Prince's first wife Mayte on keeping his legacy alive a decade after his death — AP interview

[0:00] If you ever said battle to him, he'd be like, what? [0:04] So he was always thinking of transitioning [0:07] and spirituality and getting to another level [0:10] of spirituality, because he wasn't normal. [0:13] He's not a sweat pant kind of t-shirt guy. [0:16] We're chancletas, he's not that guy. [0:19] Every April 21st was, I mean, of course, [0:21] April 21st when it happened was horrible. [0:24] And I didn't think I'd be able to smile ever again. [0:26] And it was really, really, it was really hard for me. [0:31] And it's crazy, because I started teaching. [0:34] I started teaching and I started to slowly play his music [0:37] and kind of absorb it, accept it. [0:42] And back then, I remember people trying to celebrate [0:46] or like honor that day, and it just didn't feel right [0:50] until thinking of doing a benefit for the charity [0:55] that we started 30 years ago. [0:56] I kind of thought, this is kind of amazing [0:58] that it's on the 10th year of his transitioning. [1:01] I know he would have been rolling his eyes saying, [1:04] you better celebrate that I transitioned, [1:07] because he was a very spiritual person. [1:08] He wanted to evolve. [1:09] So it felt right to do it at the 10 year mark [1:14] and for this reason, which is Live for Life charities. [1:19] And it's helping people up and helping people out. [1:22] And it's about music education, dancing, arts, [1:25] helping the homeless. [1:26] It's a whole bunch of different programs. [1:28] And I feel good about it. [1:29] And I feel good. [1:31] I mean, I haven't shed a tear yet. [1:32] OK, I almost did. [1:33] I did. [1:34] I did a little bit today, but not as hard as, you know, [1:37] because it's hard. [1:38] And it's unfortunately, or fortunately, [1:40] something that we're all going to deal with. [1:41] We're all going to have a loss in life. [1:44] So I think it's, it takes time. [1:47] But I think with time, it's transitioning [1:50] into celebrating him. [1:53] When we started Live for Love charities, [1:55] it was to honor the memory of our son, Amir. [1:58] Although Amir's life was short lived, [2:01] we knew he was meant to have an impact on this world. [2:04] Through Live for Love charities, [2:06] we are continuing the legacy of both father and son. [2:10] Our mission, our mission at Live for Love is simple, [2:20] helping people up and helping people up. [2:22] Yes. [2:25] Why am I crying? [2:29] It's all right to cry. [2:30] That's good. [2:30] That's love. [2:31] That's what I'm really happy to. [2:33] I mean, I've been dealing with this for 30 years [2:35] because when my son passed away, that was his birthday. [2:39] Every day was, it was a good day. [2:41] It was either a bad day. [2:42] October was still is a iffy month for me, 30 years later. [2:47] But I try to celebrate. [2:49] I try to make a positive out of it. [2:51] Not perfect, but that's what I try to do. [2:54] So yeah, I feel now at the 10 year mark, [2:58] we're gonna shed a tear, but we're gonna celebrate more [3:01] and give back, which feels good. [3:04] I'm excited because it's about love for him [3:07] and it's about, and that's our charity. [3:10] Our charity is Live for Love. [3:12] Gotta live for love and share it and help others. [3:14] And I'm really excited that people are gonna play his music. [3:18] I already heard some people singing. [3:19] I was like, oh yeah, it's gonna be so good, I wanna dance, but I didn't prepare for that, so. [3:23] Last night was the premiere of the Michael movie. [3:26] Yeah. [3:27] What's it, what were, what are your memories of that relationship and rivalry and stuff [3:35] of when you were around, what do you remember him sort of saying [3:38] or thinking or talking about Michael at that time? [3:40] He never hated Michael. [3:42] Well, I know it, yeah, yeah. [3:42] Yeah, no, he respected Michael. [3:44] They had a fascinating rivalry, I would say. [3:45] Absolutely, you know, and that's, that's fun to have that kind of rivalry [3:48] and that kind of competition. [3:49] He always, if you ever said battle to him, he'd be like, what? [3:54] And, you know, and then he'd announce it like, we're battling. [3:57] I'm like, oh gosh, okay. [3:59] It's even more now. [4:00] We'd go 100, but then we're gonna go 110 now. [4:02] So, I mean, it was fun. [4:04] You know, I never had, he never said anything bad about him. [4:06] He'd play his music and we haven't heard funny stories of why he didn't do bad. [4:12] Everybody knows that story and I just laugh so hard. [4:15] But, you know, it's, they loved each other. [4:20] And what are the sort of, I guess, maybe two or three songs that you feel like he was [4:27] singing directly to you? [4:29] What are the ones that are always in, sort of, that come to you that are, yep, that was me? [4:35] The Morning Papers. [4:40] Oh gosh. [4:42] Friend, lover, sister, mother, wife. [4:44] Let's have a baby. [4:48] Style. [4:50] There's a lot. [4:51] There's a lot. [4:52] Love to the nines. [4:53] I could give you a whole list of them. [4:55] But, yeah, those were, those were fun. [4:59] I would hear, like, works in progress. [5:02] And, I mean, it was always a work in progress. [5:04] And it was never, like, here, you know. [5:08] It was only like that when we got married. [5:09] And I was like, wow, I have a whole CD dedicated to me, which was amazing. [5:14] But I would always go, is that a memory? [5:17] It is. [5:18] Yes, it is. [5:20] And would you, and