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Music Legend Prince Dead at Age 57. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 21, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

(MUSIC VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

[15:30:13] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Makes me think of that scene in "Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts in the bathtub. His music was everywhere. Talking about the man, the legend, the pioneer, the Minneapolis native Prince who has died at age 57. Way too early for all of us.

As we're trying to understand exactly what happened and why, we know that medical personnel went to his Paisley Park studio, which is west of Minneapolis and apparently found him unresponsive.

So, we're getting some more details. Let me bring in Miguel Marquez for new details, Miguel, for exactly how he was found. We now know.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. At 9:43, those medical personnel were called out. It was the Carver County Sheriff's Department was the responding agency. They went to his Paisley Park and sort of an electronic show space for him. And when they got there, they found an unresponsive male in an elevator. They performed CPR on him, but apparently it was too little too late.

At 10:07, very short time after they responded, very short time after the call went out at 10:07, 57-year-old Prince Rogers Nelson was pronounced dead.

BALDWIN: Tried to use, tried CPR. And they were unsuccessful.

So, this is what we're getting, Carver County Sheriff. Miguel Marquez, thank you so much.

Again, if you're just joining us, again, I'm Brooke Baldwin, watching special coverage of the death of Prince. I want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. And talking to so many different voices from Michael Jackson's sister Latoya who said, the news today, she couldn't believe it, and it brought everything back to when her brother passed away a couple of years ago, to Prince's very first manager who signed him when prince was 18 and told me, Brooke, he'll never forget his eyes meeting Prince and the brilliance he knew. There was a magic. Magic in Prince.

We have Michaela Angela Davis and Don Lemon and Sean-Pierre Regis and Chris Weatherspoon, Lisa Francis next to me also here at CNN who went to his last concert.

But, Michaela, I'm thinking of you. I know this is very -- it's emotional for you. You knew Prince very well and to hear that he was found in his elevator alone, it's gut wrenching.

MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, FORMER STYLIST FOR PRINCE: Yes. I mean, it sounds like he just collapsed. You know? He's probably on his way to make some music. And it was -- you know, it's time to go.

It's interesting. You know, you go to people's home going and say he's in a better place. But I don't feel that right now. I feel his better place is here with us, making music. Like that's just the -- I might feel differently tomorrow but his better place is here.

I can't -- I'm not like he's up in the sky with Jimi Hendrix making music. I'm not yet there, kids. I'm like -- I'm negotiating this. There's no lead-up.

But Paisley Park was big. It was his home. It's where he could sleep and have friends and make music, and just make so much music. We're going to be unearthing music for decades. He was that prolific and that profound.

And his capacity for art was -- like that little body could let so much big music through it that we haven't seen anything quite like it.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Brooke, the elevator thing and listen -- we don't know the cause of death. We don't know. And everyone is talking about this bout that he had with the flu and I know you were talking to Sanjay.

One of my doctor friends who specializes in this stuff says, this is a direct quote from him, he says, "People don't realize pneumonia and flu are the fourth leading cause of death in Americans." Same thing happen to James Brown and Prince was notorious private. Probably wasn't a fan of going to the doctor. This is just assuming. Or having close to see him.

But he said this isn't uncommon and said it happened to Prince, but it was a fourth leading cause to death according to him in the United States, and we cover deaths of people dying from respiratory illness and the flu every year and depending on the severity of the flu, death goes up and down. Again, we don't know the cause of death, but I mean, it certainly brings home just how serious, you know, respiratory illness and the flu if that's indeed the cause of Prince's death.

BALDWIN: To think that as of, you know, what? Just this past Saturday night he popped in with a beautiful brand new purple Yamaha piano and dazzled a small intimate crowd at Paisley Park at dark.

Guys, stay with me. Let's bring Matthieu Bitton.

His first memory with Prince was with his dad snuck him into a club I think it was in Paris, Matthieu, when you were, what, at 13.

[15:35:00] You're creative leader of Lenny Kravitz.

MATTHIEU BITTON, GRAMMY NOMINATED ART DIRECTOR, HAS KNOWN PRINCE SINCE 1988: Fourteen. BALDWIN: Fourteen. You were worked with and your friends with so

many of the greats. I know you Facetimed with Lenny earlier this morning and he's just crushed, as well.

But, you know, I want to hear more about Prince, the off stage Prince. I know he was quite shy, was he not? He was a lover but shy.

BITTON: Yes. I mean, you know, for me, all the times that I got to speak with him, every time felt like a miracle to me I always hear he doesn't talk. But in reality, you know, he was a very elegant, very funny person. You know?

And sometimes I'd see him. He wouldn't s anything or be really nice. He is a Gemini. You have two sides there.

And, you know, I -- I just think he was, you know, for me, the whole thing is living your passion. I don't think there's a better example of somebody living out their passion than him and beyond, you know, he was on another to me he was always on another planet, and I just heard you say the thing about the elevator. It's so ironic thinking about the song, "Let's Go Crazy." You know, we're not going to let the elevator bring us down. Let's go crazy.

That's kind of strange. So, I just got chills thinking of that. I don't think it's hit me anyways.

BALDWIN: When's the last time you saw him or in touch with him?

BITTON: I saw him -- well, I saw him at the club in Hollywood. The -- oh God. What is it called? I'm in shock. I can't remember the name.

BALDWIN: It's OK. We're going with the club in Hollywood. How recently?

BITTON: He had -- last year. He had some artists that he -- the Sayers Club. But that was just a little nod hello. You know, no conversation.

I really think the last time I had a conversation with him, real conversation, was just like a couple of few years ago in Rome. And then at a show --

BALDWIN: What did you talk about if I may ask?

BITTON: Well, we were talking about music and we were talking about -- I just remember specifically talking about -- we were talking about Bette Davis, you know, who was married to Miles Davis and we talked about how funky she was and Grand Central Station. Larry Graham was a presence in his life. Just funk, because my people know me as a guy who's a big funk fan and collect records and a lot of my work is in box sets and with my record collection as was the ultimate Prince CD that came out in 2007. The two-CD set and which had a bunch of my collection in there so people know me as that guy, the crazy French kid who collects everything.

BALDWIN: The French funky kid.

BITTON: Yes, the French funky kid.

BALDWIN: Do you know, Matthieu, would you have any idea who was Prince listening to? Who was Prince -- you know, present day?

BITTON: I can -- I never sat down and listened to music for him. I know for a fact I just two weeks ago, I photographed an artist and I think she played with him and I heard he was into her music, Candace Spring. He was into her music, I know he's into Janelle Monae. Not things he personally told me but he tweeted about or people around me said, oh yes, he is into this person. You know? So -- but yeah. That's as far as --

BALDWIN: As far as you know. Let's play a little bit more. This is invaluable to prince in his own words with Larry King, back in "The Larry King Live" days appropriately enough back in 1999. Here's more of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST: A lot of people telling me people, boy, you're going to have the artist on for an hour. It's going to be hard, of course. He's hard to talk to. Now, you're not hard to talk to. Where did this reputation begin, that you are difficult do you think? You're not hearing it here for the first time.

PRINCE, MUSIC LEGEND: Probably where all reputations begin. I think the media playing a big part in one's perception of me. Until one sits down and actually talks to me. They can't really know me.

KING: Well, should you have been more public? Should you have done more of things like this?

PRINCE: No. I kind of did what I wanted to do. I wanted my music as even now to speak loudest for me.

KING: But you're not uncomfortable here, are you?

PRINCE: No. Not at all.

KING: But a reputation is that you would be. How do you fight that other than by counteracting it?

PRINCE: Well, I'm not -- I don't think in terms of fighting. I'm not -- I don't think that you win anything by fighting. I'm the type of person that likes to look at things for exactly the way they are and --

KING: Do you get angry?

