John Legend and Shaila E. covered Prince’s music Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention as part of a tribute to vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Legend and Shelan E’s collaboration on “Let’s Go Crazy” served as the opening credits for a final set of speeches leading up to the Minnesota governor’s landmark acceptance speech for the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nomination.
Legend, a 12-time Grammy winner, performed “Nothing Compares 2 U” at the 2020 Grammy Awards to honor the late Minnesota artist. In a promotional video for “The Voice” 2022, he spoke of his admiration for the star.
“The first time I was blown away by the star was when I met Prince at a party after his performance at Madison Square Garden,” Legend said. “Who doesn’t get blown away by Prince?”
Sheila E., a close friend of Prince’s, frequently contributed to his songs and was the opening act on his Purple Rain tour. She recently complained that Paisley Park management did not allow her to film footage in Studio B during an unannounced visit on June 7.
“I’ve been in this place from the beginning to the end pretty much,” she told the Star Tribune last month. “I recorded a lot of music there. I lived there on and off. I slept there. My clothes were made there. My percussion and drums are there. I want my gear back.”
The duo weren’t the first musicians to perform at the Chicago convention. Jason Isbell and Mickey Guyton performed on Monday, but James Taylor canceled due to time constraints. Pink will perform on Thursday, CNN reported.
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