Celine Dion, Jared Leto honor Paris at AMAs
The American Music Awards paid a moving tribute to Paris on Sunday night.
Taking the stage late in the show, actor/singer Jared Leto reflected on playing an "unforgettable show" at the city's Bataclan concert hall earlier this year with his band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He then honored the hundreds of victims injured and killed in terrorist attacks across Paris earlier this month, including his late friend Thomas Ayad, a marketing manager at Mercury Music Group/Universal, who was at the Bataclan when terrorists shot and held concertgoers hostage during an Eagles of Death Metal show.
"Tonight we honor the victims of the unimaginable violence that has taken place this year in Paris and around the world," Leto continued. "France matters. Russia matters. Syria matters. Mali matters. The Middle East matters. The United States matters. The entire world matters and peace is possible.
"By the way," Leto added. "Many of us here are the sons and daughters of immigrants," including President Obama and the late Steve Jobs, whom he name-checked.
Leto concluded by introducing Celine Dion, who performed an emotional rendition of Edith Piaf's Hymne A L'amour, joined by a string orchestra and with images of Paris displayed in the background.