James Blunt has paid an emotional tribute to his “American mother” Carrie Fisher.
Blunt has opened up about his unlikely friendship with the Star Wars icon, with whom he lived while making his debut album in Los Angeles back in 2003.
“My first album was called Back to Bedlam because I lived in a madhouse with her,” he told British newspaper The Sunday Times. “She put a cardboard cutout of herself as (Princess) Leia outside my room, with her date of birth and date of death on her forehead. I’m trying to remember what the date was, because it was around now – and I remember thinking it was too soon.”
Reports suggest James even recorded one his songs, Goodbye My Lover, in Carrie’s bathroom.
The singer was so close to the actress he asked her to be godmother to his son.
“The saddest thing is that my son will never get to know someone I thought was the most special person,” he explained. “Fisher was my American mother, and a real inspiration.”
Carrie suffered a cardiac arrest on a flight from London to Los Angeles on 23 December, and died four days later at the UCLA Medical Center, aged 60. “She went out with a bang, as she was back in movies. Maybe it was a great time to go,” James added.
“Sweet dreams, darling @carrieffisher. I’m gonna miss you. So much,” he posted on Twitter when news broke of the Star Wars icon’s death.
Carrie’s friendship with James extended to the red carpet and she took him as her date to the U.K. premiere of The Force Awakens in December, 2015. She joked she only brought him along because he walked her dogs.
