Prince and Muhammad Ali met to organize a charity concert in 1997
When the singer got the call, he accepted before asking what Ali wanted
Purple Rain star said he would do anything for his hero, even mow the lawn
The champion boxer led the tributes to Prince when he died in April
Prince spent his life partying with the rich and famous, but there was only one celebrity who could leave him starstruck: Muhammad Ali.
The late singer met the self-proclaimed greatest boxer of all time in 1997 as they made plans for a charity concert.
The Purple Rain star, who died in April this year, revealed after the meeting that he was in awe of Ali – and would have done anything for him.
Prince spent his life partying with the rich and famous, but there was only one celebrity who could leave him starstruck: Muhammad Ali. The pair are pictured together in 1997
Speaking at a press conference after their get-together, Prince revealed his excitement at meeting his childhood sporting hero.
‘My friend Londell McMillan called me a couple of days ago and asked me. He said, “Muhammad wants you to” – and I said “Yes”.
‘I didn’t even let him finish. He could have said, “Mow the lawn”, and I would have been down with it,’ Prince said.
‘Muhammad’s my hero. He has been since I was a child. As you can see, he’s such an inspiration to many people,’ he added.
Prince, who was sitting next to Ali as he shook because of his Parkinson’s disease, raised laughs with reporters in the room – but it was clear that he was serious.
Photographs of the pair chatting earlier that day showed Prince beaming from ear to ear as Ali ruffled his hair.
Ali – who died on Friday evening after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s – continued to share a close bond with Prince and was among the celebrities who led tributes to the singer after he died
The legends in their own fields were also snapped with their arms around each other as they made plans for The World Healing Honors.
The benefit gig was to raise money for charities and groups trying to tackle racism and prejudice around the world, the Los Angeles Times reported.
‘I wish people would love everybody else the way that they love me,’ Ali said at the time.
‘I hope I can encourage people to show the same love and respect for each other. If so, it would be a better world.’
Ali – who died on Friday evening after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s – continued to share a close bond with Prince and was among the celebrities who led tributes to the singer after he died.
‘We’ve lost a true original. @Prince was someone who cared for others & used his genius to help many,’ the three-time heavyweight champion of the world tweeted, alongside a picture of the two in 1997.
Ali died at a hospital outside Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, days after he was taken there with difficulty breathing.
The father of nine married four times and will be remembered for his outstanding victories over Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks, as well as his gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
He was also known for his trash-talking, coming up with phrases such as ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.
President Barack Obama was among those who paid tribute to the boxer, thanking him for ‘gracing our time’. Ali – who died on Friday evening after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s – continued to share a close bond with Prince and was among the celebrities who led tributes to the singer after he died
The legends in their own fields were also snapped with their arms around each other as they made plans for The World Healing Honors.
The benefit gig was to raise money for charities and groups trying to tackle racism and prejudice around the world, the Los Angeles Times reported.
‘I wish people would love everybody else the way that they love me,’ Ali said at the time.
‘I hope I can encourage people to show the same love and respect for each other. If so, it would be a better world.’
Ali – who died on Friday evening after a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s – continued to share a close bond with Prince and was among the celebrities who led tributes to the singer after he died.
‘We’ve lost a true original. @Prince was someone who cared for others & used his genius to help many,’ the three-time heavyweight champion of the world tweeted, alongside a picture of the two in 1997.
Ali died at a hospital outside Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday, days after he was taken there with difficulty breathing.
The father of nine married four times and will be remembered for his outstanding victories over Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks, as well as his gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
He was also known for his trash-talking, coming up with phrases such as ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.
President Barack Obama was among those who paid tribute to the boxer, thanking him for ‘gracing our time’.
The only man who could make Prince starstruck: How Muhammad Ali and the late singer formed a close bond with the boxer’s last tweets paying tribute to his dear friend
