2020 started off with the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, a tragedy that left people stunned and devastated.
Many artists paid tribute to the basketball legend at the memorial service, one being the incredible Alicia Keys. She gives an emotional dedication performance for her friend, one that had much of the crowd at the Staple Center in tears.
Keys decided to play “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven during this memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter.
When it comes to talented musicians, it doesn’t get much better than Alicia Keys. Her breathtaking voice paired with her masterful skills on the piano has cemented her as one of music’s all-time greats. In this clip, she pours her heart into the music on her piano with millions watching and remembering Black Mamba.
At the beginning of the video, you can see a composer who begins directing three violinists who are playing the beautiful piece with Keys.
When she begins playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” you could hear a pin drop. The whole audience is instantly in a trance.
Keys plays on a purple piano in honor of Kobe Bryant, and the sadness on her face is impossible to miss.
It’s such beautiful music on a somber occasion, and there’s not a dry eye in the arena as Keys flawlessly pays the complex and deep piece by the famous composer.
At one point, the camera zooms in on Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, who is obviously weeping for her husband and daughter who both passed away in a helicopter crash along with seven other people.
The emotion is so strong that Keys fights back tears as she plays the tribute for the legend gone so soon.
Not only does Alicia Keys play the Beethoven perfectly, but the composer and violinists also give a powerful performance for the packed crowd at the Staple Center.
When the camera zooms out, you can see a slideshow of Kobe and his family playing on the jumbotron at the massive sports arena.
It’s such a perfectly put together show, which is no surprise.
There’s a special reason why Keys is playing “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven.
Although it is a great piece for such an event, there’s a deeper reason why she chose to play at his memorial. Kobe Bryant once learned to play “Moonlight Sonata” by ear for his wife of 20 years, and it was one of the couple’s favorite songs.
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata calms me down when I reach my breaking point #relaxandfocus pic.twitter.com/i2imK51p
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 22, 2013
It was no secret that Kobe was a man of many talents.
His former teammate Matt Barnes spoke to ET about Kobe’s talent on the piano that would come out on the road:
“There’s always big grand pianos in all the hotels we stay in. And one time, he sat down and started playing a little bit . . . He was playing the piano like it was nothing. It was just incredible to me that when he locked in on something, there were no barriers. He tapped into that other side of the brain that people don’t get a chance to use. He knew how to get to that other side.”
Alicia Keys’ performance has been viewed over 2.5 million times on YouTube, but who knows how many people watched it live.
This brought tears to my eyes.
As a huge Kobe fan, it was good to see him sent off this way. His passing has impacted generations and was only the beginning of 2020. If there’s one thing this year’s teaching us, it’s that if we can get through this, we can get through anything.
To see Alicia Keys’ touching tribute performance, watch the video below!
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