TMZ reports that a prescription drug overdose is the suspected cause of Leslie’s untimely passing. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Carters during this difficult time.

Watch Nick Carter Perform ‘Falling Down’

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