Alicia Keys Boyz II Men

Alicia Keys & Boyz II Men open Grammys ceremony with Kobe Bryant tribute

The televised Grammys ceremony is underway now, kicking off with Lizzo, who said “tonight is for Kobe” and played a medley of some of her biggest hits (during which she yelled “WELCOME TO THE GRAMMYS BITCH”). After Lizzo’s performance, host Alicia Keys gave a tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. “I am literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” she said, referring to the fact that the Grammys are taking place at LA’s Staples Center, home of the Lakers. She then brought out Boyz II Men and sang their song “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” with them. Here’s her full speech:

ere we are together on music’s biggest night. Celebrating artists that do it best, but to be honest with you We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today, Los Angeles, America, and the whole wide world lost a hero.

And we’re literally standing here, heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built. Right now.Coby and his daughter Gianna and all of those that have been tragically lost today are in our spirit. They’re in our hearts. They’re in our prayers. They’re in this building.

And I would like to ask everybody to take a moment and just hold them inside of you. Hold them inside of you, and share our strength and our support with their families. We never imagined in a million years, we’d have to start the show like this. Never never never never never never. So we wanted to do something that could describe a tiny bit how we all feel right now.

Thank y’all so much. Thank you. And I know that we’re gonna do what we’re here to do. I know that we’re going to all join together and do what we do in happy times and challenging times. We’re going to sing together, we’re going to laugh together. We’re going to dance together, we’re gonna cry together. We’re going to bring it all together.

We’re going to love together, and we’re going to make sure that we are celebrating the most powerful energy, the most beautiful thing in the world. The one thing that has the power to bring all of us together. And that’s music.

Watch some clips below.

Full list of nominees and winners here.

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