When Charlie Puth performed a piano rendition of “See You Again” for the late great Kobe Bryant at a Lakers game, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The heartbreak in the air even got to Wiz Khalifa, who nearly broke down mid-verse. You could see the look of grief on Wiz’s face while he collected himself for a moment, but he rallied and finished out the song with Charlie. Charlie had the perfect arrangement, as his choice to strip the song back to a lone piano part really brought out the emotions of the moment.
Charlie’s live vocals are just incredible here. The New Jersey star famously has perfect pitch, and he used that to good effect here to deliver a flawless and emotionally deep performance. Viewers noted that the audience stood in complete silence throughout, not singing along and just letting Charlie and Wiz pay tribute to Kobe. The Music Man has to say you couldn’t have asked for a better tribute to the basketball legend.
Charlie and Wiz performed at the Lakers’ first game back since the passing of Kobe. The duet hit 4.2 million views when fan channel Charlie Puth Family uploaded it to YouTube. Viewers appreciated the tribute and added comments such as “Wiz getting choked up gets me man. Both of them certified themselves as a legend in my book that day, they already were for me but that just sealed the deal. Rest in peace Kobe” and “This is my favorite performance of ‘See You Again’. Charlie sounds perfect and it’s so emotional.”
Charlie wasn’t the only A-lister to deliver a memorable tribute to Kobe. Christina Aguilera performed “Ave Maria” at the Kobe and Gianna Bryant memorial. This was a unique performance from Christina, as it was completely out of her usual wheelhouse stylistically. The Music Man really has to give it up for the ‘90s hitmaker, as she showed that she can nail any style that she puts her mind to. The orchestral arrangement and the sorrow in Christina’s voice made this a performance that really pulled on the heartstrings.
Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, at age 41. Federal investigators found that the helicopter crashed due to pilot error as he navigated heavy fog. All nine occupants on the helicopter died, including Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna. A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant was held on February 24, 2020. The event featured performances from Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys.