Morris Day remembers Prince for his humor: “A really fun and funny dude to be around”

Ross Marino/Getty Images

It’s been six years since Prince passed away, but his high school friend Morris Day will always remember their many joyful moments together.

“He was an avant-garde, introverted person. But once you got past that surface, he was a really fun and funny dude to be around,” the lead singer of The Time tells Billboard.

Prince recruited Day to front The Time, and they made the Minneapolis sound famous around the world. With their hits “Cool,” “777-9311,” “Jungle Love,” “Ice Cream Castles,” “The Bird” and “Jerk Out,” The Time often toured with Prince. They appeared with the Oscar and Grammy winner in Graffiti Bridge and the classic Purple Rain.

“We had a lot of good times as we jammed nonstop. Sometimes I’d be in the grocery store on what I thought would be a night off. And he’d run into me there, saying he wanted to go in and cut a record,” Morris fondly recalls. “He loved music so much. I’ve never met anybody who cared about the craft as much as he did.”

Now, after more than 40 years as a recording artist, Morris will release what he calls his final solo album in November.

The 64-year-old singer plans to drop his fifth solo album, titled Last Call, on November 11. Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane and Flo Rida are among the stars featured on the project.

Day regrets that Prince will not be able to hear his new music.

“I think he’d be happy with some of the songs, and proud to know that I’m still in the game,” Morris says. “That’s the hardest part, you know. Him not being around, and wondering what he, as [a] mega-talented musician and songwriter, would think about projects I’m working on.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.