Eight years have passed since the world lost one of its most extraordinary musicians, Prince. He was discovered dead at his Paisley Park residence in Minneapolis in April 2016, at the age of 57.
Throughout his life, Prince was not only a prolific singer-songwriter and musician but also collaborated with numerous iconic artists. One of those artists was Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac, who recently shared insights into their friendship. She recounted how Prince once expressed concern about her struggles with drug use.
Their collaboration began in the early 1980s, blossoming into a profound friendship. Nicks, now 73, reminisced about feeling flattered when she realized Prince had an interest in her. “Prince and I were just friends”, she explained in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “I think he would have been happy to have had a relationship.”
While on her honeymoon with ex-husband Kim Anderson, Nicks heard Prince’s hit “Little Red Corvette” and felt inspired to create her own song. “Suddenly, I was singing along: ‘Stand back!’” she told Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio show. “I asked Kim to pull over because I needed to record this, so we found a store and bought a tape recorder.”
That night, she worked tirelessly on what would become the lead single from her 1983 solo album, The Wild Heart, which eventually reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After completing her song “Stand Back”, Nicks arranged a meeting with Prince, and within 20 minutes, they were introduced in a Los Angeles studio. Prince listened to her track and quickly went to the keyboard to contribute his unique touches. Afterward, he hugged her and left. “He spoiled me for every band I’ve ever had because no one could replicate what Prince did all by himself”, Nicks remarked in her book Rock Lives.
Despite her admiration for him, Nicks chose not to pursue a romantic relationship, valuing their musical bond instead. “I wanted a creative partnership, and I had learned early on that relationships could end badly”, she explained. “He wasn’t just looking for that.”
Interestingly, Prince’s song “When Doves Cry” was inspired by Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen”, Nicks candidly admitted that during their collaboration, she was deeply involved in drug use. “The eighties were a dark time for me”, she told The New Yorker. “Prince was very much against drugs, and it shocked me to learn he ended up on pain medication. He often lectured me about my habits.”
Nicks recalled their conversations, where Prince would warn her: “You gotta be careful, Stevie”, to which she would respond: “I know, I know”, In the wake of his death, she expressed her sorrow, noting: “It’s tragic that he died of an accidental overdose. I can hear him saying: ‘Sweetie, I can’t believe it happened either’”.
Prince’s concern was warranted, as Nicks ultimately entered rehab twice. In 1986, she sought help at the Betty Ford Clinic for cocaine addiction and returned to treatment in 1993 for an over-prescription of Klonopin.
In 1986, during a visit with a plastic surgeon regarding her nose, she learned she had severely damaged it from her drug use. “I asked the doctor what he thought about my nose, and he replied: ‘The next time you do cocaine, you could drop dead’”, Nicks recalled. This prompted her to seek help at the Betty Ford Clinic, a decision that helped turn her life around and potentially saved her career.
It’s a tragedy that Prince couldn’t overcome his own struggles with opioids. Nicks’ experiences underscore his musical genius and the generosity of his talent. He remains an irreplaceable legend, forever missed by countless fans worldwide.
Prince William reveals devastating sorrow: ‘Ohh my wife…’
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs) isn’t shy to famous guests and perhaps the biggest name of anyone in attendance was the Prince of Wales and future King of England, who appeared sad as he discussed his wife’s health.
Prince William’s wife of 13 years, Kate Middleton, recently had abdominal surgery at The London Clinic for undisclosed reasons, and Lady Diana Spencer’s son had no intention of revealing those to the public either.
It normally wouldn’t be an issue as the Royal Family are very secretive about health but, in a stark contrast, King Charles III was very open about his own prostate surgery and then his diagnosis of an unrelated cancer.
“I’ve seen less than ever,” Prince William said, on how many films he has watched. “With my wife it’s been a bit… But I hope we catch up, I’ll make my list tonight.”
Why all the hush?
Middleton simply may not want her private affairs to be known to everyone in the world, which is a reasonable request made by many normal people too, but it hasn’t stopped conspiracies and questions flying around…
The question on many lips is if the King is so transparent about his own health to the nation, then why is the ex-Dutchess of Cambridge being so private?
The only thing we know thus far is that it is not cancer, Kensington Palace made that very clear. Nonetheless, many suspect it could be Crohn’s Disease, a hysterectomy or surgery to handle avid refluxes following the delivery of three children in the last decade.
The question on many lips is if the King is so transparent about his own health to the nation, then why is the ex-Dutchess of Cambridge being so private?
The only thing we know thus far is that it is not cancer, Kensington Palace made that very clear. Nonetheless, many suspect it could be Crohn’s Disease, a hysterectomy or surgery to handle avid refluxes following the delivery of three children in the last decade.
Whatever the reason, it knocked the future Queen off her feet as she needed her entire immediate family to rally around her and to look after her children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
That included her husband who stepped back from official royal duties for a brief period, whilst Middleton is expected to return to hers after Easter once she is back to a full recovery.
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