Jamal Edwards spent his last moments surrounded by his mother and sister after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest in February.
The founder of the U.K. Hip-Hop platform SBTV, Jamal Edwards played an instrumental role in launching the careers of artists including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran, and Dave. His mother has spoken about his death for the first time since his passing.
“I was with him and his sister was with us. We were all at home,” the music entrepreneur’s mother, Brenda Edwards revealed during an interview with one of her fellow Loose Women” talk show panelists.
“It was sudden and it was unexpected, and he went into a cardiac arrest and then he passed with me holding his hand. So… I get a little bit of comfort from knowing I was with him,” she added.
She also takes comfort from speaking to her son and greets him daily. “I wake up every morning and there’s all his photos still obviously in the house, and I look at him and I say ‘Good morning, baby’, and I say ‘Good night, baby’. And I think doing that is what’s keeping me going.”
Brenda Edwards gives her first interview following the passing of her son, Jamal Edwards MBE: “I was with him. His sister was with us. We were all at home. It was sudden and unexpected. He went into a cardiac arrest and passed with me holding his hand”
— Dionne Grant (@DionneGrant) April 25, 2022(via @loosewomen) pic.twitter.com/Y4w8Tr5Gfx
The news that Jamal Edwards had died suddenly on February 20, aged 31, rocked the U.K. music industry. Prince Charles and former prime minister David Cameron were among those who paid tribute to the U.K. music pioneer after his tragic passing.
Jamal Edwards was an ambassador for Prince Charles’s charity, the Prince’s Trust, which helps young people set up their own businesses. He was also awarded an MBE in 2015 from Queen Elizabeth for services to music through his SBTV platform.
The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust
His mother revealed she will continue her son’s legacy and is launching the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust in his honor. “Jamal was all about empowering young people,” she said. The trust aims to set up an academy for 16-21-year-olds with internship opportunities to teach them life skills. They also have plans for a homeless sanctuary.