Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys and more performed at a “celebration of life” for late mogul JR Ridinger — which turned into a star-studded concert — on Saturday night in Miami.
Lopez, 53, and rapper Ja Rule played their 2001 hit, “I’m Real,” at the event, which took place at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach.
A source tells page Six that Keys, 41, served as the memorial’s musical director and performed some of her biggest hits on “her piano in the middle of the room.”
“When she performed ‘Empire State of Mind,’ [the] acoustic version, everyone was given candles to hold in the air,” the insider tells us of Keys’ rendition of her 2009 song. “It was an epic moment, and then everything became impromptu.”
Jamie Foxx, Ja Rule, Fat Joe and DJ Khaled also played live, while attendees included Kim Kardashian, Ben Affleck, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Larsa Pippen, Lennox Lewis and Daymond John.
The source adds that Khaled, 46, performed “Wild Thoughts” and danced for the audience, while Foxx, 54, brought down the house by performing Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” with the DJ and Fat Joe.
Despite the musical celebration, guests still shed “a lot of tears” when J.Lo gave a moving speech, calling her late friend “one of the most magnanimous, fascinating and soulful men I have ever met.”
“I look around at all the faces and it’s so clear the feeling from all of you, just as I feel it in myself, that JR touched everyone’s life here profoundly,” Lopez said.
She added: “For me, when I scan the memories of all the years of knowing this guy, and all that he meant, the thing I remember most is the feeling of safety. I will miss him every day.”
The “Marry Me” star quipped that Ridinger would “want us to get rowdy and silly and stay up all night” and encouraged guests to “celebrate him.”
Foxx, 54, emceed the night with DJ Cassidy on the turntables, whom guests said “brought the celebration through music.”
“Indeed, the whole night was one big concert,” said a witness.
An epic singalong of Keys’ “No One” — led by the Grammy-winning songstress on piano and Sanz on guitar — closed the night. Lopez and Rule joined in on vocals and the crowd grooved while waving their electronic candles in honor of Ridinger.
Ridinger — who founded Market America and Shop.com — died unexpectedly in August at age 63 after suffering a pulmonary embolism on a yacht in Croatia. He was survived by wife Loren and daughters Amber and Amanda.
Lopez wore a “simple, but sexy” black dress with a plunging neckline and diamond choker, while Affleck stayed close to his new stepdaughter, Emme.
For her part, Kardashian wore her platinum blonde hair pulled back with a skin-tight black Balenciaga gown, oversized Balenciaga earrings and futuristic sunglasses.
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