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Ariana Grande mourns the loss of her grandmother Marjorie Grande, who is known to many fans as “Nonna”. The 99-year-old died peacefully in the circle of her family, as the singer announced on Instagram. “We are inconvenient to have lost our family’s beloved head,” says the family’s explanation.
“Marjorie (Nonna) Grande is peaceful in her house and was surrounded by her family and loved ones in every moment of her last weeks. We thank you for your love, your support and for respecting our privacy while we mourn and celebrate your beautiful, extraordinary life.”
The singer also shared an old photo of her grandma via Instagram with the words “forever”.
Special connection between grandma and granddaughter
Ariana Grande’s grandmother was a formative figure in the life of the Grammy winner. Her tight connection to her granddaughter was not only in common public appearances, but also musically: On the current album Eternal Sunshine, she can be heard in the final track “Ordinary Things (feat. Nonna)”. In the voice recording, she advises Ariana Grande: “Never go to bed without giving a good night kiss. And if you don’t want to or can’t, you are in the wrong place.” With this appearance, Marjorie wrote history: at the age of 98 she was ever the oldest artist in the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Ariana trusted her grandmother “unconditionally”
In the “Zach Sang Show” Ariana Grande explained in March 2024: “The album (Eternal Sunhsine) begins with a question and ends with a answer from someone I trust.” Marjorie Grande was very proud of her participation and often told stories about all the times she could hear on the albums of her granddaughter. Her voice can also be heard on the songs “Daydreamin” and “Bloodline”.
At the Golden Globe Awards in 2025, Ariana Grande revealed that her grandmother was second after her mother as the second of her nomination for the film adaptation of the “Wicked” musical.
Her brother Frankie Grande wrote to say goodbye: “I love you infinitely, my sweet Nonna.”