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New Day

Remembering Music Icon Prince; President Obama Arrives At Windsor Castle for Royal Luncheon. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired April 22, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:33:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Music, fashion, film, activism, all things Prince is being remembered for this morning, along, by the way, with being complicated. Joining us again, Prince's former stylist, Michaela Angela Davis. And, senior editor of Billboard magazine, Gail Mitchell, who wrote a 2013 cover story for Billboard on Prince.

And Gail, on that subject of being complicated, Larry King had a really fascinating hour-long discussion with Prince a number of years ago where Larry asked him flat-out where does the reputation come of you being difficult? Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING: Where did this reputation begin that you are difficult, do you think? And I imagine you're not hearing it here for the first time.

PRINCE: No, probably where all reputations begin. I think the media plays a big part in one's perception of me. If no 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 things like this?

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:35:00] BERMAN: Well, Gail, you actually did get a chance to sit down with him, as Prince suggested. Was it complicated? Was he difficult?

GAIL MITCHELL, SENIOR EDITOR, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE: He was very gracious to me. One of my all-time dreams was to talk to him, just to see the person behind the music. And like he just said in that clip, he did what he wanted to do the way he wanted to do it and wanted his music to speak for itself, which it certainly did loud and clear.

But he was very gracious to me. I think he knew I was nervous and the main thing was he didn't want you to record anything. He didn't want you take any notes and I asked ahead of time if I could. His manager, at the time, said no.

And when I asked him about it later because he -- and somebody told me you should have taken -- you should have put the recorder on your phone and I said no, it would have rung and then he would have been upset and then I would have been shown the door probably.But he just said I want you to feel me and take the essence of what I'm saying to you and what our conversation is, and I want you to take that back and write about that.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Is that all it was in terms of this line between difficult and uncompromising? The integrity of it versus just being difficult for difficulty's sake? What was that about -- don't record my voice?

MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, PRINCE'S FORMER STYLIST: You know, it's not difficult. It's human. He's being fully human fearlessly. So, I think people receive that as difficult, meaning he got to call his own life. He was self-emancipated so if he didn't want to do an interview, he didn't do it. So people received it as complicated, but I thought it was fearless.

PEREIRA: Interpretation.

DAVIS: But it was the same -- I had the same experience as the writer. I didn't sit down with tear sheets and talk about style.

PEREIRA: He bought it.

DAVIS: Yes, but also, I just want to be very clear. There are so many people that worked on his fashion and style over the years. He took a young girl who sent him sketches -- a fan of clothes -- and she ended up designing for him. Her name is Debbie McGuan.

PEREIRA: A generosity of spirit.

DAVIS: I know she must be crushed. I keep thinking about all the people who poured themselves into him because he challenged you. I don't have any photos of him. People were like -- producers were like --

PEREIRA: And you just don't have them.

DAVIS: -- can you send photos. You don't have them. You have experiences.

PEREIRA: I want to pick up on something that Chris mentioned a little earlier on our show about the idea of -- and I think Washington Post wrote about it -- that he defined this idea that there's no one correct way to be a man. And as a woman, I'd never thought how his impact on young men was, but that played into his style. The androgyny, the -- the sort of the expression --

DAVIS: Fluid.

PEREIRA: Yes.

DAVIS: The fluidity. He was fluid and he let you feel what you wanted to feel, right? He never said I'm straight or I'm gay. But he would have lots of women around him all the time. This, again, I felt, was an expression of freedom.

PEREIRA: Yes.

DAVIS: I get to wear a trench coat or chaps with no butt in them, or a tuxedo. You remember that?

PEREIRA: I do remember those chaps. Oh, my goodness.

DAVIS: But then you remember this, and you remember lace, and you remember masks, and you remember pajamas with his own face on them. There was no limit, and I think people get very uncomfortable when someone gets to define who they say they are and constantly changes it, right? Like you can't stop him.

BERMAN: And, Gail, it was almost as if, from a very early point, that music wasn't big enough to contain everything that he wanted to do, right? I mean, it was really the style. It went beyond music. Then there was "Purple Rain". All of a sudden he's going to put himself in this movie and that was just explosive.