[15:40:02] You're a perfectionist, musically, right? You must get angry then.

PRINCE: I -- I use my anger with humor. I have a way of being very stern but I always find the irony in it and I always make it funny. I make it funny for myself and the person I'm --

KING: Directing at you is not humbled or made to feel less than a human.

PRINCE: Well, no one can make you feel anything. You pretty much are going to fall in there if you -- you know, aren't spiritually based.

KING: How do you handle that aspect of the media which often gives you trouble, the tabloids?

PRINCE: I don't have trouble with anybody.

KING: You don't? Do you read them?

PRINCE: No.

KING: Do you hear about them?

PRINCE: Very seldom.

KING: Do you think any part of a personality's private life is our business? Do you think your marriage is our business?

PRINCE: Well, you know, I'm like this. My music is my music. That's pretty much what you come to the party for.

KING: Naturally.

PRINCE: If I give you something else, that's me giving you something else. If you seek something else, there's something inside of you that's lacking I would think. You know? So I think that personal actually means personal.

KING: But do you wonder why the public wants to know? Don't wonder?

PRINCE: No.

KING: Are you interested in the personal lives of other people?

PRINCE: Michael Jordan.

KING: Yes. Are you interested -- Michael Jordan. You're a big fan of Michael Jordan.

PRINCE: Big fan of Michael Jordan.

KING: Are you interested in how his marriage goes?

PRINCE: No.

KING: No? Are you interested in how he gets along with his children?

PRINCE: Nope. No. I'm not interested in how he gets along with that ram.

(LAUGHTER) KING: Well said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BALDWIN: Brought the house down. Super Bowl 20. Just love seeing all these clips.

I know all of us are -- I don't believe it. I'm talking about the life of Prince. Last hour and a half.

But Lisa France has been with me. Lisa Hespers France, she's a senior producer, entertainment with us, CNN.com.

We keep seeing all these tweets and I'll read what Justin Timberlake wrote, which I just love what he wrote on Instagram. But to you, a couple of months ago, she, by the way, was at the last big show.

LISA HESPERS FRANCE, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER, ATTENDED LAST PRINCE CONCERT: I was.

BALDWIN: Here in Atlanta a week ago today. You wrote about him and you know he read it. Why?

FRANCE: Yes, I wrote a piece about his passport photo, because the man at 57 is flawless. He was flawless. He was gorgeous man.

BALDWIN: Still is.

FRANCE: Can't wrap my brain around it. He looks gorgeous. The passport photo is way better than anybody else.

BALDWIN: The line you used --

FRANCE: The line I used is that he looked as if he's using a moisturizer made of unicorn tears and all of our hopes and dreams. And shortly thereafter, someone tweeted him to ask him about his looks and what he used. He replied "unicorn tears" and all of a sudden, my Twitter started blowing up. People saying --

(CROSSTALK)

FRANCE: Prince read your piece.

BALDWIN: Oh my gosh.

FRANCE: Exactly, I totally fan girl. I mean, you know, just to think that Prince read something that I wrote. I write about celebrities all the time. But Prince, just a class of his own.

BALDWIN: No nothing.

FRANCE: No nothing.

BALDWIN: Let me read what Justin Timberlake has posted on Instagram. He wrote, "It was Raspberry beret. I was four years old, yes, four, I remember that instantly love it. Mommy, who is that singing? Seems weird but true. More than once in a lifetime artist, just a once in a forever artist. I'm still in shock as I write this and I feel this overwhelming grief, but we should all turn away from that and honor this musician that changed all our lives, our perspectives, our feeling, our whole being from another planet? Probably. Royalty for sure. Us worthy? Laughable."

