In 1998 I went to a bar for the first time. I was 18 years old and had been in the porn biz for about 6 months and was starting to be recognized by fans in public. I had an attitude and being 18 with money in my pocket for the first time, I was arrogant to say it nicely.
So my friend took me to Sky Bar on Sunset at the Mondrian Hotel. It's a beautiful bar overlooking the city that has a pool with beds all around it. It's not easy to get in and you have to be a hot girl or if you're a guy you are connected in the film industry loaded or know someone who is.
We were sitting at the bar for about 30 minutes when someone asked if the seats next to us were taken. I turned to answer and it was Prince. He was smiling and when I said "help yourself" he hopped up on to the chair and just stared at me for like 10 minutes. Finally I said "What?" with a laugh and he just said "I was trying to figure out what you are." That was weird and confusing and from that moment on we spent the next few hours just talking and laughing. He liked my laugh and he was actually REALLY funny. Sarcastic funny which is my favorite. We talked about me being raised Jehovah's Witness and being Sicilian and we talked about music. I wasn't a big Prince fan at the time but loved NWA and Dru Hill and Jodeci and Ginuwine, and he loved them all too. He was smart and funny and deep and totally respectful. He never offered to buy me a drink and he drank cranberry juice. He talked about losing his son and his relationship with Mytae that was at its end at the time. His eyes were filled with tears when he talked about his son's swing set and the playroom he designed and how seeing his son only once before he died had broken his heart forever. It was heartbreaking and at that time there were no cell phones with cameras so I showed him photos of my son who was only barely a year old at the time.
When he left he kissed my cheek and said "We'll meet again." and walked away.
Flash forward to 2004 to a Grammy's after party at the Beverly Wilshire. He had just performed with Beyonce that night and it was mind blowing. When I saw him he was sitting in a booth by himself which was weird to me. He was drinking what turned out to be chocolate milk! I walked up to say something and before I could, he saw me he had this sly smile and said "I told you we'd meet again" I couldn't believe after 6 years he remembered me! I looked a lot different at 24 than I did at 18 to say it mildly. New boobs and I had filled out a little. He invited me to sit and once again we talked like we were old friends. I told him I had left porn and he said he was proud of me for it. He asked if I had returned to church and I laughed and said "No!" he told me I would some day and he guaranteed it. I think he missed by a long shot on that one but you can't get them all right now can you?
We hung out for an hour or so and he was exactly the same as he was before. Never once flirted with me or anything at all. He was respectful and sweet and said he'll always remember my laugh. He was simply a kind, funny, sincere person with a tremendous gift.
Someone asked Eric Clapton once what it was like to be the greatest guitar player alive and he replied, "I don't know, you'll have to ask Prince."
Once again the world loses a tremendously talented person.
You will be missed my friend.
One of the greatest guitar players of all time playing one of the greatest guitar solos of all time!