People.com Celebrity Demi Lovato Makes a Unique Choice for Her World Tour (VIDEO) The singer will open her show with motivational speaker Spencer West By Sheila Cosgrove Baylis Sheila Cosgrove Baylis Sheila Baylis is an Editor for PEOPLE's Health vertical; she contributes to print features and directs the digital Health team on stories ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to body image and women's health. She has a Master's Degree in Gender Studies. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 19, 2014 10:00 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage Demi Lovato likes to do things her own way. On Friday, the singer made a big announcement on Facebook about her upcoming world tour: Instead of having a musical warm-up act, Spencer West – a motivational speaker and activist who lost both of his legs at a young age – will greet her fans and tell them his story prior to her performance. West and Lovato met in East Africa while they were both working with Free the Children, an organization that seeks to empower youth, and the pair became fast friends. “Spencer West is not only a really great friend of mine, but a huge inspirational speaker,” Lovato, 22, says in the video, which was posted on Facebook. “After I spent some time around him and realized what an amazing person he is and how incredible he is at speaking, I decided to bring him on tour.” See more about West’s journey and his friendship with the singer in the clip below. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152789625379756 Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: sign me up Thank you for signing up!