The Times - UK (2022-06-08)

the times | Wednesday June 8 2022 2GM 19

News

A music entrepreneur and ambassador
for the Prince’s Trust who helped to
launch the careers of artists including
Ed Sheeran and Stormzy died suddenly
after taking drugs, his mother has said.
Jamal Edwards, 31, had a cardiac
arrest at the home of his mother, Bren-
da Edwards, 53, a singer, actress and
presenter on ITV’s Loose Women, in
Acton, west London, on February 20.
She wrote on social media that she
was in shock after learning at West
London coroner’s court yesterday that
her son had died “due to cardiac
arrhythmia caused by having taken
recreational drugs”. She said that she

SBTV, an online urban music platform,

in 2006 and turned it into a multi-

million-pound business, making videos

with artists including Sheeran, Nicki

Minaj and Jessie J. A DJ and rapper

himself, he was appointed an MBE for

services to music in 2014.

After his death, the Prince’s Trust

described him as “an incredible innova-

tor and entrepreneur” who had been

Music mogul died at 31 after taking drugs

was speaking out because “it’s so

important that we help drive more

conversation about the unpredict-

ability of recreational drugs and the

impact they can have. How it takes just

one bad reaction to destroy lives.”

The types of drug were not disclosed.

Catherine Wood, the assistant coroner,

adjourned the inquest for two months.

She said: “He came home late one even-

ing, after which he became increasingly

agitated and suffered a cardiac arrest.

He was deteriorating despite treatment

and died... a post-mortem has been un-

dertaken and I have reason to suspect

that the death was an unnatural death.”

Edwards grew up on an estate in

Acton and left school at 16. He started

“an inspiration for so many young

people”.

Sheeran, 31, who went on to become

one of the world’s best-selling musi-

cians, said in February that he “would

not be here without him, professionally

and personally”. He said: “Jamal is my

brother. His light shone so bright.”

In her statement Brenda Edwards

thanked supporters and said that “no

mother or any loved one should have to

go through what Jamal’s sister, Tanisha,

and I have been through since he

passed.”

She added: “Jamal is proof that this

can happen to anyone. These types of

substances are extremely unpredicta-

ble, and we can only hope that this will

encourage others to think wisely when

faced with similar situations.”

The TV presenter, who has recov-

ered from breast cancer, set up the

Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust to

combat homelessness, support mental

health and provide young people with

life skills.

She said: “I would do anything to

have my son back but that is just not

possible, so if I can help save one life,

then we will have achieved something.”

Her fellow Loose Women panellists,

including Jane Moore and Judi Love,

left messages of support after her state-

ment. Nadia Sawalha, the actress and

presenter, wrote: “This must have been

so painful for you to write. Very brave.”

Fariha Karim, Peter Chappell Jamal Edwards
suffered a cardiac
arrest in February

LEE MCLEAN/SWNS

D

eaf festivalgoers

could soon be able

to enjoy music

like other fans

thanks to new

technology, described by one

user as “exciting, surreal,

overwhelming and electric”

(Neil Johnston writes).

Revellers at the Mighty

Hoopla festival in London’s

Brockwell Park last weekend

were the first to try out a

cutting-edge haptic suit

designed to help wearers

immerse themselves in the

music. The suits allow users

to feel sounds through multi-

sensory feedback, delivered

through vibrations across 24

touchpoints on the wrists,

ankles and torso.

Using 5G technology from

Vodafone, the suit is able to

capture and transmit the

atmosphere of the crowd as

well as the music, giving deaf

fans the ability to feel closer

to the performance and

audience around them.

Among the first to try the

kit was Kyle Springate, 31, a

photographer from Hackney

who is profoundly deaf. He

said that he “felt like

Superman” after he was able

to “feel the music” at the

festival, headlined by

Anastacia and Jessie Ware.

He said the experience was

“exciting, surreal,

overwhelming and electric...

it definitely brought a new

dimension to the festival that

I hadn’t experienced before,

especially that sense of

electricity in the air when the

crowd goes wild. It was

incredible... every time the

bass was going, I could feel it

going up my spine. You could

feel the claps at the end of

the set.”

He added that he was

pleased companies were

developing ways to help those

who are deaf and felt

isolated.

Maria Koutsoudakis, from

Vodafone, said she hoped

that the technology — which

is at the trial stage — would

give people the “festival

feeling”.

Suit lets deaf

festival fans

pick up good

vibrations

The haptic suit allowed Kyle Springate, right, who is profoundly deaf to hear Jessie Ware, above, at the Mighty Hoopla festival in London

Vocals

Guitar

Bass

Drum

1. Haptic suit receives data about
   music and crowd atmosphere


2. Vibrations created
   by small motors
   are delivered at
   points across
   the suit


3. Points can
   be set to communicate
   individual parts of the music, at
   varied vibration rates