Beyonce got emotional when she sang her late pal Kobe Bryant's favourite song XO [Image: ABC]

Beyonce's voice cracked as she was overwhelmed with emotion while she sang her late pal Kobe Bryant's favourite song XO.

The singer opened up about her love and affection for the basketball player at the Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant service at Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Beyonce entertained the 20,000-strong crowd with her musical talent as she opened up the Los Angeles-based ceremony dedicated to her late friend.

The singing superstar stopped after opening the show to ask the audience to sing with her so Kobe would be able to "hear your love" in a touching speech.

Overcome with emotion, Beyonce's voice cracked when she belted out the track XO to the crowd.

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The singing superstar stopped after opening the show to ask the audience to sing with her so Kobe would be able to "hear your love" in a touching speech [Image: ABC]

She said: "I'm here cos I love Kobe. This is one of his favourite songs.

"So I wanna start that over, I want us to do it all together, I want you to sing it so loud he'll hear your love."

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The ceremony brought stars together to commemorate the lives of Kobe and his daughter Gianna after they were killed in a helicopter crash in January.

Kobe, who was 41 when he died, and Gianna died along with seven others on January 26 when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed into the side of a mountain in Calabasas, California.

Kobe is survived by wife Vanessa, 37, and Gianna's sisters Natalia, 17, Bianka, three, and Capri, eight months.

The ceremony brought stars together to commemorate the lives of Kobe and his daughter Gianna after they were killed in a helicopter crash in January [Image: ABC]

Today's memorial is expected to host around 20,000 people, nearly one month after the crash, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

The Center is the home of the Los Angeles Lakers, where Kobe played for a staggering 20 seasons and solidified his status as one of the world's greatest athletes.

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Some tickets were made available for the service, with more than 88,000 people applying so they could honour the icon, his daughter, and the others who died.

All proceeds from the service will go to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, established following the crash.

Kobe's fellow basketball legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James are expected to be in attendance, along with a host of other celebrities wanting to pay their respects.