Hologram singer

Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur have both had holographic versions of themselves performing onstageABC/Getty

The late Michael Jackson somehow became one of the biggest talking points of the 2014 Billboard Music Awards as a holographic version of the singer performed live.

The hologram appeared on stage during the awards ceremony to perform Slave To The Rhythm, the single from the King of Pop's posthumous album Xscape.

The ultra-realistic hologram performed many of Jackson's signature dance moves during the performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, one stage even moonwalking across the stage.

The hologram's performance was so true to life that it left some members of the audience teary eyed and was also given a standing ovation at the end of the song.

While the hologram of the singer, who died in 2009, was well received, it was not the first time technology has been used to bring performers back from the dead for another performance.

Tupac Shakur

One of the more famous examples of holograms being used to "resurrect" a singer was during the 2012 Coachella festival, when audiences were left stunned as a 3D version of rapper Tupac Shakur was beamed on stage to perform alongside headliners Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.

The technology used to create the image of the rapper, who was murdered in 1995, reportedly cost around $10m (£6.3m).

The hologram performed three songs that night - Gangsta Party, Come With Me and Hail Mary, a track Tupac Shakur never performed on stage while he was alive.

Eazy-E

A year later, not one but two legendary stars of hip hop were also temporarily brought back to life as rappers Eazy-E and Ol' Dirty Bastard performed at the Rock the Bells festival, which toured San Francisco, Washington and New Jersey.

Former NWA rapper Eazy-E was introduced onstage by fellow NWA member DJ Yella during Bone Thugs-N-Harmony headline slot. The hologram performed the tracks Straight Outta Compton, Boyz-n-The Hood and his Bone Thugs-n-Harmony collaboration Foe Tha Love of $.

Eazy-E died in 1995 at the age of 31 after he was diagnosed with Aids. The hologram's performance at Rock the Bells marked what would have been his 50th birthday.

Ol' Dirty Bastard

During the same festival, a hologram of former Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard also performed with the remaining members of the New York rap group during their headline slot.

The hologram performed the track Shame on a N***a from the band's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) as well as his solo track Shimmy Shimmy Ya.

Elvis Presley

In 2007, a hologram of Elvis Presley was projected beside Celine Dion for a rendition of the King's 1968 song If I Can Dream.

However, the hologram of the king of rock and roll was only seen by the viewers at home and not by those in the studio audience.

Frank Sinatra

A hologram of Frank Sinatra was not only used to perform alongside Alicia Keys during the 2008 Grammy Awards, but even more surprisingly, the technology was also used to bring back Ol' Blue Eyes for Simon Cowell's 50th birthday party, where guests including Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue and Leona Lewis watched the performance.

Singer Alicia Keys sings with a hologram of Frank Sinatra onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards held at the Staples CenterGetty