Justin Timberlake, 35, shared a touching tribute to Prince via Instagram on just hours after the legendary singer’s death was confirmed.
Timberlake told fans that he was deeply influenced by Prince’s musical stylings from an early age.
“It was Raspberry Beret,” he wrote. “I was 4 years old. Yes, 4. I remember that I instantly loved it. ‘Mommy, who is that singing?’ Seems weird but it’s true. More than a ‘once in a lifetime’ artist … Just a ONCE IN FOREVER ARTIST. I’m still in shock as I write this and I feel this overwhelming grief. But, we should all turn away from that and HONOR this musician that changed all of our lives, our perspectives, our feeling, our whole being. From another planet? Probably. Royalty, for sure. Us worthy..? Laughable.”
“They say don’t meet your idols … That they let you down,” he continued. “But, some of my greatest, funniest (yes, he was hilarious), and most prolific encounters and conversations about music came from the moments that I spent with him. It would be silly to say that he has inspired our music … It’s beyond that. He’s somewhere within every song I’ve ever written.”
“I am sad, but I will smile when I think of every second that I had the fortune of being in his company. We have lost our greatest living musician. But his music will never die. Prince, NOTHING COMPARES… #RIPPrince”
