Rita Ora broke down in tears as she held a minute's silence for the late DJ Avicii during her performance at the 538Koningsdag Festival in the Netherlands on Friday. The 27-year-old singer, who collaborated with Avicii on the hit 'Lonely Together,' addressed the 40,000-strong crowd before performing the track.
Ora told the audience: 'I'm going to say something which is really, really special because it's going to be hard for me to sing this next song. I had the honour of collaborating with somebody who changed my life and he's a really good friend of mine. I haven't sang his song that we did together, ever since he passed away — until today.' She described Avicii as 'the incredible Avicii' and noted that 'Lonely Together' was the last song he released.
The singer asked the crowd to observe a minute's silence for her 'dearest friend,' struggling to hold back tears as she bowed her head. Avicii, born Tim Bergling, was found dead aged 28 in Muscat, Oman, last week. He had retired from touring in 2016 due to health issues, including acute pancreatitis.
Following the news of his death, Ora had paid tribute on Twitter, writing: 'I have no words. I remember how amazing it was to make Lonely Together and it felt like just yesterday we were talking. Condolences to Avicii's family, friends, and the fans who supported him. May he rest in peace. Gone too soon. I'm devastated. Heartbroken.'
