Prince paid tribute to his former protégé Denise “Vanity” Matthews at the Melbourne, Australia kickoff of his Piano and a Microphone tour, the day after it was revealed the Vanity 6 singer and his ex-girlfriend had died at the age of 57.
“I just found out a little while ago that someone dear to us has passed away, so I’m going to dedicate this song to her,” Prince told the audience before performing a solo take on “Little Red Corvette.”
Prince was said to have learned of Matthews’ death just as he was set to take the stage.
“I’m trying to stay focused. It’s a little heavy for me tonight. Just keep jamming,” he told reportedly told the audience. He frequently referenced Vanity in his set list.
Prince also shared memories about the singer over the course of the evening.
“Can I tell you a story about Vanity? Or should I tell you a story about Denise? She loved me for the artist I was, I loved her for the artist she was trying to be. She and I would fight. She was very headstrong ’cause she knew she was the finest woman in the world. She never missed an opportunity to tell you that.”
Later, Prince told a story about how, during a fight, he threatened to throw Vanity in a pool, only to have Vanity reply, “You can’t throw me in the pool, you’re too little.” Prince then asked his bodyguard to throw Vanity in the pool. “I probably shouldn’t be telling this story, but she’d want us to celebrate her life and not mourn her,” Prince said.
