Beyoncé pauses her concert in Nashville after Trayvon Martin verdict

Beyoncé called a halt to her concert in Nashville on Saturday night after news of George Zimmerman’s not-guilty verdict had filtered out.

Her show at the Bridgestone Arena began around 30 minutes after the jury had returned and the singer urged fans to respect a “moment of silence for Trayvon”. She then broke into a chorus of “I Will Always Love You”, the song brought to global fame by the late Whitney Houston.

Elsewhere, the rapper Young Jeezy posted a new song, “It’s a Cold World (A Tribute to Trayvon Martin)” on his Facebook page, while music producer Russell Simmons published a blog entry that said he’d be supporting the Trayvon Martin Foundation in its efforts to repeal Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. “God bless you little brother. Rest in peace,” he wrote.

AP