Ed Sheeran responded to the death of his friend, Jamal Edwards, the founder and CEO of SBTV, who died of a heart attack on February 20 at the age of 31.
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“I haven’t posted anything coz I can’t find the words, I can’t reply coz I don’t know what to say,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram. The post featured an old photo of Sheeran and Edwards together. “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,” Sheeran added. “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.”
Edwards’ mother Brenda, also a panelist on the British talk show Loose Women, said the family was “completely devastated” by his death. “Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated,” she said. “He was the center of our world.”
A candlelight vigil was held for the music mogul around a mural dedicated to him in his home neighborhood of Acton, England.
An influential entrepreneur and business professional, Edwards gained fame after founding the grime and rap music platform SBTV in 2006 and helped launch the career of Sheeran as well as UK artists Dave, Jessie J, and Skepta. He was said to have started his career with a £200 camera he got for Christmas at 15.
Photo Credit: Dan Martensen / Atlantic Records
