Two icons celebrated a fallen peer at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday when Madonna and Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Prince with versions of “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Purple Rain.”
The performance, which concluded a broadcast that featured a volume of lip-synching likely to have perturbed the Purple One, opened with Madonna spinning into view on a purple velvet throne to the delicate chords of “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
Wearing a purple and pink paisley suit and lacy cuffs that highlighted fingers heavy with silver rings, Madonna sang from her perch to open as images of gravestones and grey skies drifted across the screen behind her.
Along with Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna were two of the most successful pop stars of the 1980s, and helped change the course of American pop music. The two both broke into the mainstream in 1984, she with “Like a Virgin” and he with “Purple Rain.”
Over the next decade they’d share the charts on many occasions, and share the studio at a few key moments. The two worked together on Madonna’s album “Like a Prayer,” most memorably during the Prince- and Madonna collaboration “Love Song.”
Madonna didn’t do that song, opting instead to tackle “Nothing Compares 2 U,” a song made famous through Sinead O’Connor’s memorable rendition. Even with a sturdy voice it’s a hard song to handle, and Madonna had a hard time wrestling it into shape.
Would Prince, a skeptic when it came to other artists singing his songs, have approved?
The night concluded with a surprise appearance by Stevie Wonder, who joined Madonna for an arena-wide singalong of “Purple Rain.” Infusing the song with the feel of an old time gospel number, Wonder and Madonna delivered the two-word title refrain while purple glowsticks swayed in the crowd.
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Justin Bieber, Kesha, center, and Rihanna were among those who performed at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards held in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.
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Madonna performs a tribute to Prince during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena.
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Stevie Wonder and Madonna perform a tribute to Prince.
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Musician/TV personality Questlove speaks about Prince.
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Rihanna accepts the Billboard Chart Achievement Award.
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Ariana Grande performs with dancers watching.
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Ariana Grande performs.
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Celine Dion performs “The Show Must Go On.”
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Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani perform “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Recording artist Rihanna performs onstage.
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Demi Lovato performs “Cool For The Summer” at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Justin Bieber accepts the award for top male artist.
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Recording artists Zendaya and Wiz Khalifa speak onstage.
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Ben Folds, left, and Kesha perform “It Ain’t Me Babe” at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Serayah
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Joe Jonas of DNCE performs during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
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JinJoo Lee, left, Joe Jonas and Cole Whittle of DNCE perform “Cake by the Ocean” at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Actress Kate Beckinsale
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Kesha, left, Steven Tyler and Megan Trainor at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Co-hosts Ciara and Ludacris speak onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
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Meghan Trainor performs “No” at the Billboard Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Ally Brooke, left, Dinah-Jane Hansen, Camila Cabello, Lauren Jauregui and Normani Hamilton of Fifth Harmony.
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Justin Bieber and producer Skrillex have been sued over the hook for their single “Sorry.” (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)
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Recording artist Pink.
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Singer Pink, suspended in the air as she often is in her performances, performs onstage during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena.
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Recording artist Britney Spears opens the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Britney Spears brings a cadre of dancers onstage at th Billboard Music Awards.
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Wiz Khalifa accepts the award for top 100 song for “See You Again” at the Billboard Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena.
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Recording artist Shawn Mendes performs onstage.
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Priyaka Chopra, co-hosts Ludacris and Ciara, and Laverne Cox
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Actresses Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn and Mila Kunis attend the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
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Rihanna, Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande.
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Singer Britney Spears attends the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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Seal arrives at the Billboard Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena.
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Recording artists Abby Travis, left, Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey of music group the Go-Go’s.
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Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten, left pre-show co-host Laura Marano and TV personality Sibley Scoles.
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Ally Brooke,left, Normani Hamilton, Dinah-Jane Hansen, Lauren Jauregui and Camila Cabello of Fifth Harmony arrive at the Billboard Music Awards.
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Halsey
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Pre-show co-host AJ Gibson.
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Recording artists Jack Lawless, left, JinJoo Lee, Joe Jonas and Cole Whittle of music group DNCE attend the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
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Actress Liz Hernandez attends the 2016 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena.
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