Christina V. Grimmie was not only a favorite singer to me, but one of my idols. She meant so much to me, and her death has left a permanent whole in my heart. I wanted to write this book dedicated to her, to thank her for all she's done for me. This...
Christina Victoria Grimmie was a 22-year-old American singer/songwriter born on March 12th 1994, in her hometown in New Jersey. She was born as the fourth edition to a small family, after her parents Bud and Tina, and her older brother Marcus. She and Marcus had a special relationship growing up, and they even ended up getting matching tattoos, 1P & 2P on their arms. (Player 1 (Marcus), Player 2 (Christina). Christina started her singing career on YouTube in 2009 posting covers as the user "zeldaxlove64". She would sit down in front of her keyboard and sing her heart out. Her immense talent and amazing personality is what made her an internet sensation. She was 16 years old when she uploaded her first cover, "I Don't Wanna Be Torn" by Hannah Montana.
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Her favorite game was 'The Legends of Zelda', (witch inspired her YouTube username) and she also loved other video games such as Sonic, and Super Mario Bros. She always had posters in the background in her videos and usually wore colorful t shirts. Throughout her career, Christina accomplished so much. She released her debute album "Find Me", opened for Selena Gomez on tour, and even competed on NBC's 'The Voice', where she made it all the way to the finale and placed third. Even though she didn't win, she was still offered a record deal, and released her second studio album titled "With Love". She also released a few singles along with her EP titled 'Side A' in February 2016. The cover, showing off the revamped version of her 'CG' logo, made up of music notes to spell her initials.
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Aside from her incredible music talent, Christina was such a good person. She ran a campaign with the Humane Society to help animals in need, she did her part to support people diagnosed with cancer, since her mom Tina had been diagnosed with breast cancer four times. And of course, she loved her fans so much. She even referred to them as her "frands", a combination of friends and fans. She and her fanbase "Team Grimmie", invented the rawwk fingers, kind of like a peace sign but with three fingers instead of two. She would hold them up at the end of her videos and say "Team Grimmie rawwks!" into the camera. Christina also identified herself as a Christian. She loved Jesus and held her religion close her entire life. She even got her first tattoo, "All Is Vanity", her favorite line from the Bible. She got it to remind herself that no matter how successful she became, she should never become an egotistical maniac. She never wanted to think she was better than anyone else. She got it as a reminder to keep Jesus first.
One night on June 10th 2016, Christina was performing a concert in Orlando Florida in one of Orlando's oldest theaters, The Plaza Live. It was the next stop on the "All The Lights Tour" with the band Before You Exit. After the show, she held a free meet & greet for her fans. A deranged fan named Kevin James Loibl came up to her that night, and Christina opened her arms for a hug. He pulled out a gun and opened fire on her, shooting her three times. Her brother Marcus who was selling merchandise just a few feet away tackled him, until the man shot himself. Christina was rushed to a nearby hospital in Orlando, where she died from her injuries two hours later. She was only 22 years old. Investigators blamed security for failing to protect Christina and failing to confiscate his weapons, and credited Marcus for quite possibly saving the rest of the fans there, calling him a hero. Christina was laid to rest in her home town in New Jersey on June 16th, joined by her family, friends, and her boyfriend/producer Stephen Rezza. The memorial was also televised and is available to watch on YouTube.
The next year, Christina's family finished the music she had been working on, and released her posthumous album "All Is Vanity", distributed by Republic Records. They also released a second EP "Side B", and a single titled "Invisible", witch became the theme song to her legacy. "I won't be diminished, eclipsed or hidden. You're gonna' see my light blaze back to life like a phoenix rise." - Christina Grimmie, Invisible (2017). Her fans and family are continuing to spread her legacy, and come together to remember and celebrate the life of Christina Grimmie.
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(Fans hosting a candle lit vigil outside The Plaza Live, 1 year after her tragic death.)
Christina may have lived a short life. But the impact she has made on this world and the people in it is something that will last forever. She will live on in our hearts and will forever hold a special place in mine. She will be dearly missed, but she will still help people and inspire people with her music. And that is a powerful and beautiful thing, being able to help people even when you're not physically here. And Christina is doing just that.
Rest In Peace Christina V. Grimmie. March 12th 1994 - June 10th 2016