MITCHELL: Yes, it was. I can remember seeing the movie for the first time with him and Morris Day. At that time music movies, you know, it was musicals. No one really stepped up to the forefront and made a movie like that with a storyline. It showed the sexy side of him. It showed the creative and the music side of him, and I think it was a great introduction.

Fans go back to the first album, "For You", but this really was the breakthrough. This really showed everybody that this guy -- at first, I think when people say him and heard him, and he plays every instrument on the album. He does this and that. Oh yeah, right. But then when "Purple Rain" hit that just sealed the deal for everybody, fanwise and industry wise.

BERMAN: All right, guys, thanks so much. This showed the sexy side of Prince. Was there another side?

DAVIS: Every side.

BERMAN: That's the question this morning.

PEREIRA: So true.

BERMAN: All right guys, really appreciate it. So interesting to have all of these discussions. Coming up in our next hour, Prince's long- time friend and collaborator, Sheila E. She will join us here live on NEW DAY.

CUOMO: Politics going on as well. Heads of state meeting. The president and the first lady getting ready to meet with the royals. (Video playing) This is live pictures of what's going on in London at Windsor Castle. We're going to give you more of that, plus more perspective on Prince. What he meant, not just to music, but to mankind.

[07:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:44:00] PEREIRA: Just moments ago President Obama and the first lady arriving at Windsor Castle. They'll have lunch with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. All week, England has been celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday. The Obamas also have dinner plans with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry at Kensington Palace. America's first couple, first official guests to be hosted by the young royals. Imagine that dinner party.

Let's bring in our CNN correspondent Max Foster, and CNN royal commentator Victoria Arbiter. Victoria, so lovely to see you. We're talking of a prince of a different sort. Obviously, we'll get back to our coverage of the passing of Prince, but the royals receiving the Obamas -- their second visit. And we know that last time around there was a few gaffs and such with hugs that weren't supposed to happen, toasts that weren't supposed to happen. This time I feel like everybody is prepped.

VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: I think everybody's been, yes, thoroughly prepped. And, of course, with visits comes experience. So, yes, as you mentioned, there've been a couple of gaffs before. Everyone was up in arms when Michelle put her arm around the queen in 2009.

PEREIRA: Which seems ludicrous to us Americans, yet --

ARBITER: Yes, I mean --

PEREIRA: -- there's protocol.

ARBITER: English people are quite reticent anyway, I suppose. But, yes, there is protocol when meeting the queen. But the queen -- she handled it in her usual unflappable fashion. And, actually, over time they've developed quite a warm relationship -- quite a warm friendship that has extended to these younger members of the family.

[07:45:00] Michelle Obama and Prince Harry, in particular, have really formed quite a tight bond over their mutual interest in Wounded Warriors, and their support of the wounded military at Invictus Games, which Harry -- that his big mission in life. And Michelle Obama's attending the opening ceremony of the inaugural American Invictus Games in May.

PEREIRA: Imagine lining up these two incredible itineraries between the president and first lady and the royals. Max, to you. Obviously, yesterday, you were telling us about the 90th birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth and it's so wonderful that the timing worked out well. President Obama is on his farewell tour, if you will.

I recall a few years back on his first visit to visit the queen he gifted her, for her birthday, an iPod full -- or and iPad or and iPod -- of his favorite music. Any ideas of what the gift might be this year?

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are racking our brains. You kind of wonder what on earth you can buy --

PEREIRA: What do you buy the queen?

FOSTER: -- the queen who virtually has everything. We're fascinated with -- we're waiting to hear -- apparently palace officialshaven't been told anything so we don't know anything from their point of view either. So, we don't even know what they're having for lunch. We don't even know what they're be discussing over lunch either. It's all very much under lock and key.

There's a huge, furious debate here in the country at the moment. The president has written a big piece in the Telegraph today about whether or not Britain should stay within the European Union. It's caused a huge political storm and that's going to come up this afternoon. Whether or not they'll discuss it, we don't know whether she'll convey her views to the president, we just don't know. It's always top secret but I'm sure it might leak out one day.

