Sunday night’s (February 5) Grammy Awards ceremony offered one of the most touching in-memoriam segments. Quavo honored his close friend, bandmate and nephew, Takeoff with the first performance of “Without You.” Kacey Musgraves paid homage to Loretta Lynn by performing “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” while Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt honored Christine McVie with a rendition of “Songbird.” Aaron Carter, who was found dead in his bathtub this November, was not included in the tribute segment. His fans noticed.
One fan tweeted a black-and-white photo of the “I Want Candy” singer writing, “Since the Grammys chose not include Aaron Carter’s picture while tributing the passed away singers. I’ll just post my own mini tribute because that’s so sad. Rest In Peace Aaron Carter.” Another angered fan said, “Really @RecordingAcad ??? HOW do you leave @aaroncarter out of the in memoriam??? He sold millions of albums, his life was music. I am stunned and saddened you didn’t include him.” One person said, “Wait they didn’t include Aaron Carter in the In Memoriam?! Whether u were a fan or not, the man spent his entire childhood funding the lifestyles of the industry motherf—ers in off the rack Armani suits filling most of them Grammy seats.”
Though Carter wasn’t featured on the big screen during the awards ceremony, the Recording Academy did acknowledge him on a much longer list on its website that honors members of the music community who have died in the last year.
RELATED: Aaron Carter’s Management Slams Unauthorized Release of Memoir
Just last month, the singer-turned-rapper’s family released a statement to Page Six that they believe Carter died of a drug overdose, not drowned in the tub. Carter’s on-again, off-again fiancée, Melanie Martin, said the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office ruled out drowning after not finding water in the former child star’s lungs. Martin, 30, and Carter’s mother, Jane Carter, are still waiting on a toxicology report to confirm their theory of an overdose. To add to their suspicions, Martin said she read text messages between Aaron and an “unidentified person telling Aaron he owed $800 for an unknown substance.”
Although she didn’t address the Grammys directly, Martin posted a tribute of her own on her Instagram story on Sunday night, shortly after the segment aired. She and Carter share one young son.