Vigil for Jamal Edwards to be held in London tonight

‘He was the centre of our world,’ said mother Brenda of the late music entrepreneur

A candlelight vigil for the late Jamal Edwards is being held in Acton, west London tonight (21 February).

The influential entrepreneur, DJ, broadcaster, and founder of SBTV passed away yesterday (20 February) at the age of 31.

Representatives of Edwards’ media company confirmed his death to the BBC. His mother, Brenda Edwards, further confirmed that Jamal had died from a “sudden illness”.

The vigil will take place next to the mural of Edwards on Acton High Street from 7:30pm (GMT) tonight.

“We hope that the vigil will help those that knew him (or of him), to come together to process their grief and to show their respect and admiration for a young man who has achieved so much in his short life, and done so much for his community”, said Kal Di Paola of grassroots public arts project Acton Unframed to The Independent. Edwards was born in Luton but grew up in Acton.

The mural was created last year by artist Matt Small as a way to “celebrate all that Jamal has done for his community,” Di Paola added.

This morning (21 February) on Good Morning Britain, Brenda Edwards spoke out saying she was “completely devastated” by her son’s death.

Brenda shared the following on the show’s social media accounts: “Myself, his sister Tanisha and the rest of his family and friends are completely devastated. He was the centre of our world.”

She continued: “Jamal was an inspiration to myself and so many. Our love for him lives on, his legacy lives on. Long live Jamal Edwards MBE, MBA, PHD.”

Edwards started SBTV in 2006 as a teenager. His channel provided a starting platform for UK rappers and featured exclusive performances from Clean Bandit, Jake Bugg, and Banks. It also helped to launch the careers of artists such as Jessie J, Ed Sheeran and Dave.

Additional details regarding the vigil can be found on Acton Unframed’s Instagram.