The two singers had been close for years even before Grimmie went on The Voice.

After the tragic murder of 22-year old singer Christina Grimmie, many artists from around the world paid tribute. One of those many artists is 23-year old pop star Selena Gomez. Gomez was affected by the news on an especially personal level. The two singers had been best friends since the very start of Grimmie’s career.

Before she appeared on the singing competition show The Voice back in 2014, Grimmie was actually discovered by Gomez’s mom, Mandy Teefey, who stumbled upon her YouTube channel and was blown away by her cover of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On.

Mandy asked her husband, Brian Teefey, Gomez’s stepdad, to get in touch with the 14-year-old Grimmie. Gomez’s parents would go on to become Grimmie’s managers at the onset of her career.

Spending a lot of time with Gomez’ parents meant spending a lot of time with Selena herself. In 2011, Grimmie joined Selena Gomez and the Scene on stage during the We Own the Night Tour. It was there that Gomez and Grimmie’s friendship blossomed. Grimmie took major inspiration from Gomez and had said of her as “always been great”. In an interview with MTV News, Grimmie said, “I can’t explain it — she [Selena] was in my place at one point, but what I’ve learned from her is just to keep going.”

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The pair’s friendship grew stronger. Grimmie was even there when Gomez went solo, too. She opened for Gomez on the North American leg of the Stars Dance tour. It was Gomez’s first major tour without her band. The two also appeared together in a 2011 Kinect and playing virtual football.

After the news of Grimmie’s untimely death broke out, Gomez broke down in tears during her concert in Miami just hours after the incident occurred. Gomez heard that her friend was shot to death during a meet and greet with fans in Orlando. The singer dedicated Nobody and Transfiguration to her longtime friend in an emotional tribute made all the more devastating by the two singers’ history together.

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