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Music Legend Prince Dead at 57. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 21, 2016 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[13:30:53] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Truly, a great talent. Prince, the music legend, unfortunately, has passed away at the age of 57. We just received an official statement from his publicist saying this, "It is with profound sadness that am confirming that the legendary iconic performer Prince Rogers Nelson has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57."

There are no further details as to the cause of death at this time. That is the official statement from Prince's publicist.

Prince's real name Prince Rogers Nelson.

Brian Stelter is with us from New York.

Really sad moment, great artist, great talent. People are going to be pretty sad when they get the word.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: You are absolutely right, Wolf. This is one of the pop music geniuses of all time, one of the most influential musicians of the past 40 years. Also, one of the most innovative with the ways he would combine funk and pop and rock and other types of music. We were listening to "Purple Rain." In some ways, this 1984 movie and sound track catapulted him to even greater levels of fame. He won an Oscar for the original song score of "Purple Rain" and Grammys, and that 1984 movie, 1985 win, really helped him reach an even greater level of fame.

He is, of course -- he was born in Minneapolis and died in Minnesota, was so well known for his Paisley Park studio and home there. And he had an event there over the weekend.

This afternoon, I'm seeing many people online sharing lyrics. I think the 1984 song "Let's Go Crazy," which begins with the words, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life."

Today, everyone I see gathering, talking about Prince and his contributions to the world of music.

BLITZER: Seven Grammy awards, earned 30 nominations, Prince unfortunately dead at the age of 57.

Larry King is joining us on the phone right now.

Larry, I know you spoke with him many times over the years. Very sad moment for all of us who admired and enjoyed his work. Give us your reaction.

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST, LARRY KING LIVE (voice-over): I'm very shocked. I had no idea there was anything wrong. He was home over the weekend. I remember when I first -- I believe you have the tape, Wolf. I was told he was difficult and didn't like doing interviews. I found him very, very enjoyable. He was easy to approach, a great sense of humor, a lot of fun over the years. I only interviewed him that one time but I would run into him and he remembered me and very kind. I thought he was extremely generous to his fans. He was a great performer. This is a shock.

There is no -- we have no indication of what caused it, right?

BLITZER: No. Earlier in the week, they said he was suffering from the flu. He was taken to the hospital but then a spokesperson said he was doing, quote, "fine and was at home." That's all that they said earlier. And then all of a sudden today we got these initial indications that there was a police investigation underway to see what happened. There was a death at his estate and the studio in Minnesota. He was born in Minnesota. And now official word from his publicist that he has passed away.

KING: Truly sad.

BLITZER: When you spoke to him in 1999 -- of course, we have clips, Larry. When you spoke to him in 1999, was he on for a long time. I remember the interview. Was he on for the hour or was it a brief interview?

KING: He did the whole hour.

BLITZER: The whole hour.

KING: And he was amazing and wonderful. I can't say enough about him.

People telling me he is difficult, he'll give one-world answers, and he's not responsible. I found him completely the opposite.

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BLITZER: Totally responsive, and a very nice guy to you?

KING: Very nice guy. I never heard anything bad about him at all.

[13:35:] BLITZER: The only thing we knew about him was he was a great talent, great music legend and performer. People loved Prince and they still do. His music is iconic and will always be remembered.

When you spoke with him, Larry, did he give you indications of like side lights of his life? Did he perform on your show?

KING: He talked about how he took the name Prince and used the one word. Remember that time when he didn't use the name, and "The New York Times," with like symbols.

BLITZER: Is birth name was Prince Rogers Nelson. His first name is really Prince, middle name Rogers and last name Nelson. He went by the name Prince. That's all he needed. Everybody knew him as Prince.

KING: There were times they wouldn't print his name but just print -- he performed last night and they print symbols or he didn't want his name printed. I try to remember but that was many years ago. But I can only remember this, that I enjoy very much. A lot of people asked me about him after I interviewed him. He really wasn't in front of the public a lot except for his music. A lot like Michael Jackson. He was much more open than Michael was in the interview. I knew Michael. Michael was extremely shy. I would not call Prince shy. He was a lot of fun.

BLITZER: His first album debuted back in 1978 but all these years he's been active and performing. And he certainly has been making a lot of fans happy, the music that he created. A real great talent. A final thought from you before I let you go.

KING: I would just say, Wolf, this is a very sad day in the music world. A very sad day in the pop world around the world. He will long be remembered. This is one of those sad moments when -- they say some people are irreplaceable. There will never be another Prince.

BLITZER: Truly a multi-talented entertainer with his provocative lyrics, glittery wardrobe, provocative lyrics, and an amazing singer. Very sad to learn the legendary artist, Prince, has died at the age of 57.

