First being introduced and exposed to the young singer with a unique haircut and powerful vocal ability 8 years ago via her YouTube channel, Christina Grimmie became a musician I followed routinely. Anxiously awaiting a new upload every week, zeldaxlove64 became a YouTube account that was something I could look forward to watching.
As every week brought a new cover of the latest hits or old throwbacks, the beauty and impact of her voice remained timeless. Behind the black and white keys of piano or behind her own microphone, Christina used her YouTube channel to share her gift, while simultaneously forming a connection with her fans and channel viewers, taking into consideration their song requests and comments.
As she enjoyed sharing her latest recordings with her viewers, her audience members enjoyed furthering their connection with the relatable and admirable singer. Christina continued her music aspirations and expanded her fan base by audition for the popular reality show "The Voice." Through this platform, Christina was able to reach people all across America while further developing her musical talents with the help of her vocal coach Adam Levine. While she continued on each week with impressive cover's to songs such as Drakes, "Hold on We're Going Home" and One Republic's "Counting Stars," Christina ended up coming in 3rd place. Despite falling short to winning the competition, she was able to launch her music career even farther, while loyal fans like myself continued to follow her.
After competing on "The Voice," Christina went back to uploading covers of songs to YouTube weekly, along with completing EP's of original music to release to fans. This gave her the opportunity to go on tour with both Selena Gomez, and most recently Before You Exit.
With great success continuing her music career, Christina Grimmie faced devastating tragedy. On Friday night, June 10th, 22 year old Christina was fatally shot while signing autographs for fans outside the Orlando's Plaza Live Theater after their concert. A gunman opened fire and shot her, causing her to ultimately not survive the gun wounds. The shooter later then shot and killed himself, not before Christina's brother heroically tackled him to the ground, saving the lives of nearby spectators.
Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton have shared their emotions with the public, posting pictures in honor of her during this tragic time. Adam Levine has even offered to pay for Christina's entire funeral, as their connection and friendship was apparent and strong. The death of Christina is sudden, saddening, and surreal. The world has last a true talent who had a bright future ahead of her. With this tragedy, Christina's fans will remain loyal, as her spirit continues on through the sound of her vocals from her music we keep on replay.
