Sheila E says the death of Prince is 'surreal'
LOS ANGELES, CA (FOX 11) - Good Day LA's Lisa Breckenridge had the opportunity to speak with Sheila E. Friday morning. Sheila E was his former fiancee and collaborated on many projects with Prince. She flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis after learning of Prince's death on Thursday. Prince was found unresponsive inside his Paisley Park home in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
You can listen to the entire interview in the video above.
Sheila says, "It's a little surreal, devastating and sad. We want to definitely thank the fans for their prayers and their support. I know he would appreciate them, so thank you very much."
When asked about Prince's illness or any rumors of his illness, Sheila E. couldn't comment.
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For selfish reasons, she says he'd want to be remembered by his song, "Purple Rain."
When Steve Edwards asked Sheila E. to tell us something about Prince that we didn't know, she said, "One of the things people don't talk about is how much he gave to different organizations. He was the first one to jump onboard my foundation, The Elevate Hope Foundation. We use music and arts and raise money to put music and teachers back in the schools. We went to different places when we started the Purple Rain tour. Even back then, we'd go to some facilities and play for some of the kids that were sick in hospitals. He was always giving and gave to a lot of organizations and always wanted to give back."
Check out a previous interview with Sheila E back in September 2014 when she appeared on Good Day LA talking about her past abuse and struggles in the music business:
Sheila E. was also on Studio 11 LA back in November 2014 talking about her new book, "The Beat Of My Own Drum." Here's her interview:
Sheila E's biggest hits were "The Glamourous Life" in 1984 and "A Love Bizarre" in 1985. Both those songs were collaborations with Prince. She also sang background vocals on Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" and "Erotic City," and was his percussionist for several tours.
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