PEREIRA: I feel like Max Foster will have his ear pressed to the wall to find out if there's anything he can glean from that. So, obviously, this itinerary is up to the minute planned.

ARBITER: Yes.

PEREIRA: We know that William and Kate will be hosting a state dinner, essentially. Their first big dinner party hosting foreign dignitaries, with President Obama and the first lady.

ARBITER: Well, the first in their own home.

PEREIRA: In their home, yes. In their own home.

ARBITER: And so, of course, royal fans are looking forward to photographs of that because a glimpse inside apartment 1A --

PEREIRA: This was big.

ARBITER: -- which is a lesser apartment. It's a 22-room residence, but yet, it is a big deal.

PEREIRA: I'm sorry, did you say an apartment with 22 rooms? That does not make sense to New Yorkers, first of all. Back to that.

ARBITER: So, yes -- so, it's the first time they're doing this in their own home and it's all part of the diplomacy training. It's going to be a very informal dinner. They have all met on several occasions before. The duchess is the only one that's only met the Obamas once before. But William was in the Oval Office last year and he was talking to the president about his desire to combat illegal wildlife trafficking, and there's a mutual interest in all of this.

And so I think this meeting tonightnot only does it give them an opportunity to raise these issues that they all share an interest in. But as I said, it's part of William's on-the-ground diplomacy training because one day he'll have that top job and have to be having dinners with dignitaries from all over the world. PEREIRA: That plays right into what I want to show now. I think it bears showing again. We showed it to you yesterday -- this beautiful photo. Max, I think you showed it to us yesterday, from the 90th birthday, released. This is the queen with her grandchildren. This is a beautiful, beautiful -- is this the first time they've sat formally for this kind of photograph, Max?

FOSTER: I think, obviously, that grouping, it's the first time and it really does show that the next generation is coming on. You have her little granddaughter there holding her handbag and it's all quite informal. There was another one, as well, of Prince George standing on some blocks, as well. It's becoming a bit less formal, but such a formal setting. It was taken here, of course, as well.

Actually, the dinner tonight at Kensington is quite interesting. I was in apartment 1A just recently when the Duchess of Cambridge was editing the Huffington Post. And Michelle Obama had contributed to an edition of the Huffington Post with the Duchess of Cambridge. So they're very much making the point that these three, Harry, Kate, and William, always, as Victoria was saying, do have these common interests --

PEREIRA: Yes, yes.

FOSTER: -- with the Obamas and they're working very closely together. I think maybe that's going to be something that's going to grow.

PEREIRA: Absolutely.

FOSTER: We keep coming back to it. It's, obviously a very strong relationship.

PEREIRA: Absolutely. Max Foster, Victoria Arbiter, thank you so much. What a beautiful moment for us all to share and commemorate together. We appreciate you joining us. Chris --

CUOMO: All right, and obviously the dominant story this morning is the sudden, tragic, and terrible death of music legend Prince. Who can forget his unforgettable performances? How he changed who we are and what we think, not just what we listen to. We're going to talk to one man who produced the Grammy Awards where Prince cleaned up, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:00] CUOMO: Music is like an instant recall mechanism for memories of growing up.

PEREIRA: Can't sit still.

CUOMO: There's so much more than just a man and his music. A legend by any estimate. Prince leaves behind an unmatched legacy of artistic showmanship and impact. Now, our next guest is the executive producer of the Grammy Awards for the last 36 years, a legend in his own right. He has had a front-row seat to some of the memorable live performances that helped make Prince an icon. His name is Ken Ehrlich and he joins us now. Ken, thank you so much for joining us. I'm sure that this is hitting you hard, but please, help us all appreciate what has been lost.

KEN EHRLICH, TV PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR: Well, he was such a remarkable artist and a remarkable human being. I was fortunate enough to work with him maybe nine or 10 times over the years. Basically, he didn't do a lot of television.

He was very careful about his public perception, but when he did it -- he was on the Grammys. He performed twice. The first time was 1984 and he did "Baby, I'm A Star". And then there was that famous appearance with Beyonce in 2004, which in itself, was pretty momentous. (Break in audio) says that was, if not the -- one of the most amazing ones.

