During a recent live performance for Apple Music Live, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran paid a heartfelt tribute to his late friend Jamal Edwards. Sheeran was introducing his new track “Eyes Closed” when he became emotional and couldn’t control his tears.
The 32-year-old singer also left music lovers in tears during his touching performance of his new album, Subtract. Sheeran began by saying, “This next song was inspired by Jamal.” He got extremely candid about his best friend, who passed away last year.
Opening up about what it was like to write an album with the backdrop of tragedy, Sheeran said, “When I write music, it belongs to me, and when I release it, it belongs to you guys.”
“The first time I played this song ever, I cried. I cried when I introduced it, I cried when I sang it, I cried at the end, and I’m going to cry now,” the singer continued.
The fans, who also had tears in their eyes, gave a supportive cheer for the singer as he rubbed his eyes dry with his hands and then a towel, before warning the crowd, “This will happen a lot in this gig.”
Ed Sheeran and Jamal Edwards were friends for many years. Edwards is the founder of SB.TV, a UK-based online platform that showcases unsigned and emerging artists. Sheeran had credited Edwards for his early success in the music industry, as he was featured on SB.TV in 2010, which helped him gain a following.
Since the tragic passing of his friend, Sheeran has spoken candidly about his grief, and how he has been processing it through his music. During a recent interview with SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up, Sheeran revealed that he has a tattoo in honor of Edwards on his arm.
“I just wanted something that was really personal to him and something that would be personal to me,” Sheeran said.
The music industry has lost many talented individuals over the years, but the emotional tribute by Sheeran reminds us of the personal connections and friendships that exist behind the scenes.
