Catherine O’Hara’s Best Musical Moments, From ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ to ‘Jazzagals’

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The legendary actress died at the age of 71 on Jan. 30, 2026.

1/30/2026

Catherine O'Hara attends the World Premiere of Apple TV+'s Series "The Studio" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Catherine O’Hara died at the age of 71 on Friday (Jan. 30) — but she leaves behind a legacy of making people laugh with her singular performance style and musicality that will remain beloved for generations.

The news of the actress’ passing was reported by TMZ on Friday and quickly confirmed by her agent at CAA, who said in a statement that she’d died in her Los Angeles home “following a brief illness,” according to the Associated Press. She is survived by her husband, Bo Welch, and their sons, Matthew and Luke.

After getting her start at the Second City in Toronto — where she first worked with Eugene Levy, her screen partner in many of her most iconic projects through the years — O’Hara starred in a number of classic films, including Beetlejuice, Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Her guest roles in Christopher Guest’s signature mockumentary-style films further solidified her as a comedy great, including the cult classics Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind.

And while her acting and joke-delivering chops were always on full display in every part she played, many of her characters also gave her the chance to show off her underrated musical capabilities, too. Whether making her Saturday Night Live debut with an elaborate monologue number in 1991 or singing as part of the “Jazzagals” in Schitt’s Creek in the late 2010s, O’Hara was a natural at incorporating music into her performances on screen.

So, to honor O’Hara’s unforgettable life and career, Billboard is rounding up all of her best musical moments. Check them out in chronological order below.

Beetlejuice (1988)

One of the most iconic scenes in one of O’Hara’s most iconic movies — Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice — featured her character, Delia Deetz, breaking into a performance of Harry Belafonte’s “Day-o (Banana Boat Song)” at a dinner party, while being possessed by her house’s resident ghosts. Though O’Hara doesn’t actually sing in this one, her physicality with the music and commitment to the bit are what make this one of the more memorable song synchs in spooky film history.

Watch here.
“Musical Improvisation” (1991)

Image Credit: SNL, NBC/YouTube

O’Hara could’ve delivered a standard spoken monologue on her first-ever Saturday Night Live appearance, but instead, she jazzed things up with a hilarious, “improvised” song based on a book title, featuring the in-house band and backup singers. And though her belted scats are humorous, there’s also no denying: she had some pipes.

Watch above.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Image Credit: Disney Music/YouTube

Of all her musical moments in film, playing Sally in Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is arguably O’Hara’s most earnest — and her most haunting. The actress’ soprano performance of “Sally’s Song” in the stop-motion gothic is as gorgeous as it is chilling, with O’Hara performing it various times with live orchestras in later years.

Watch above.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)

O’Hara’s first of several Guest films, Waiting for Guffman, included several hilarious numbers — the mockumentary chronicles the production of a faux stage musical, after all — but some of the most standout moments include the actress’ hilarious performance of “Midnight at the Oasis” with Fred Willard and the ensemble dancing with and singing about stools.
Best in Show (2000)

Image Credit: TM & Warner Bros./YouTube

Guest’s next mockumentary, Best in Show, switched focuses to the competitive world of dog shows, wherein O’Hara stars as Cookie Fleck — who begins the movie as just another show-dog owner and ends as a local celebrity known for tunes such as “Terrier Style.” Bow wow!

Watch above.
A Mighty Wind (2003)

A Mighty Wind is Guest’s homage to folk music, so naturally, there are a lot of performances, many of which include O’Hara and Levy singing as the reunited musical duo Mitch & Mickey. One of the most memorable, though, is “You Next to Me,” which the two sing so beautifully, you temporarily forget you’re watching a mockumentary.

Watch here.
“Jazzagals” (2015-2020)

Image Credit: Schitt's Creek/YouTube

O’Hara brought melodramatic former soap opera star Moira Rose to life through six seasons of Schitt’s Creek, on which she often sang with a women’s choir called the “Jazzagals.” Some of their fan-favorite numbers include “Baby, I’m Yours” and “Silent Night.”

Watch their best moments above.