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SAINT PAUL, Minn., Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Chaka Khan paid tribute to Prince backstage and onstage Thursday during a planned memorial concert for the late singer. "It was his first album... For You. I fell in love with him as a musician," Khan explained to Billboard about her first impression of Prince before taking part in the tribute show alongside Stevie Wonder at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn.
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"So much so that the first album, it didn't really catch on like you'd expect it to, but when I heard that song "I Feel For You" I felt that we could not let this song go unheard or unmessed-with. I gotta bring it back!" she continued about the track that she would later cover to great success in 1984.
After sharing how she first met Prince in person after he lied about being Sly Stone, Khan explained how talented the Purple One really was.
"He is... a quintessential master at efficiency and self-trust. He trusts himself completely, musically," the 63-year-old explained. "I know he trusts his musical sense. It's rare that you meet someone like that in a lifetime who fully trusts their instincts musically. We did a CD in two weeks time. Who ever heard of that? I was amazed. He was a guy who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it, and did it in a very short time on this earth."
Following the interview Khan took to the stage to perform Prince's hit single "1999" alongside Wonder while donning a suit and purple shirt.
Other guest performers included Tori Kelly, Nicole Scherzinger, Prince's ex-wife Mayte Garcia, Prince bands the New Power Generation and 3rdEyeGirl and Jessie J who filled in for a sick Christina Aguilera.
Previously scheduled performer John Mayer was also forced to drop out of the event due to a scheduling conflict.
