You might have missed it amid the flurry of rollerskating, confetti and parade of particular visitors, however throughout Usher‘s electrical halftime set at Sunday’s (Feb. 11) 2024 Tremendous Bowl the “Yeah!” singer slipped in a touching, refined tribute to one among his late longtime band members.
Whereas rocking Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with a run of biggest hits, the stage for Usher’s present featured a stay band with a double drum equipment setup. Eagle eyed viewers, nevertheless, could have seen that one of many kits — a golden one — was left empty in a tribute to Ush’s longtime drummer, Aaron Spears, who died in Oct. 2023 at age 47.
Rolling Stone mentioned it confirmed that the empty equipment was an homage to Spears, the beloved drummer who labored with Girl Gaga, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus and who was nominated for a Grammy for his manufacturing on Usher’s huge 2004 Confessions album.
On the time of his dying, Spears’ spouse, Jessica, wrote in an Instagram put up, “Aaron was not solely an extremely completed drummer, admired by many for his unparalleled expertise and keenness for music, however he was additionally a loyal father to our valuable son, August. His love, steering, and heat have been the pillars of our household, and his absence leaves a void that phrases can’t describe. We have been blessed to have him in our lives, and his legacy will stay on via the gorgeous rhythms he created and the love he shared with us. We respect all of the ideas and prayers throughout this troublesome time. Please keep in mind Aaron for the unbelievable particular person he was and the wonderful music he introduced into our world. At the moment we ask for privateness as we work our means via this.”
The refined Spears shout-out got here amid a strong set wherein Usher cycled via a sequence of hits, starting with “Caught Up,” earlier than hitting “My Confessions, Pt. II,” “U Obtained It Unhealthy” (that includes H.E.R. on guitar), duets with Alicia Keys on “If I Ain’t Obtained You” and “My Boo,” an look by Jermaine Dupri and later Will.i.am for “OMG” in addition to Lil Jon and Ludacris for “Yeah!”
