BEYONCE has opened up the Celebration of Life memorial, honoring the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi.
The pop star began by singing her balled XO, but after a few lines, she restarted so that the 20,000-strong crowd could join in.
"I'm here because I love Kobe, and this was one of his favorite songs so I want to start that over," she shared.
"I want us to do it all together, and I want you to sing so loud, he hears your love."
Beyonce was joined by a choir and orchestra during the performance which was held at the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles, where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
She also sang ballad Halo, and at the end of the performance, the singer appeared to lose her composure and sent a kiss into the air.
The memorial of US basketball legend Kobe Bryant takes place today, where crowds of mourners will honor the superstar and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
The LA Lakers star – an 18-time NBA All-Stars champion – died in a devastating helicopter crash on January 26 that killed nine people on-board.
Following Bryant's death, he was laid to rest in a private funeral on February 7 by his wife Vanessa Bryant in California.
Kobe was buried at the Pacific View Memorial Park, close to the couple's home in Orange County, by close friends and family.
But a public service due to be held in Los Angeles today (Feb 24) will offer fans of the sport and the public a chance to reflect on Bryant's life.
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event, and he broke down in tears as he admitted that he didn't "think not one of us could have imagined this"."
"Everywhere you go you see his face and his number, Gigi's face…"
His wife Vanessa announced the date on Instagram, with the caption: "#2, #24, #20 Years as a Laker and the amount of years Kob and I were together."
The date of the memorial has extra significance.
Bryant wore the number 24 in the latter part of his NBA career, while Gianna wore the number 2 for her youth basketball teams; Vanessa and Kobe were together for 20 years.
Following his tragic death, thousands of basketball fans gathered outside the arena to remember the legend.
Dedicated fans built a monument to commemorate him, built from flowers, letters, jerseys and basketballs.
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