He goes on. "They say don't meet your idols, that they let you down. But some of my greatest, funniest, yes, he was hilarious, and most prolific encounters and conversations about music came from the moments that I spent with him. It would be silly to say that he has inspired our music. It's beyond that. He's somewhere within every song I've ever written. I am sad but I will smile when I think of every second that I had the fortune of being in his company. We have lost our greatest living musician but his music will never die. Prince nothing compares."

I have Michaela Angela Davis standing by, a former stylist for Prince in New York for us. Sian-Pierre Regis, Chris Weatherspoon, Don Lemon.

And Sian-Pierre, let me go to you and I was talking to this creative director for Lenny Kravitz, knew Prince pretty well and asking him who he was listening to. A

And Janelle Monae, from here in Atlanta, right? Someone who he really -- he had a relationship with. Talk to me about that.

SIAN-PIRRE REGIS, FOUNDER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF, SWAGGER/SWAGGERNEWORK.COM: Yes, she was a sort of protege to him, along with another British artist. They both tweeted back and forth and he took her in and he helped her build great music. I remember the last interview with her.

I asked her about social media specifically and said, does it kill your artistry to put so much of your life out there on social media? She said, you know what, Prince taught me only give them so much and, of course, that speaks Prince character, right, and he did not put much of his private life if any at all out there for people to see, which was so different in the landscape of artists right now where you see their lives as it's happening, and she said the artistry is strong because of that.

And I thought that that was so powerful and she has a futurist sound much like him and she has a very specific niche audience. An audience that loves music, that cares about musicality and nor sort of a commodification of music, but music itself.

BALDWIN: Amen.

REGIS: Makes sense they were so tight.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well said, yes.

BALDWIN: I mentioned this before and only bit of prince -- I can't say he's quoted my words, Lisa France. I was at the Waldorf for a story in New York for the '04, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and it was Outkast from here in Atlanta and Alicia Keys. I know Big Boi and Prince really influenced him and Andre 3000.

And Big Boi, he is too broken up but texted me this, "I'm truly heartbroken, saddened and absolutely shocked. His music lives forever through us. We have to love and cherish our heroes while they're here. ":

So, gosh. I'm still -- I have to say, I'm still little speechless over all of this.

Michaela, as you're processing this, I want to hear more about Prince the man, sort of off stage. What was he like?

DAVIS: He was funny. When you're in intimate moments with him, he's -- there's -- he's both magical and really regular at the same time. You know?

Like -- and like I literally saw him throw chicken bones at the television during a basketball game. Like that's like your brother, like your dude. And then he would rise up and go make music. Because he heard it. Like it was like a calling. It was like prophetic.

So -- and I'm not using the words lightly. It really would happen. He would rise up and let the music come through him.

LEMON: Michaela and Brooke, you talked about this, because Michaela can speak to this. If you listen to people who knew him like Wendy Williams, who is a friend and other people. He would summon you, Michaela, like late at night after a concert, like to his hotel room or an after-party like, hey, come meet me and meet people and then do little concerts, right?

DAVIS: One of the greatest things, I went on a press junket tour with him to Europe and nightly you get a call about 2:00 in the morning from security and said, be in the lobby in 30 minutes.

BALDWIN: That's funny.

DAVIS: Go to the lobby. A car takes you to a club.

LEMON: Right.

DAVIS: Open up a club in Paris a little town in Ireland. And like, rock out and this is before -- like, you couldn't text someone saying meet me at the club. But people would just start to come and come and it was incredible. And this happened nightly.

LEMON: Yes.

DAVIS: So we would goat a town. His sound people would disperse. Go and check out three or four clubs, so they would know -- they would have a plan where he would play that night. It was church.

BALDWIN: Will you please pinch yourself for me? Pinch yourself for me. That is like pinch me. That's a pinch me moment. DAVIS: Yes. He just had to ay. And we just had to dance. And we

just felt alive and, again, he made us feel free.

BALDWIN: Yes.

LEMON: Yes, yes.

BALDWIN: Let's bring in one more voice here. I have Bill Werde, Bill formerly of "Billboard" put Prince on the cover, magazine's relaunch back in 2013. When's the last time, Bill, you talked to Prince.