Thanks very much, Larry.

KING: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Our studio contributor, Nischelle Turner, is on the phone now.

Nischelle, what are you learning? We are just getting word he died. He had been sick earlier in the week, supposedly with the flu. Getting official word that he has died.

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN STUDIO CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, Wolf, when I say this is shocking, it is one of the biggest under statements I think I have made. "Rolling Stone" did this kind of introspective of music and said that Prince was number 27 on the greatest artist list, the 100 greatest artist list. For me and for a lot of people in my generation, he is the sound track of our lives, one of the top five. In "Purple Rain," he played a little bit of him doing that on Arsenio. That album for many people is top three of all time. He is just that much of a musical genius. So this has taken everyone by surprise, and shocked and saddened. Talking about how Twitter just went crazy with celebrities reacting,

fans reacting. I have been getting call after call after call from people this morning saying please tell me this is not true. And in fact, we have gotten word, confirmation from his publicist that it is true. It happened we'll told around 9:45 --

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BLITZER: Nischelle, hold on for a moment. I want to remember some of his great music. Listen to a "Little Red Corvette."

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[13:40:56] BLITZER: "Little Red Corvette." Back in 1982, 1983, was with the hit album "1999." A lot of us remember the music that he performed. And it was amazing when you think about "Purple Rain." "Purple Rain" not only won two Grammys but won the Academy Award for best original song score in 1985.

Brian, you're getting more information -- Brian Stelter is with us -- more reaction is pouring in, the tragic death of Prince.

STELTER: Watching this video for the moment, I thought it would be nice to share a message from MTV. The Music Video Network lifted up Prince and Prince lifted up MTV with video music and with performances like this one. MTV saying in a statement, "The network is heart broken and utter disbelief as the music world has lost Prince. Prince was a once in a lifetime artist who transcended every medium and genre he touched, and created music with a passion and individuality that inspired multiple generations. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, friends and millions of fans."

We are hearing that from many artists, many celebrities reacting online of all stripes. We will share some of those with you coming up, as well.

BLITZER: It's hard to believe that he is dead, and at only 57 years old, given that career over 30 years. He really did perform brilliantly. And so many people not only in the United States but around the world clearly enjoyed his music.

STELTER: One of the comments that was made about David Bowie's passing earlier this year that I think is equally accurate to say today about Princes, he was able to remain relevant and inspirational across generations, across decades.

I was thinking back to last year in the wake of unrest in Baltimore the disturbance around Freddie Gray's death, Prince went to Baltimore and performed there and released a song called "Baltimore." He was able to speak to the times and remain current and speak out on current events all throughout the years.

I think we can share comments we are seeing from many artist whose are reacting.

Billy Idol on Twitter saying, "Oh, my god, I can't believe that Prince has died. He was a great, great talent."

We are hearing from so many different pop stars. Here is Katy Perry reacting on Twitter writing, "And just like that the world lost a lot of magic. Rest in peace, Prince, thanks for giving us so much."

Comments from Spike Lee and Gene Simmons and practically every musician and public figure wanting to comment and express condolences to his family.

BLITZER: His music appealed to so many different generations. I remember the 2007 Super Bowl, he was halftime performer. It was amazing.

STELTER: Some TV critics even now say that was the best Super Bowl halftime performance in history, that it was so memorable with the performance of "Purple Rain" and other songs. It is a very high bar that he has set for every other performer about 10 years ago.

BLITZER: Want you to listen. I want viewers to listen. Here is a clip from Prince's interview with Larry King back in 1999.

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PRINCE, SINGER & MUSIC: I use Stevie Wonder as an inspiration whom I look up to a great deal just for the way that he crafted music and his connection to the spirit. And, boy, back then, I used him as a role model in trying to play all the instruments and be very self-contained and keep my vision clear. Word spread very quickly about what I could do. A lot of people knew about it.

KING: How would you describe your music?

What idiom would you put it in?

PRINCE: The only thing I could think of because I don't like categories, the only thing I can think of is inspirational. I think music from the heart falls right into that category. People really feel what it is they are doing. And ultimately, all music is and/or can be inspirational. That's why it is so important to let your gift be guided by something more clear.

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[13:45:30] BLITZER: Important interview with Larry King back in 1999.

Don Lemon joining us on the phone.

Only 57 years old. What a great talent. I know he inspired you as so many millions around the world.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): He certainly did. I think about when I first heard going to school I was in grade school in 1978 and my sister was in college. And she introduced me to Prince because she would play him on the cassette tape. And his first album "for you" was very controversial. His lyrics were shocking to people. Now it is nothing. Back then, it was a big deal with "Wet" and a song called "Head". He was to me inspiring because he taught you that it was OK to be different. He certainly was different with a big afro and then straightened his hair and had this androgynous look.

