Prince: "I Was Born Epileptic" (VIDEO)

Prince announced Monday night on PBS' "Tavis Smiley" show that he was born with epilepsy.

"I've never spoken about this before, but I was born epileptic, and I used to have seizures when I was young," he told Smiley. "My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had."

Prince continued, telling Smiley about how grateful he is today as he looks back on his emotional childhood:

My mother told me one day I walked into her and said, 'Mom, I'm not gonna be sick anymore.' And she said, 'Why?' I said, 'Because an angel told me so.' Now, I don't remember saying it, that's just what she told me, and from that point on I've been having to deal with a lot of things, getting teased in school. Early in my career I tried to compensate for that by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could. I just looked forward to this time in my life when I could reflect back on it, and talk to people like yourself, Dr. Cornel West...when you all come over tot eh house and we sit and we just talk about heavy things, I just become thankful, I don't know.

Watch:

Comments

[skantea]

I think some of the best musicians give up on linear logic early in life in exchange for a more emotive inteligence.
It's like they think in terms of time differently than most of us and are not as concerned about making intellectual sense in the long term so much as making emotional sense in the moment.

or something like that...

[gemzenith]

Prince is always a class act.

[TXOBAMAGIRL73]

I love me some Prince!!!!!

[Melchedekan]

Of course Huffington Post ignores the part of the interview where Prince declares his deep concern for CHEMTRAILS in America and his belief that Americans are really servants and America is still like a plantation. The part of the interview where he mentioned that America had 8 presidents prior to George Washington (?) and that he didn't vote for Obama despite him being a seemingly intelligent person. No, Huffington Post needn't mention that part of Prince's PBS interview. They report on personal issues of Prince's life. And they leave out the political issues. Being a so-called "alternative" news outlet, you MIGHT think they would be interested in sharing Prince's political views with us, as well as his personal life.

[KickerBoard]

Prince is a musical genius, plain and simple. Who cares about his personality quirks and sometimes bizarre views - his music is amazing.

[JJ30]

Gotta love Prince. So talented.

[harriettubman]

I saw this clip. I believe Prince's story but he is such a feminine man. I've never seen him act so feminine before.

As for politics and mentioning God, they need to leave God out of it. I don't want to hear any politics from the pulpit and don't expect to hear any religion from a politician. It's okay to know someone's religious affiliation but it should have no bearing on his decisions, like Huckaby or that Mormon dude.

[jrb35]

I watched part of the interview in which Prince lamented that there is no religion in politics in America and that politicians never mention God... WHAT? He may be a brilliant musician but he is nuts if he thinks that there is no religion in politics. What does he think the Republican party has been exploiting for the past thirty years?

[capitalismisntamoral]

He also said he didn't vote because he's a Jehovah's Witness.

[leftoflennon]

Love u still Prince!

[sandra56]

I AM A PRINCE FAN FOR LIFE AS I AM A MICHEAL JACKSON FAN THEY BOTH ARE ICON IN THEIR OWN RIGHT

[westreal]

I want to see the rest of this interview. Even if it's on Tavis' show.

[WowJones]

If you check the screen at the end of the video they have the full interview, just click back on the screen.

[joceeco]

I meant mutha fraka!

[joceeco]

He's weird, but that Mutha Fraker is talented..­.and he hangs out with the finest fraking women!

[Tyrione]

Holy crap! He's no Mozart. Move along.

[sheikwil4]

And neither are you, but he is making one hell of a living off of his talents. You can't say the same, and couldn't even get the women he don't won't.

[PengieP]

If Mozart were alive today, he'd BE Prince!

[KickerBoard]

He's a musical genius.

[lemekid]

Prince is a brilliant musician in so many ways. A rare genius.

[harriettubman]

And you know a genious is on the verge of insanity. LOL..