Good Morning Britain has paid tribute to Jamal Edwards following news of the British entrepreneur’s death aged 31.
Edwards’ mother, the Loose Women panellist and musical theatre star Brenda Edwards, told GMB that he died after suffering a “sudden illness”.
On Monday’s episode of the ITV series (21 February), Edwards, who founded the online music platform SBTV, was branded a “trailblazer”.
After creating SBTV aged just 15, Edwards helped launch the careers of artists including Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, Jessie J and Dave.
He was awarded an MBE in 2014 for services to music.
GMB correspondent Noel Phillips said of Edwards: “He was a pioneering figure in Black British culture and music in particular and hip hop, a trailblazer in fact.
“This is a man who came up in a musical household and used that passion for music to give artists and so many young people a platform which they never had – and let’s not forget, these are artists who would never get played on mainstream radio,” Phillips continued.
“He changed the musical landscape actually by doing that,” Reid agreed.
She then added: “Social media was awash with tributes to Jamal last night. He’s a hugely influential figure, and obviously we send our huge love to Brenda and to his family and to everyone affected.”
Brenda shot to fame after appearing on The X Factor in 2005. She finished fourth in the second series, which was won by Shayne Ward.
Edwards’ manager confirmed that he died on Sunday morning (20 February), with the news prompting tributes from figures from the entertainment industry and beyond.
Many have expressed their condolences to his mother, who described her son as being “the centre” of her world.
Edwards’ channel, named after his rap name SmokeyBarz, platformed music from many artists who went on to sign record deals thanks to its popularity.
