Ariana Grande Shares Beautiful 1-Word Tribute After The Death Of Her Beloved 'Nonna' Aged 99
Ariana Grande has paid her respects to her grandmother Marjorie Grande, known to her fans as “Nonna”, following her death at the age of 99.
On Tuesday evening, the Wicked star’s mum Joan Grande posted a statement on behalf of the family on Instagram, which read: “We are devastated to share that the beloved matriarch of our family has passed away. Marjorie (Nonna) Grande passed peacefully in her home and was surrounded by her family and loved ones for every moment of her last few weeks.
“We thank you for your love, support and for respecting our privacy as we grieve and celebrate her beautiful, extraordinary life.”
After reposting her mum’s statement on her Instagram story, Ariana then gave a tribute of her own, sharing a vintage snap of her late grandparents on their wedding day.
“Forever,” the Thank U, Next singer captioned the picture.
Over the course of her career, Ariana has repeatedly spoken about her grandparents’ impact on her music, opening her Sweetener album with an acapella interpretation of The Four Seasons’ An Angel Cried as a tribute to her grandfather.
Her “Nonna” even featured on several of her songs, with recordings of her speaking opening the Thank U, Next cut Bloodline and closing her latest album Eternal Sunshine.
At the end of the song Ordinary Things, on which she’s credited as “Nonna”, Marjorie could be heard saying: “When he first gets off that train, it was like God Almighty arrived. It was like seeing daylight.
“I mean, I could have packed up and left a million times, you know? It’s not that we never fought. You can overcome that. You know? It’s very easy.
“And as I told her, never go to bed without kissing good night. That’s the worst thing to do. Don’t ever, ever do that. And if you can’t, and if you don’t feel comfortable doing it, you’re in the wrong place, get out.”
Marjorie also joined both Ariana and Joan on stage at the 2018 VMAs when the Grammy winner performed her hit song God Is A Woman, which the singer had previously claimed was one of her grandmother’s favourite songs of hers.