Yesterday, a memorial service was held for famed basketballer Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The pair were killed in a helicopter crash on the 26th of January.
As part of the memorial, Beyoncé performed the songs XO and Halo in tribute.
A memorial service for Kobe and Gianna Bryant yesterday included an emotional performance from Beyoncé and a heartwrenching tribute from Vanessa Bryant.
“I’m here because I love Kobe, and this was one of his favourite songs,” Beyoncé described before performing XO.
Following his death, figures across the music world have paid tribute to the star, including Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men who performed It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday at the Grammys.
Vanessa Bryant, wife of Kobe and mother of Gianna, also paid tribute to her late husband and daughter at yesterday’s memorial.
“We will not be able to able to see Gigi go to high school with Natalia and ask her how her day went,” she described. “We didn’t get the chance to teach her how to drive a car.”
“I won’t be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day,” she continued. “I’ll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance with her daddy, dance on the dance floor with me or have babies of her own. … I cannot imagine life without her.”
Speaking on Kobe she reflected: “He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was my everything. Kobe and I have been together since I was 17-and-a-half years old. I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidant and his protector.”
“Babe, you take care of our Gigi,” she said.
Watch Beyoncé’s heartfelt performance below.
💜💛 @Beyonce pays tribute to Kobe and Gigi Bryant with a couple of his favorite songs pic.twitter.com/HIfTfWmtlS
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 24, 2020
You can see the memorial in full, here.
