Ed Sheeran remembers Jamal Edwards on anniversary of death

Ed Sheeran has said he has been listening to music Jamal Edwards loved as he remembered the DJ on the one-year anniversary of his death.

Music entrepreneur Edwards, who was made an MBE for his services to music in 2014, died on February 20 last year at the age of 31.

In a post on Instagram Sheeran, 32, shared a photo of the pair with the caption: “Can’t believe it’s been a year.

“Miss you every day, currently drowning myself in rum listening to tunes you loved xx”

Edwards gained fame after setting up the music platform SBTV in 2006 and was credited with helping to launch a string of UK music acts to stardom, including Sheeran, Dave and Jessie J.

He died from cardiac arrhythmia caused by having taken recreational drugs, a coroner previously ruled at an inquest opening.

Joining Sheeran in remembering her son, TV presenter and singer Brenda Edwards thanked him “for continuing to inspire me daily and for helping me to get my dreams together”.

Brenda also shared her tribute on Instagram alongside a video of herself dancing, interspersed with images of Edwards.

“Self Belief is my baby Jamal’s Mantra, this post is dedicated to my baby it’s been 1 year and yet it still feels like yesterday,” she wrote.

“I thank you for continuing to inspire me daily and for helping me to get my dreams together… this has been nearly two years in the making.”

Last month, Sheeran paid tribute to Edwards with a 64-bar freestyle as part of the return of SBTV series F64.

In the song, Sheeran spoke about the grief of losing his friend, rapping: “Yo Jam, this is a letter to you, it’s been a while but it’s been hard for me to get in the booth.

“Since we last spoke I’ve become a father-of-two trying to live life with a smile but that’s been harder to do.

“Because all I want to do is talk about you, but these tears won’t let me talk about you. We should have known that we’d be lost without you.”

Last month, Brenda revealed Sheeran had supported her and her daughter Tanisha in the aftermath of Edwards’ death, telling Good Morning Britain: “Going back to Ed, when Jamal passed he was literally at my house with me and Tanisha for a whole week just looking after us.

“There wasn’t anything that he wasn’t sorting out and doing if we needed anything, and everybody has been so so wonderful and so supportive.”