Ed Sheeran Credits Late Jamal Edwards For Helping In Career

Ed Sheeran is remembering his late friend Jamal Edwards for the special impact he had on the "Shape Of You" singer's life.

Since the passing of the British entrepreneur, it has been bleak for a while. While many stars came forward with some form of tribute or the other, Sheeran's, in particular, has stood out — who will not be forgetting the late star any time soon. 

It seems that the Youtuber played an instrumental part in many artists' careers, as evidenced by the massive turnout of musicians and creatives at his memorial that was held in his honor recently.

The late star who founded the online music platform SBTV is said to have given many opportunities to many creatives like Sheeran, Skepta, Dave, and Emeli Sandé through the platform. The "Photograph" singer, in particular, has been the most vocal in attributing his success to the late entrepreneur.

The 31-year-old who spoke at the memorial, as reported by BBC, stated that his late friend gave him his first big break 12 years ago by getting him to perform the single "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" on his YouTube channel. His manager Stuart Camp and the Atlantic record label discovered him through that video. The English songwriter said:

"I don't think I would have been given the opportunities I was given had it not been for Jamal putting his arm around me. I was slogging on the acoustic singer-songwriter scene for a very long time, just blending in, and Jamal was this sort of tastemaker."

The "Shivers" singer added that he would always disagree when people assumed that because he wrote and sang, he would still have ended up being famous. "I don't think I would have been allowed through certain doors if it hadn't been for Jamal," he continued, adding that the late 31-year-old was always interested in showing opportunities to new people around London.

The memorial also served as the very first fundraising event for the "Jamal Edwards Self-Belief Trust," which was started after his death by his mother, Loose Women presenter Brenda Edwards. 

The trust aims to help young people at risk of homelessness and to provide a boost or entry points to the media industry for people who might not otherwise have the opportunity. The emotional event held in London's new Here at Outernet venue saw performances from Jessie Ware, Lewis Capaldi, and Max Cyrus, a star-studded auction with Terry Crews hosting.

When news broke of Edward's passing, many stars took to social media to post heartfelt tributes. The Blast shared that Sheeran remained silent for a few days after the news was published. In his post, which the "Perfect" singer shared on Instagram to break his silence, he wrote that he could not find the words to express his feeling or reply because he lacked the words. 

The picture posted showed the duo posing in front of the camera in matching outfits while the singer looked at the late star. "Jamal is my brother. His light shone so brightly. He only used it to illuminate others and never asked for anything in return," the caption read. 

"A star's light shines for millions of years after they go, and he will continue to light up every dark moment," he wrote, noting that he would not have been here without him, professionally and personally. Sheeran concluded the message by stating that there would never be anything close to his late friend and that he was grateful to have had the opportunity to be around him. 

Brenda Edwards, who lost her son in February, opened up about news concerning his cause of death, as reported by The Blast. The 53-year-old penned a lengthy message on Twitter sharing new insights that came to light after her son's passing. 

She began the message by thanking the public that supported them from the start of the ordeal while adding that she was shocked after finding out that Jamal's death was drug-influenced and not natural as she had thought. 

The "Songs of Praise" presenter wrote, "I have sadly learned that the cause of Jamal's devastating passing was due to cardiac arrhythmia caused by having taken recreational drugs." Regardless of her pain, she emphasized that she remained proud of her son but also used the medium to warn others about the negative impact of drugs.