Ed Sheeran has paid tribute to his late friend Jamal Edwards.
Ed Sheeran posts throwback picture in memory of Jamal Edwards (C) Ed Sheeran/Instagram
The tragic entrepreneur - who died at the age of 31 on Sunday (20.02.2022) from a "short illness" - helped to launch pop star Ed to success through his SB.TV music platform early on in his career and now the 'Bad Habits' hitmaker has spoken out about his "brother" after initially struggling to find the words.
Alongside a throwback picture of the pair, Ed wrote on Instagram: "I haven’t posted anything coz I can’t find the words, I can’t reply coz I don’t know what to say. Jamal is my brother. His light shone so bright. He only used it to illuminate others and never asked for anything in return. A stars light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power."(sic)
Ed - who has gone on to enjoy massive global success since launching his music exclusively on SB.TV over a decade ago - went on to acknowledge that he would not be where he is today without Jamal .
He wrote: "A stars light shines for millions of years after they go, and his will continue to light up every dark moment, we are all witnessing his power. I would not be here without him, professionally and personally. There will never be anything close to what he is, but I’m so grateful to have existed within his orbit. My brother, come on."
Jamal's mother, 'Loose Women' panellist Brenda Edwards, confirmed her son died suddenly from an undisclosed illness and has thanked everyone for their outpouring of love following the tragic loss.
In a statement, she said: "It is with the deepest heartache that I can confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness.
"Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world.
As we come to terms with his passing we ask for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss. I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support.
"Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA, PHD."
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