would you ask him? [5:22] And he would, would he kind of, like, bat away? [5:24] Or he would say yes? [5:25] No, I never, I never asked. [5:27] Okay. [5:27] No, I just kind of, like, that's all I had to say. [5:34] Okay. [5:35] I mean, he was a very spiritual person. [5:51] We didn't really talk about religion for, for many years. [5:55] And we just, we always prayed. [5:57] We always thanked God. [5:58] We always just, just, it wasn't, it was just about spirituality. [6:03] And we believed in reincarnation and spirits coming down and learning a lesson and then coming, [6:09] not coming back. [6:10] It was, it's a lot of that. [6:13] And he was always looking to evolve. [6:15] He felt like, I mean, someone who that magnitude of fame and love, like, he knew there was, [6:23] I mean, he would create this music. [6:25] And where did it come from? [6:26] I try to look forward, but I'm not going to forget my past. [6:29] And I always try to honor it. [6:30] And I want to carry his legacy on because his music and the things that he stood for are important. [6:38] And it needs to be shared. [6:39] And what are the things that he stood for in your mind? [6:41] Huh. [6:43] Education for children. [6:45] I mean, my daughter's in high school. [6:46] I mean, not in high school. [6:47] She's in middle school and no music programs and dancing. [6:51] I'm like, how much is it? [6:52] Why is it so expensive? [6:54] You know, it's, it shouldn't be like that. [6:56] I'm actually having a convention in May in Dallas. [6:59] I have 36 students already. [7:01] I'm so excited because it's free. [7:03] You're going to come and dance with like top choreographers. [7:06] And I think that's really important. [7:08] And he always thought about music education, education for children. [7:12] Coding, planting, environment, rights. [7:19] He was always, I mean, a lot of it is in his music. [7:23] That's how he shared it. [7:24] But I heard many conversations that he had. [7:28] We're working on it, working on a, on a film, uh, showing his philanthropical side. [7:32] How much he helped because people don't know. [7:35] He did so much. [7:36] And I'm getting all that because I think he didn't want the, [7:39] he didn't want the attention or, you know, his name to be put in it. [7:43] But I think it's so important now because I don't, I hope it inspires other people. [7:47] You know, so yeah. [7:49] So what would that look like? [7:50] The documentary. [7:52] Okay. [7:52] We're going to talk to people that he helped. [7:54] I mean, he started on early, early in the eighties. [7:56] He was already doing stuff. [7:58] So, um, yeah, stay tuned for that. [8:02] Looking on it. [8:03] Awesome. [8:04] And what else do you sort of envision for yourself in, in a sort of continuing the legacy role? [8:09] What are the other projects coming up? [8:10] Well, I'm creating more programs for live for love. [8:13] Um, this, this one in May, I'm really excited about because, um, gosh, we got some amazing [8:19] teachers, like famous people that are touring with Usher and Chris Brown. [8:24] Like it's, it's as a dancer, that's like top. [8:28] So I'm excited that I have them. [8:30] Um, I'm working on another book. [8:33] And then my book that is out is being made into a movie. [8:36] So I'm biting my nails, but I, I'm feeling very confident about it. [8:40] And, um, I like the direction that they're going and I'm choreographing it. [8:44] And I'm probably going to be the body double. [8:45] Okay, that's fine. [8:49] Um, what's the status on that? [8:50] Cause I know you've talked about, you've been talking about that for a while. [8:52] Yeah. [8:53] The script is written and it's, you know, the drafts getting approved and all that. [8:57] And then once that that's approved, then, then it goes into casting. [9:03] But I, for me, it's funny. [9:04] Cause we were like, who's going to play? [9:05] And I'm like, listen, I'm, I don't care. [9:07] I just want them to be really good actors. [9:10] I want them to show the story really, really portray that and show the emotion. [9:15] That's important to me. [9:16] Um, and then final question. [9:18] And then I'll let you get on to stuff. [9:20] I was wondering about the Ezra Edelman project. [9:22] Yeah. [9:23] I was fascinated by that. [9:24] I mean, it's, it's, I didn't see it. [9:26] So I can't really give my, what I think about it. [9:29] I just only heard what, what they said. [9:31] I, I think it should show some of the personal side. [9:37] I mean, I shared it in my book. [9:39] Um, he shared a lot in his music. [9:41] Um, I, I don't know. [9:44] I, I, I think, I feel that if there's anything negative, [9:49] I mean, I understand why they didn't put it out. [9:52] Um, I think his music should be more highlighted. [9:55] I mean, cause it's so exciting. [9:57] I mean, it's his, his, his journey, his albums and the concerts and the tours and the movies. [10:03] It's just, I, I, when I heard it was eight episodes or something like that, [10:06] I'm like, how, how, how, I mean, if you focused on just the beginning, that's six episodes right there. [10:12] So, um, I hope that they, I hope that they show a little bit of, of him being a human. [10:17] And that's, that's the part that I shared. [10:20] Um, but for mostly, I think it's, [10:22] I think it should be his music and what a genius he was because he wasn't normal. [10:27] He's not a, he's not a sweat pant kind of t-shirt guy. [10:30] We're truncletas. [10:31] He's not, he's not that guy. [10:33] So he was really, he breathed who he was.