Tributes flow for Chelsea Lee James

Tributes have flowed on social media mourning the death of YouTube sensation Chelsea Lee James.

Singer Beyonce (R) and cancer patient Chelsea Lee James

Australian YouTube sensation Chelsea Lee James (L) has died after a decade-long battle with cancer. (AAP)

She had the world in tears when she was plucked from a crowd and serenaded by Beyonce as a child, now social media users are mourning Australian teenager Chelsea Lee James, who has died from cancer.

Chelsea, from Newcastle, north of Sydney, became a YouTube sensation as an 11-year-old after her idol Beyonce called her on stage to sing Halo during her 2009 concert at Sydney's Acer Arena.

Chelsea died on Monday night, three months before her 16th birthday, following a decade-long fight with cancer.

As the news filtered out, tributes flowed from Twitter users mourning the girl who touched their hearts.

"Rest in Heaven to the beautiful Chelsea Lee James. You fought an inspiring fight and are now at peace," Tiffany Monique tweeted.

"RIP beautiful, my heart goes out to her family and friends, she was so young sleep tight princess xx," wrote JadeBiebsUJGale.

Chelsea's mother Donna posted her own tribute on her Facebook profile on Tuesday night.

"RIP my baby girl. You can rest, love u always mummy," she wrote.

There wasn't a dry eye in Acer Arena's 20,000-strong crowd four years ago when Chelsea and Beyonce closed the concert together.

"It was amazing. It was breathtaking actually ... I couldn't say a word, I was just breathless," Chelsea told the Nine Network the day afterwards.

"I wasn't expecting it to happen. I don't know how she picked me out of the crowd.

"It was just like nothing else mattered in the world, it was just me there with Beyonce," she said.

Chelsea was reunited with Beyonce last November in Sydney after children's cancer charity Camp Quality organised a backstage meeting during Beyonce's Mrs Carter world tour.

The singer dedicated Destiny Child's anthem Survivor to the teen, yelling out, "Yeah Chelsea" after the chorus.

Chelsea's aunt, Lisa Sams, confirmed her death to News Corp Australia on Tuesday.

She said Chelsea enjoyed a special Easter Sunday with her mother at the Crowne Plaza before her condition deteriorated and she was rushed to John Hunter Children's hospital on Monday.


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