She touched Miley Cyrus during her brief time on The Voice.
The 26-year-old pop star was overcome with emotions as she spoke at a memorial service on Monday for Janice Freeman, a former member of her team on The Voice.
The contestant, who had struggled with health and financial problems for years, died at age 33 on March 2. She was survived by her husband Dion and daughter Hannah.
Miley made an appearance at the service, held at Mariners Church in Irvine, California.
The Wrecking Ball singer posted some short videos of her heartfelt speech in honor of Janice.
Very honored to sing with my dad @billyraycyrus in honor of @janicefreeman at the celebration of her life today ….. such a beautiful service for such a beautiful woman….. I will miss you everyday forever
She wrote.
In the short video, Miley tried to make clear who was really responsible for Janice’s amazing talent on The Voice.
‘Before we sing this song for Janice, I just want to clear up a rumor. I was never her coach, ever. She was always mine, I learned more from her than anyone I’ve ever gotten the honor to be in the room with,‘ she said, fighting back tears.
‘I had planned on singing a song for her, but just losing her is too much for me, so, just like Dion will do with you Hannah, my dad’s gonna take care of this for me,’ she said, her voice cracking.
‘But I’ll always be your sister, and I’m here for you, and I’m here for your family. And Janice, I’ll miss you more than I could ever say,’ she said.
Though Billy Ray Cyrus, 57, had to take the lead in a group performance of Amazing Grace, Miley managed to battle through and join along.
Janice was open about her health struggles throughout her life.
She beat a bout of cervical cancer, and lived her life with lupus, a dangerous autoimmune disorder.
Her death was attributed to a combination of an extreme case of pneumonia and a blood clot that traveled to her heart, all exacerbated by her ongoing lupus struggle.
The bond that she and Miley formed while performing together last well beyond her stint on the popular singing competition. The Hannah Montana star even helped her out during a period of financial instability.