Ten years after his death, Prince's friends and collaborators have shared memories of the music legend, describing him as a perfectionist, a prankster, and a deeply loyal friend. George Clinton, who first met Prince in 1977 when the young musician was just 19, recalled his extraordinary talent: 'He was excellent on the guitar, could write on keyboards, and play bass and drums as good as hell.' Clinton said Prince would call him at all hours, never sleeping, and loved hearing stories about the old days.
Apollonia Kotero, Prince's co-star in the 1984 film Purple Rain, described their 33-year friendship as 'family'. She recounted a moment during filming when she developed hypothermia after jumping into a freezing lake: 'Everything was fading to black and Prince was horrified and crying, saying: "Please don't die, Apple. I love you." And he brought me back to the light.' Kotero also revealed that Prince once hummed the initial melody for When Doves Cry into her answerphone, telling her not to erase it so he would remember it.
Charles 'Chazz' Smith, Prince's cousin and original drummer in his early band Grand Central, recalled their childhood trip to see Sly and the Family Stone in Minneapolis. 'We didn't have tickets, but they tore the fence down so we ran in and ended up on the front row, with Sly looking down on us,' Smith said.
Clinton remembered Prince's later years as more reclusive, but said he was happy when he regained control of his music rights in 2014. 'He started correcting his mistakes in life and doing right by people: helping financially, paying hospital bills,' Clinton said. Kotero noted that six weeks before his death, Prince looked thinner and his 'zest for life was being dimmed'. Their last words were 'I love you'.
