Childhood friends of Prince are remembering the legendary musician.
7’s Byron Barnett is from Minneapolis. Byron’s cousin Phillip Crawford, and two of his friends went to junior high and high school with Prince.
Friends said the musician who’s real name is Roger Nelson, was already going by Prince in high school.
"Prince was a real person. A lot of what people saw was for show," said Phillip Crawford.
Crawford and his friends said Prince’s musical talent was on full display in school, playing the piano, saxophone, and bass. They said anything he picked up he could play, and that Prince made it known that he was going to be somebody.
The friends also said Prince was a great basketball player and they showed 7News a picture of him on their junior high basketball team.
Even after he became a music icon, those who knew Prince said he never forgot where he was from.
"When he was at home, he was comfortable here, and he liked being at home," said Crawford.
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