Stevie Wonder pays a tearful tribute to his 'incredible' friend Prince and plays 'Purple Rain' on the piano

'It's a heartbreak to lose a member of that army of love'

Stevie Wonder told of his “heartbreak” at losing his friend Prince in a tearful televised interview.

He described the singer, who died aged 57 at home in Minnesota yesterday, as “a great musician” who “encouraged others to be themselves”.

Speaking to presenter Anderson Cooper on CNN via a live link from his home in LA, Wonder was overcome with emotion as he paid tribute to the star.

“I find it so hard to believe,“ he said. “It's a heartbreak to lose a member of that army of love.”

“He loved music, he loved playing his instrument, and the times we did jam together were amazing with all the people he would bring together,” he said. “I’m just glad I was able to say to him ‘I love you’ the last time I saw him.”

Prince played guitar on Wonder’s hit ‘Superstition’ at a concert in Paris in 2010 and they shared keyboards at a private party at the White House last year.

The late musician’s exceptional versatility was praised by Wonder, who said: “He could play classical music if he wanted to, he could play jazz if he wanted to, he could play country if he wanted to, he played rock, he played blues, he played pop.”

In an interview clip from 1999, Prince described Mr Wonder as his “role-model,” who was an “inspiration” for his “connection to the spirit”.

When asked if he would be able to perform a musical tribute to Prince, an emotional Wonder replied: “I think I’d probably break down if I did a song right now.”

However, he went on to play a piano rendition of Purple Rain, the title song from Prince’s classic 1984 album, which Wonder cited as his favourite.

An investigation into the causes of Prince’s death is underway.