Artists Pay Tribute To Kobe Bryant At Grammy Awards
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Grammys, held in "the house that Kobe built" paid tribute to the late Lakers legend during the star-studded ceremony.
Breakout artist Lizzo, who had the most nominations, started the show dedicating her performance to Bryant, while host Alicia keys sang a heartfelt tribute with Boyz II Men.
Tributes continued to pour throughout the show as Bryant's #24 jersey appeared in the"Old Town Road" and Aerosmith performances.
Earlier in the day, the tragic news sent shockwaves through the red carpet.
"We need to honor him in his house," said the artist H.E.R.
Sheila E. said she was knocked off her feet by the news of Bryant's death: "My knees buckled and I just broke down.
"I feel the sadness of the city. I feel the sadness in this room. I feel the sadness of my own heart breaking," Cyrus said. "I won my first two Grammys today but I just don't feel the joy I would have been feeling. It's a different thing now. It's just bittersweet."
Cyrus recalled the support he received from Bryant for the Grammy-winning "Old Town Road:" "He was nice. He's one of the guys when 'Old Time Road' started breaking, he put up on one of those videos. It just kind of helped us take that next step. His family, some of the kids came to Hannah Montana tapings. I felt, everyone in the world felt, like they knew Kobe and his family. I'm a fan, I'm a huge fan."
Robinson's thoughts turned to the deadly crash: "What hurts me even more is to know that his baby was on the helicopter with him and he was helpless to help her. Breaks my heart."
"There's an unusual feeling in the air today," Keith Urban said on the red carpet. "For me, hearing about Kobe this morning, I was filled with the sense of the importance of family and friendships and relationships with people and just the precious gift of life. We don't know how long we're here for."
Alicia Keys then ended the night with what many were thinking: "God bless Kobe Bryant's family. We love you."
