Entertainment

Mac Miller's Public Vigil Will Give Fans An Opportunity To Celebrate The Rapper's Life

by Taylor Ferber
Rich Fury/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Four days after his untimely death, Billboard is reporting that Mac Miller's public vigil will be located at a place that's significant to the late rapper and honors his legacy. According to the site, Miller's fans can attend his vigil at Pittsburgh's Blue Slide Park on Tuesday, Sept. 11 starting at 5 PM ET.

On Friday, Mac Miller died at 26, according to TMZ. Just hours afterward, his family released a statement to E!:

Malcolm McCormick, known and adored by fans as Mac Miller, has tragically passed away at the age of 26. He was a bright light in this world for his family, friends and fans. Thank you for your prayers. Please respect our privacy. There are no further details as to the cause of his death at this time.

TMZ reported that Miller's death was the result of an accidental overdose, but that has not been confirmed, as the family's statement points out. On Monday, Miller's mother, Karen Meyers, posted a photo of her son to Instagram with a broken heart emoji. Fans have filled the comment section on her post with love for the rapper.

Miller was a Pittsburgh native, and his debut studio album, released in 2011, is titled Blue Slide Park. The park is located just a few blocks from the high school Miller attended, Taylor Allderdice High School. The vigil is setting out to be a celebration of his life. "We would like to bring the city together in full force for this legendary icon," says the event's Facebook page. "Mac deserves to be sent off with an evening of celebrating his life, discussing his struggles, and remembering his stories; most importantly for his iconic work that brought joy into the lives of everybody who listened. We are welcoming all artists to come and paint, create, draw, live tribute art for this event."

Following his death, Pittsburgh public schools issued a statement of sorrow, saying:

We are deeply saddened to have learned about the tragic passing of 2010 Pittsburgh Allderdice alum Mac Miller. We wish to extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. ... Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services and former Pittsburgh Allderdice Principal Melissa Friez describes Malcolm as "a very talented young man, who had a warm smile and friendly personality." While a senior at Allderdice, Malcolm was already touring as he began to break into the music scene. After graduation, he came back to Allderdice to accept the key to the city. He will be greatly missed by the entire Allderdice school community.

Miller's peers within the music community have issued similar statements, and shared stories about the influence the musician had on their lives. Over the weekend, fellow rapper Childish Gambino paid tribute to Miller during his concert in Chicago, according to Rolling Stone. And the rapper's ex-girlfriend, singer Ariana Grande, shared a candid photo of Miller via Instagram to honor his memory.

While the music community and audiences around the world continue to mourn his loss, Miller's upcoming vigil is promising to be a special night to help fans heal and honor the fallen rapper.

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