Rihanna Mourns Beloved Grandmother After Concert In Sweden

'Goodbye #grangranDOLLY get your beauty rest until I see you,' the 'Farewell' singer posts in a stream of online tributes.
By Rebecca Thomas

<P><P>There are few things more precious than a girl's relationship with her grandmother, and <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/rihanna/artist.jhtml">Rihanna</a> knows that all too well. In the early hours of Sunday morning (July 1), the Bajan singer turned her Instagram into a virtual eulogy, posting a string of photos in tribute to her beloved "GranGran," Dolly.</P><P>The "We Found Love" singer had just come off a <a href="http://rihannadaily.com/2012/06/30/rihanna-performs-at-peace-love-festival-in-sweden" target="_blank">performance</a> at Sweden's Peace &amp; Love music festival, where she added her melancholy cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" to the set. But some concertgoers grew frustrated with Rih's show, according to <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2167119/Rihannas-furious-fans-turn-shambolic-performance-Swedish-festival.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-dmailtvshowbiz" target="_blank">reports</a>, after the singer turned up late and seemed shaky at times. Post-show, though, it seems the death of the family matriarch, reportedly from cancer, may have hampered Rihanna's stage show.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Why Did Rihanna Decide To Do 'Love The Way You Lie (Part II)'?" id="vid:591934" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>RihannaNavy devotees know that Dolly, as well as Rih's "GranDad," Lionel, figured prominently in her life, a source of familial support to anchor the megastar, who has spoken fondly of her Caribbean values and upbringing. Back in March, the singer took a break from her whirlwind schedule to celebrate Dolly's birthday. Documenting the affair along the way, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1681321/rihanna-grandmother-birthday.jhtml">Rih posted loving pics of the elderly couple</a> toasting with flutes of wine, and even shots of her carefully selected grocery items from a New York City Whole Foods.</P><P>While fans sent their well-wishes and <a href="http://instagram.com/p/Mh3ixnhM3W" target="_blank">condolences</a> as the chart-topper papered her Twitter feed with old snaps (some with captions like "the best!" and the hash tag #GranGranDolly), one note in particular caught the attention of her followers: Joyce Hawkins, the mother of Rihanna's ex, Chris Brown, wrote a heartfelt <a href="https://twitter.com/mombreezy/status/219298532623003649" target="_blank">message</a>. "@rihanna ANGEL MAY GOD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN YOUR TIME OF SORROW. LOVE YOU ANGEL," Hawkins wrote from her @mombreezy account.</P><P>To which Rih wrote in response, "Thank you! Love u mama." Chris himself expressed his own sadness via tweet: "Praying for family and the lost loved one. She was like my grandmother. Love you GRAN GRAN! RIP"</P><P>Rihanna is a nominee at Sunday night's 2012 BET Awards, but she doesn't seem to be slated to appear at the live show. More likely, the "Farewell" singer is lost in her loss. "Goodbye #grangranDOLLY get your beauty rest until I see you," she posted in another update.</P><P><i>Share your condolences with Rihanna and her family in the comments below.</i></p></p>

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Source:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1688864/rihanna-grandmother-sweden-concert.jhtml

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