SCOTS pop queen Sheena Easton has composed a moving letter of appreciation to the late music legend Prince, saying she was "blessed" to be his friend.
The 80s pop queen from Glasgow, once famously romantically linked with the global superstar, admitted that it was "impossible" to sum up "in a few neat phrases what his loss means to all of us" and encouraged everyone to play his music.
She took time to write a letter by way of tribute to the pop king as a post-mortem examination got under way in Minnesota examining the sudden death of the music superstar.
The pioneer of American music died at his Paisley Park studio in Minnesota, the state where he was born and raised.
Police found the legendary artist unresponsive inside a lift at the property, and paramedics were unable to revive him, the sheriff said.
Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Minnesota warned it could be some time before post-mortem findings were released.
The death of the singer, came days after he was rushed to hospital on April 15 reportedly with a severe bout of flu, after taking a turn for the worse on his private jet after several weeks fighting the virus.
But the following day, he is said to have wanted to give fans "living proof" he was OK and made an appearance at a $10 dance party in Minnesota.
Yesterday it was reported that Prince had overdosed on the painkiller Perocet he was taking for a hip problem, days before his death.
Photos emerged of Prince walking out of a Walgreens pharmacy just 15 hours before he was pronounced dead.
In January it was reported that the 57-year-old pop star was needing a double-hip replacement but as a Jehovah's Witness, may have been reluctant to undergo surgery because the religion does not allow blood transfusions.
Sheena Easton, who shed her girl-next-door image when she collaborated with Prince on hits such as U Got The Look, Sugar Walls and 101 in the 1980s said: "Prince has been described as iconic, innovative, controversial, unique, charasmatic and one of the driving forces of music for the last four decades.
"Yes, he was all of those things, but he was also warm and generous, gentle and kind and when he chose you as his friend, you were blessed."
The Bellshill-born singer who has always been coy about her relationship with Prince said she was "fortunate" to have had the chance to collaborate with him and added: "I cherish all the time we spent together making music and memories that will forever be woven into the fabric of my career, and my life."
The 56-year-old star, who got her break in one of Britain's first reality shows, the Esther Rantzen-led The Big Time in 1981 went on: "I can't imagine Prince not being here. I just can't imagine it.
"His energy was so strong that he never seemed to age or tire like the rest of us. He was one of those people who confirmed my belief that we are more than just biology...we are spirit. He was, and is, the epitome of a soul that came to us overflowing with love, and music, and light.
"So take time to listen to some of your favourite Prince songs. Be grateful, as I am that we are part of the generation that got to experience the genius of this wonderful being who never was anything but exceptional."
She concluded her tribute with the words: "With Love, Sheena."
Just this month, Prince made news after he postponed two shows he'd been scheduled to perform at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
"The entertainer is battling the flu," the Fox said in a statement that day.
A week later, he took the stage in Atlanta to perform two concerts with unusually short 80-minute sets, featuring just Prince at his piano.
As Prince headed back home to Minnesota, he made an emergency landing April 15 and was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Moline, Illinois. His publicist later said he was fine.
On Saturday, he appeared before a small gathering of fans at a Paisley Park dance party. Minneapolis Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream wrote the next day, that it seemed aimed at proving he was alive and well.
Sales of Prince's music soared after news broke of the pop star's death, and fans continued to leave floral tributes at Paisley Park many hours after his death was announced.
In Amazon's digital music store, 19 of the 20 best-selling albums at one point belonged to Prince.
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