Justin Bieber produced a moving tribute to his late friend Christina Grimmie at the weekend, performing a heartfelt rendition of his song ‘Purpose’ and fighting back tears as he did so.

The Canadian star was playing at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Saturday night (June 11th), just a day after Grimmie, 22, was gunned down when she was signing autographs after a concert in Orlando by what police are describing as a “deranged fan”, later identified as 27 year old Kevin James Loibl. Her elder brother, Marcus Grimmie reacted to tackle the gunman, who then shot and killed himself.

Christina GrimmieChristina Grimmie, who was shot and killed by a "deranged fan" on Friday

“Grimmie, can you hear me?” Bieber said while lying on his back on the stage, brushing tears from his eyes with the back of his arm before jumping up to continue his emotional performance, as can be seen in a fan video.

22 year old Bieber reportedly met Grimmie when she was providing support on tour with his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez in 2011. Grimmie, from New Jersey, was just 16 when she supported Gomez on several dates on her We Own The Night tour, according to Seventeen.

More: Stars continue to mourn the death of rising star Christina Grimmie

Gomez herself paid tribute to the star on the same night as she took to the stage in Miami, wiping away tears as she dedicated a performance of Hilltop Worship’s ‘Transfiguration’ to Grimmie. Her stepfather, Brian Teefey, was Christina’s manager and was responsible for uncovering her talent.

Initially a YouTube sensation, famous for covering hit songs by contemporary stars, Grimmie later finished third on the sixth season of ‘The Voice’ in 2014 and then signed to Island Records.

Several stars from the world of pop have added their tributes to Grimmie, including her former coaches on ‘The Voice’ Usher, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, the latter of whom has even offered to pay for her funeral.

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