He made music interesting. He was a pop star wrapped in a rock star and punk all of that rolled into one. That is what made him interesting and a musical genius. He went on with his album and then in the early days great song controversy that topped the charts. I remember that going to listening to him over and over and over as my family would drive to Bayou Classic games back in the '70s and '80s.

So it is a real loss. Going all the way into the year I graduated high school was the year he came out with "When Doves Cry". We had never heard anything like that song. We would play it over and over. It's a huge loss. My heart and prayers go out to his family and fans.

BLITZER: Huge loss indeed. We're showing him playing -- he was a great guitarist. He wasn't just a great singer and a great musician, especially on the guitar.

LEMON: Yeah, he was. It speaks for itself. Not only that, he was a great dresser. He was a great fashion icon. Look at him. Look what he is wearing on CNN. The man could rock in heels and he could rock a pantsuit. I want to give him his due. We are sad but we are celebrating Prince as a musical genius and legend that he is. We often -- of course, we have to mourn. As you and I know so well, Wolf, it is tough to report these things. You are reporting for CNN, as was I for Michael Jackson and a number of others, James Brown and Whitney Houston. We have to remember how much someone like Prince contributes to society and changes society. So while I am sad and mourn for him, I celebrate his legacy and genius.

BLITZER: As we all do.

Latoya Jackson, just had a tweet from her. Let me put it up. You can see over there. "What a sad day today. Terribly sorry to hear that Prince has passed. What an incredible talent." That from Latoya Jackson.

It is only just beginning. The reaction beginning to set in that Prince is dead that he will not be around. He has been so active over all of these years writing music, performing, sound tracks for major motion pictures. All of us remember "Purple Haze (sic)" and what that did for the world of music.

LEMON: If you want to know what Prince did, all you have to do is look at his biography and look at "Poor You" which was 1978, which started with the hit "Soft and Wet." And then Prince in 1979 and the dirty mind and the controversy and "1999" and on and on. And with the new albums, which I can't remember the name, but the music.

And what was interesting about Prince is that he wasn't caught up in the whole record industry thing where he had to change commercial success. He was an artist in the true form and essence of the word artistry when it comes to music. Just recently we have the 1980s documentary. And the producers asked me for my favorite '80s song and many of them were Prince songs. You can't find them on Spotify and some of the music outlets. He wanted to save the music for himself. For him, it was like it wasn't about the money for him. Lots of artists all over the music platforms, Prince didn't do that. He reserved the music for his fans. And if you wanted to listen to Prince and appreciate Prince, you needed to go to a record store or find it the old-fashioned way, which I really appreciated.

[13:50:21] BLITZER: Releasing the first album, "For You," back in 1978, he was only -- get this -- only 19 years old. He was the youngest record producer in the history of Warner Brothers at time. Can you imagine, 19 years old and producing that album? That was his debut album as you recall. Clearly, it had a huge impact on you, right?

LEMON: I can't imagine. Can you imagine having that much success at 19 and he was a complete individual. He was not a conformist which is something that appealed to me early on and to my cry sister back then in college. I was, what, 12 years old when that first album came out and listen it on the bus and the driver trying to turn it down. My mom saying what are you listening to? It was racy then. Like I said, now it's nothing. You could play his music anywhere now because the lyrics are so different, culture changed. He really was, you know, ground breaking and broke barriers because, listen, it was back then it was R&B and soul. And then it was burgeoning, burgeoning hip hop. Hip hop didn't really start yet but most of the male artists were hyper masculine. A man and sang love songs and Prince came along and his falsetto. Michael Jackson was doing it but Prince was different than Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was more pop and Prince was -- we didn't know what it was but we knew it was good. So Prince came along and he was androgynous. Controversy and some of the lyrics, "Am I black or white, am I straight or gay, controversy." He was talking life, and people wondered if he was straight, gay, black, white, what was going on with him? He didn't care. So for many of us who sort of emerged out of that Prince era, who, you know, don't really conform to society, he sort of told us it was OK to be an individual and to be different. And I will always respect him and I thank him for that.

BLITZER: Yeah. "Purple Rain," though, stands out in everyone's mind.

LEMON: Amazing.

BLITZER: as we remember that song. We played it earlier.

Don, I want to play another song. "Johnny B. Good." This was the Chuck Berry song. This was 1999. Listen to Prince.

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BLITZER: And you know, Don, it underscores s the incredible range of his performances. You saw that. You saw "Purple Rain." You see what he's done and the impact on all of us.

