Madonna's passionate Prince tribute featured a surprise Stevie Wonder duet
The Billboard Music Awards ended with an all-star Prince tribute led by Madonna and surprise guest Stevie Wonder.
The performance was introduced by Questlove, the Roots drummer and noted Prince superfan.
"As we move forward, we will encounter more reasons to remember him," he said, wearing a "Starfish & Coffee, Maple Syrup & Jam" t-shirt and a purple pin bearing Prince's iconic symbol.
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Then, the room was bathed in purple light and Madonna's performance began. The pop icon launched into a performance of "Nothing Compares 2 U," sitting high on the stage in a rotating purple throne. She wore a purple suit with a ruffled blouse, and wielded a Prince-like cane.
As the song ended, she then launched into "Purple Rain" with surprise guest Stevie Wonder. The pair performed the classic Prince track standing side by side, as Rihanna gently dabbed in the audience.
They finished off the song with an a cappella verse, the crowd standing and clapping along.
"Thank you so much," Madonna said as the performance ended. "Thank you, Stevie. And most of all, thank you Prince Rogers Nelson."
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Topics Music
Yohana Desta was the senior film reporter for Mashable. She is a Northern Virginia native and an American University grad. She enjoys carefully curating her Instagram account and can often be found reading books, going to concerts, watching movies and learning way too much about pop culture.
