Prince Spoke On The “Hologram” Idea Before His Death And Was Not A Fan

Getty Images: Timothy A. Clary 

At yesterday’s Super Bowl performance, Justin Timberlake took the stage after 14 years of being absent. 

He started off his performance with his new song “Filthy” off of his upcoming album “Man In The Woods.” 

Midway through the performance, he gave a dedication performance to the late great Prince. 

He had a projection of the “Purple Rain” singer in the middle of the stadium. 

However, there are mixed reviews about the performance, based off what Prince said before he died. 

In a 1998 interview with Guitar World Magazine, Prince was asked about the late Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable” duet with her father Nat King Cole.

His response was, 

“That’s the most demonic thing imaginable. Everything is as it is, and it should be. If I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age. That whole virtual reality thing… it really is demonic. And I am not a demon.”

He continued, 

“Also, what they did with that Beatles song [“Free As a Bird”], manipulating John Lennon’s voice to have him singing from across the grave… that’ll never happen to me. To prevent that kind of thing from happening is another reason why I want artistic control.”

Prince collaborator Sheila E. re-confirmed this by saying that he told her “don’t ever let anyone do a hologram of me.”

Take a look at Justin’s performance below and let us know what you think!