LEMON: He influenced me and a lot of people. Look at him with himself. Come on. Who does that? You have to love it. You have to love the glasses, the hair.

As I'm listening to "Johnny B. Good," and I'm listening to Prince's music, everybody's inspired by someone, right? What I'm seeing a lot of it and everyone says and you see in Prince is Little Richard. Someone heavily influenced by Little Richard, and Little Richard he was doing it in the late '50s and '60s, and when it was really tough to be androgynous. And then Prince took it on in on and took it to another level, and ode to Little Richard. And I think Prince gave him his due. But if you look at Prince then, you're looking at Little Richard, still alive and living in Georgia, Prince is Little Richard personified. And Little Richard did it on the piano. Prince did it at the guitar and the studio.

I can sit and listen to his music, you mentioned "Purple Rain." When that movie came out, he had such beautiful women over him. He had Appolonia and Vanity -- and Vanity recently passed. But he had all these beautiful -- he never left home without a beautiful woman. And so, you know, he was so multi-faceted with, as I say fashion, with the guitar, with his music, with his hair. He truly was a barrier breaker and icon. An icon that will, you know, that won't be repeated. Someone may take on the mantle but there will never be a Prince.

[13:55:37] BLITZER: People will be playing that music just to remember the impact that he had.

Don, hold on for a moment.

Our entertainment analyst, Chris Witherspoon, is joining us right now from New York, as well.

Reflect a little bit on the impact of this sad loss, Chris.

CHRIS WITHERSPOON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT ANALYST: Yeah. Wolf, looking on Twitter and seeing celebrities react, all over the world reacting to this musician who impacted everyone. Like Don said, I think every music artist sort of wanted to be Prince, do what he did. Want to get a guitar and rock a cool look and perform the way he was able to do.

I'm looking at Billy Idol. He said, "Oh, my god, I can't believe that Prince died."

I had a personal story. In 2006, I was a page for NBC working for "Saturday Night Live" and Prince coming on to perform and he was doing dress rehearsal and I was watching him, and he came over and pointed at the uniform and said cool suit. I said, it's a uniform. He was a kind of guy that, you know, he had a magnet energy. He allowed people to take it in and we were lucky to do it.

BLITZER: We have live pictures to show our viewers. People beginning to gather outside of the recording studio in Minnesota right now. I'm sure the crowds will get bigger and bigger and bigger as word spreads that the artist, Prince, unfortunately, has died. The impact that he had on -- in the '80s, '90s and now, all these

years, going back to 1978, Chris, when his debut album "For Now" came out it's been enormous.

WITHERSPOON: I think that Prince owned the music. Prince was one of the first what I would call an artist's artist for music. And he did things in his own way. Looking at Beyonce and look at different artists kind of like the "it girl" right now, and I think they're influenced by someone like Prince. And Prince navigated the industry in a way that I think is a framework for others to follow, for sure.

BLITZER: He really was amazing.

And you have no indication of what was the cause of death? Are you getting any information along those lines, Chris?

WITHERSPOON: You know, we don't have a cause of death. When's kind of shocking is we're hearing that he might have passed away from flu- like symptoms or pneumonia. Last week, he was on tour and he cancelled -- he had to have to bring the plane down, emergency landing in I believe Illinois after an Atlanta concert because of the symptoms. He was hospitalized last Friday, later released. We don't know the cause of death today.

BLITZER: Stand by, Chris.

Brian Stelter joining us.

Are you getting anymore information, Brian, on the cause of death? Obviously, a shock to all of us.

STELTER: There's a long line of cars outside that Paisley Park location of a moment ago, according to local media. People lining up, wanting to drive by, wanting to see the scene outside. As everyone curious about what his last days were and what could have caused his death.

Of course, enormous tragedy to listen to someone like Don Lemon describe the personal influence so many people and wanted to reflect he was an iconoclast and someone who inspired, of course, so many younger artists. Justin Timberlake saying he's numb and stunned saying this can't be real. Here's Latoya Jackson on Instagram saying, "A sad day. Terribly sorry to hear Prince passed. What an incredible talent we have lost. Another one gone too soon."

As Don mentioned, the music is not necessarily Spotify or Pandora. Some radio stations devoting to Prince songs. He spoke briefly last year presenting an award saying, "Albums still matter, like books and black lives. Albums still matter."

He has a number of unreleased songs, a number of songs recorded that have never seen the light of day. Even more, another example of the incredible amount of work that he produced over the years.

BLITZER: Very sad moment, indeed. All of us will remember Prince. We loved his music. Very, very sad. Our deepest, deepest condolences to his family.

Brooke Baldwin will continue our special coverage right now.

[14:00:10] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.