[07:55:00] But working with him was -- he was so giving and he was so -- he had this crieth (ph) demeanor that just amazed me. Whenever you were around him he very seldom spoke above a whisper. He was very soft-spoken.

I can remember, we did a pay-per-view with him at Staples when he kind of came back after the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. And I was standing backstage with him and he was this quiet -- there was this -- almost a serenity, and then all of a sudden, boom. Out on stage he slammed the guitar solo in the first song. It was like wait a minute, that's not the same person that was standing next to me a minute and a half ago. It' sad, it's really sad.

PEREIRA: Ken, I want to talk more specifically -- it's terribly sad. We're all struggling with it. I think even us -- we're supposed to pull it together and set the tone, and it's difficult. I think some of us are struggling with it.

Ken, I want to talk specifically about that Beyonce-Prince performance in 2004. It was early on-ish in Beyonce's career, but to work -- have those two paired together -- that was something you were instrumental in doing. Was that an easy pairing? Did they just vibe instantly? Was there a lot of negotiations that went on behind the scenes?

EHRLICH: Well, it is interesting because it kind of started with a call from then-Beyonce's manager saying we've kind of had a couple of entrees from Prince that he might be interested in doing something. Why don't you follow it up? So I called him and we talked and it was kind of yes, I'll do this. I'd love to do this.

And then we went back to Beyonce and I, honestly -- she was hesitant. It was a big year for her. It was the year of "Dangerously In Love" and she was already on the Grammys. I already booked her. This was about three weeks before the show. So, we had to really kind of talk her into it, which later on she said it was the best talking into she ever got.

But the story is that I went back to Prince and said yes, she's going to do it and he said that's great. And then the next day he called me in the office. He was in L.A., he wasn't in Minneapolis. And he said can you come out to center stage, which was a rehearsal studio that we always worked at. And we went out.

He said I just have something I want to play for you. And I thought he had some of a track or something. I walked into this studio, the lights were down, the band was set up. He was now the performer Prince, and without a word he just kind of walked away from me, picked up the guitar, and he played the entire medley for him and for her. He had laid it out in 24 hours. And when I heard it, I got chills.

David Wild was with me and I called Beyonce's mother at that point and told her. And the rehearsals with the two of them were magical because she was kind of like a -- it was early in her career and she was kind of like a puppy dog and she just followed him around learning from him, watching him.

PEREIRA: She said she --

EHRLICH: It was a wonderful pairing.

PEREIRA: She said she was starstruck.

BERMAN: By Prince, and I think that what's so remarkable seeing him at the Grammys or other events where he did show up, is that stars were starstruck whenever they were near Prince.

EHRLICH: He just had this persona. On the one hand, he was distant and he was kind of -- he didn't want to get to know you very well. But on the other hand, there was a cordiality. There was a warmth about him, so you combine those two. It's really kind of like -- if you think about it, it followed his musical path or his musical path followed his personality.

CUOMO: Talent knows talent and there can be a line of wow, I really love this, how good this person is versus wow, this person's so much better than I am. Do you think that when Prince was on the stage with others he stood out, not just because of his style but because of what he was able to do with his voice and his musical gifts?

EHRLICH: You know, it's funny. These past several hours I've had some time to think about it and I remember when we did this pay-per- view in Los Angeles. I'd alwaysthought of him as a great guitar player. Maybe not the greatest guitar player, but there was something -- this was 2005 or 2006 -- and then, all of sudden he became the world's greatest guitar player.

Not that he wasn't before, but it was like he gained a confidence, a sense of pride in it, and everyone who had respected him for his songwriting, for his performance -- you know, there was a James Brown aspect to him.

There was this amazing electric performance that he had. But, all of a sudden, he added that one more layer of being this brilliant guitarist and it was like now he's got it all. He had every bit of it, you know. And that's how he spent -- that's how he was for the last -- at least the last 10 years. He did them -- all of it together. CUOMO: Ken, there is no substitute for hearing about the man from

those who knew him and worked with him, and saw him make what all the rest of us took in.