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Prince Recalls Childhood Epilepsy, Seizures

Musician opens up about his past on Tavis Smiley

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 28, 2009 4:18 PM CDT

(Newser) – Prince suffered from epilepsy as a child, the musician told Tavis Smiley on his PBS show last night. "I've never spoken about this before, but I was born epileptic, and I used to have seizures when I was young," Prince 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."

“My mother told me one day I walked into her and said, 'Mom, I'm not gonna be sick anymore,'” Prince recalled. “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.” The musician also said he was teased in school, which is partly why he became "as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could" early in his career.

Prince performs in this 2007 file photo.
Prince performs in this 2007 file photo.   (Getty Images)
Prince performs in this 2007 file photo.
Prince performs in this 2007 file photo.   (Getty Images)
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Prince talks about his childhood epilepsy.   (YouTube)

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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
Thinker
Apr 28, 2009 11:29 AM CDT
sorry, ever since prince came out as a totally anti-gay, evangelical religious weirdo, I lost interest and respect. Ewwww.

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