The day after losing her beloved grandfather, Bishop Jerome Norman, Kelly Price revealed that she lost him to COVID-19.
“I lost my grandfather yesterday to complications of the disease,” the Grammy Award–winning singer said in an interview with The Core 94! in Houston.
The R&B singer also revealed that her grandfather was her very first pastor and ministered with her grandmother at his side for more than 70 years.
“I’m grateful that I had him for all those years, but it just seems that for everything that he’s lived through, surviving cancer on more than one occasion, surviving a heart attack on more than one occasion, coming through racism, being born in the South, just for the things that he survived, I guess for me it just feels crazy that it would be this that takes him from us,” she continued.
Price, 47, vowed to continue to make her grandfather proud. “I’m glad that he’s not suffering and I know I made him proud when he was alive and my intention is to do so for the rest of my life,” she said.
The “Friend of Mine” singer shared sentimental moments of her grandfather with fans on social media, including how the bishop celebrated his 94th birthday, to memorialize him.
“The joy of this day. Our last time together. The love you had for God, grandma, our family, the church. My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” she wrote.
“You always wanted me to sing to you. We won’t have our sing alongs anymore. I don’t have you here with me anymore but I have what you instilled in me. Keeping you here would’ve been selfish,” she continued.
“I’m happy you are healed. I know you are at rest and receiving your well deserved reward for a life of service to the community and God’s people everywhere. Goodnight grandpa,” Prince concluded in her caption. “Until morning.”
Days later, Price lent the talents she sharpened singing in the church with her grandfather to BET’s fundraising special, Saving Our Lives: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort, where more than $16 million was raised to support Black communities ravaged by the effects of the global pandemic.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Price, her family and all of those impacted by COVID-19 around the world.