Feb. 21 (UPI) — Music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards has died.
The SB.TV founder and YouTube star died Sunday after a sudden illness, his mother, Loose Women panelist Brenda Edwards, confirmed in a statement to the show Monday. Edwards was 31.
“It is with the deepest heartache that I confirm that my beautiful son Jamal Edwards passed away yesterday morning after a sudden illness,” Brenda Edwards said. “Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world.”
“As we come to terms with his passing we ask for privacy to grieve this unimaginable loss,” she added. “I would like to thank everyone for their messages of love and support.”
Brenda Edwards called her late son “an inspiration to myself and so many.”
“Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on,” she said.
Edwards launched SB.TV, an online platform showcasing emerging artists, in 2006. The platform helped launch the careers of Ed Sheeran, Jessie J, Dave and other British artists.
In addition, Edwards served as an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust, a youth charity founded by Prince Charles. Edwards received an MBE (Member of the British Empire) award in 2014 for his contributions to music.
Prince Charles was among those to pay tribute to Edwards on social media.
“Thinking of the family of Jamal Edwards today. His work in music but also as an ambassador for a new generation, including his work for The Prince’s Trust, were an inspiration to so many,” Charles tweeted on the Clarence House official Twitter account Monday.
