R. Kelly honours Nelson Mandela

On the eve of Nelson Mandela's passing, The Arsenio Hall Show welcomed R&B singer R. Kelly who performed a musical tribute to the departed civil rights icon.

Kelly performed "Soldier's Heart," a song he wrote in tribute to Mandela. Host Arsenio Hall and R. Kelly also shared a few of their personal thoughts on the legacy Nelson Mandela left behind.

The South African civil rights activist perished in Johannesburg at the age of 95 surrounded by loved ones, according to Deadline.

Nelson's health has been ailing of late and now the nation he led out of apartheid is grieving the loss of their first black president.

"He passed on peacefully in the company of his family," South African president Jacob Zuma confirmed Thursday.

"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father."

Nelson is celebrated for putting an end to apartheid in South Africa, a system of laws that imposed severe segregation between whites and blacks in the country.