Last week I made my way from Los Angeles to Minneapolis to cover the death of a legend at a shockingly young age.
I watched as stunned fans gathered at his Paisley Park complex where he lived, worked and sadly passed away, to lay flowers and try to get their head around it.
Prince was only 57 when he died, and it still doesn’t quite seem real.
It was at a pre-Oscars party a couple of years ago when I met him. Rita Ora introduced us, and it was one of those unforgettable moments.
It’s not every day you meet such a fascinating figure, he had an incredible aura about him.
Prince has been a musical hero of mine since 1979 when I first heard I Wanna Be Your Lover.
I wasn’t sure what to say other than: “I’m a fan.” When in doubt, say what you’re thinking!
He was very humble and reserved, quite the opposite of the flamboyant star we saw giving masterclasses in holding an audience’s attention on stage.
He looked as if he’d barely aged since his heyday in the mid-80s, much less a man in any sort of poor health. It was just another contradiction from a bloke who was a walking contradiction.
He seemed supremely confident, yet he suffered from crippling stage fright.
On one hand he appeared quite effeminate and could sing like a diva, yet he was actually quite the ladies’ man.
And despite being wee in stature he was a giant.
His brother-in-law Maurice, who I spoke to at Paisley Park, said Prince had been up for more than six days straight before he was found dead.
We’ll have to wait a couple of weeks before we find out more from the autopsy.
I read one report that he was possibly experiencing money problems as he only had £100 million left in the bank.
I’m not sure that would count in anyone’s world – not even on Planet Prince – as “money problems”.
Of course the death of Prince continues this very odd 2016 we’re having. We’ve had scores of celebrity deaths.
All I know is the sad news from Paisley Park, along with David Bowie’s death a few months ago, means two of my own heroes have died.
If someone could arrange for a happier rest of 2016, that would be just lovely.
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Legendary musician Prince dies aged 57
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