Grammy Awards open with tributes to Kobe Bryant

Reuters: R&B singer Lizzo kicked off the Grammy Awards show on Sunday (January 26), dedicating the night to basketball star Kobe Bryant, whose death in a helicopter accident earlier in the day cast a shadow over music's biggest night. "Tonight is for Kobe" said Lizzo, going into a medley of the title song from her album "Cuz I Love You" and hit single "Truth Hurts." The Grammy Awards show takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the home of Bryant's team the Los Angeles Lakers. "We are literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built," said Alicia Keys. "We never imagined in a million years we'd have to start the show like this." Bryant, one of the NBA's all-time greatest players whose international stardom transcended basketball, was killed at age 41 along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others on board a helicopter, officials said. Bryant rocketed to fame as an 18-year-old rookie and played 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers - 18 of them as an all-star - winning five NBA championships. His death sent shockwaves through the National Basketball Association, which he helped propel to global prominence, and stunned fans around the world. The cause of the crash was unknown, and an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board could take months.