BILL WERDE, FORMER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "BILLBOARD" MAGAZINE: The last time I talked to Prince was actually at a "Billboard" afterparty for the Grammys in 2013. And I have to say, I was really glad to hear Michaela talking about his sense of humor because the Prince I got the know was equal parts, you know, passionate to the point where he would follow his beliefs into any corner, but also really incredibly funny and would pick sort of -- from the perspective at the time, a magazine editor, some of the inopportune moments to crack and make very funny jokes.

[15:50:11] If you have a moment, I can give you an example.

BALDWIN: I have many moments. I'm all ears. Hit me.

WERDE: So we put Prince on the "Billboard" put Prince cover of a big issue for us in 2013 and that issue wound up winning awards for best single issue. But behind the scenes, we were coming right down to the wire and every bit of this story package was, you know, interesting. It was not your typical straight line working with Prince.

We sent a reporter out to Paisley Park, Gail Mitchell, but she got there, not only was she not allowed to record any of the interview, Prince said that she couldn't take any notes because he felt that was too much like texting. So, that created a lot of drama. But then we never got a photo. So, we had -- you know, we were coming right down to the wire. We had no image for the cover of our relaunch issue of "Billboard" magazine.

BALDWIN: Minor detail.

WERDE: What's that?

BALDWIN: Minor detail.

WERDE: Minor detail. We had never gotten this photo. I'm texting and e-mailing a woman who's working with him at the time. And finally, she texts me, she says, OK, Prince has given us something and I think it's perfect for our cover. And mind you, we are like at the 14th hour now and she finally texted me this image and she said, you're going to love it.

It's a picture of a 94-year-old very heavy woman that has nothing to do with Prince. And so, he's so finally, of course, then -- and this very Prince also, at the last minute, he sends us a beautiful picture and it was an award-winning cover. That was Prince. He would really follow his passions, like I said, and argue and fight vehemently for artist rights, for artists that he felt needed more exposure, for his own music, but at the same time, he had this lethal sense of humor sort of quietly.

BALDWIN: Bill, thank you so much. We've talked so much about his sense of humor, a little by of shyness, his heels, his funk. Let's hear more from prince and his music.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BALDWIN: More of the man, the music, the man we love, the funny man, the man -- he could rock, too, rock. Funk and rock and everything in between.

I have Bill Carter standing by, CNN media analyst who got to attend that huge party in New York. The 40th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live."

Bill, correct me, but that was a party where all kinds of people hopped up on that stave, the after party. That was the place to be.

BILL CARTER, CNN MEDIA ANALYST: That was the place -- like nothing I've ever seen.

BALDWIN: Like only to be a fly on that wall. And Prince performed.

CARTER: He did. What happened was, they had instruments on the stage and what's the band going to be? Well, can somebody come up and play bass? Well, Paul McCartney get up to play bass.

BALDWIN: Naturally.

CARTER: And then Taylor Swift sang and it was very electric, like later than that, like 2:00, 3:00 in the morning, all of a sudden, there's this amazing surge to the stage and it's Prince, he's going on stage to play spontaneous, apparently unrehearsed.

All of the stars had just been hanging out in the back, like Beyonce and Jay-Z and Tina Fey, they rushed to stage to see Prince. They had to see Prince. It was the most electric moment. You just felt that, of all the people there, he had the most influence across the board on all of these other artists.

BALDWIN: Was it like Moses parting the waters as Prince was approaching the stage?

CARTER: It was. It was a huge crowd of people. The people just said, oh, my gosh. It's Prince. Now it's even bigger. We've already had this enormous artists and then, Prince, it was just a remarkable moment.

BALDWIN: Did he -- did anyone else dare jump up on stage with him or was it Prince solo?

CARTER: Well, when he played, he played, you know? I mean, Jimmy Fallon was the moderator and bringing people up there but, man, he just stopped the show. It was just remarkable how people reacted to him.

I just feel like -- you know, the other artists, they've been listening, but it was -- they had to be close to him, they wanted to be close, and right up there and see him. Like just big fans. They were just fans, you know?

BALDWIN: The fans, when you have Jay-Z and Beyonce rushing up to the stage, that's certainly notable. Keeping handed like tweets, pages of tweets from all of these different people. Everyone. It is all pouring out.

[15:55:01] And so many people this morning woke up and thought, this has to be a hoax. Sadly, it's not. It's not at all.

CARTER: You know, it's not. It was like the history of rock that we lost these artists too young. Back and look at Elvis, people think about that, Elvis was 42 when he died.

BALDWIN: Wow.

CARTER: Really stunning, but 57 now seems crazy young for a great artist. Still producing great music.

BALDWIN: Just performing late Saturday night at Paisley Park after dark.

Bill Carter, thank you so much. Here is more from Prince and Larry King.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE: I use Stevie Wonder as an inspiration, whom I look up to him as a great deal, the way that he crafted music and his connection to the spirit, and, boy, back then I used him as a role model and trying to play all the instruments and be very self-contained and keep my vision clear.

So, words 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 really don't like categories, but the only thing I can think of is inspirational. And I think music that is from the heart falls right into that category. People really feel what it is that they are doing.

And ultimately, all music is or can be inspirational and that's why it's so important to let your gift be guided by something more clear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: We've been talking to all these people, celebrities, artists, musicians, regular folks were reacting to his death. I have now been handed, this is official from the press secretary from the White House, statement by the president on the passing of Prince. Let me just read it for you.

"Today, the world lost a world icon. Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world mourning the sudden death of prince. Few artists have influence the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly or touched so many people with their talent as one of the most prolific musicians of our time. Prince did it all."

Again, this is from the president of the United States. "Funk, R&B, rock 'n' roll, he was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant band leader and an electrifying performer. Last bit here, a strong spirit transcends rules, Prince once said, and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder or more creative. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band and all those who loved him", from the White House.

I have just about three, two minutes left with everyone remaining.

Lisa France, final thoughts?

FRANCE: I have to say that, you know, I just want to remember Prince as he was, such an individual, and just to embrace just freedom, feeling free, and grab every second because I didn't initially got tickets for that concert, and I went and I got those tickets. So, you know, just in honor of Prince, be yourself. I feel like Prince was the ultimate do you. He was just that do you boo type of guy.

BALDWIN: Do you boo.

Don Lemon, what do you think?

LEMON: I'd say yes. I thanked him for allowing us to know that it's OK to be an individual, that you don't have to be like everyone else.

And I also -- everyone is paying tribute to his artistry, which is great, but also I want to pay tribute to his business savvy, him as a businessman, just recently purchasing his own catalogue, and not bowing down to record labels. That is the ultimate, the ultimate, really, protest, if you want, that you can do.

So, he owned his own music and now it's going to be worth billions. Congratulations to prince and his family. And my heart goes for them, but he was the ultimate individual.

BALDWIN: We will see you later this evening.

Sixty seconds left on my watch. Sian-Pierre?

REGIS: You know, there are very few moments for me that don't get washed away with a trending topic, and this is one of them. It's one that I always remember where I was when I found out, just as I did with Michael Jackson, and in that same case, people were blaring his music on the street, and they're doing that today in New York. And I can't wait to just revel in it and remember him.

BALDWIN: Michaela?

DAVIS: Prince showed us what it looks like to be self-liberated. He wore slave on his face and left in his own light. And I think that's a great legacy particularly as a black American. He showed us what freedom look like, and it was funky.

BALDWIN: We're out of time. Chris, I'm so sorry, but I just want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for being with me.

Thank you all around the world for staying with us on CNN, special coverage. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Don't move a muscle. We have much more coming at you.

"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts right now.