Prince reveals childhood epilepsy


Prince rarely gives interviews
Pop star Prince has revealed for the first time that he was "born epileptic" and how his parents struggled to cope with his fits.
The 50-year-old gave a rare interview to US talk show host Tavis Smiley to promote his latest three-disc album.
"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," he said.
The Purple Rain star also revealed he was "teased a lot" at school.
Strained relationship
He recalled how as a child he believed divine intervention had helped him overcome the illness.
"My mother told me one day I walked in to her and said, 'Mum, I'm not going to be sick anymore'.
"She said 'Why?' and I said 'Because an angel told me so.' Now, I don't remember saying it, that's just what she told me."
He also revealed that before the seizures stopped he tried to "compensate" for the illness by being "as noisy as I could and be as flashy as I could".
The musician has alluded to the condition before in 1992 album track The Sacrifice Of Victor, which contained the lyric: "Epileptic 'til the age of seven."
In the CD booklet, the word "true" was printed in mirror writing next to this line.
About a third of childhood epilepsies disappear at adulthood, according to Epilepsy Action.
During the interview the star also talked about his strained relationship with his father and how he was forced to keep his piano playing a secret from him.
"I wasn't allowed to play it when he was there because I wasn't as good as him.
"So when he left, I was determined to get as good as him."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/h...024864.stm

(It seems to be just an overview of the interviews he did.)

mypancakeplaces said:

snip.

I THINK, not 100%, but pretty sure this article was posted a day or two ago. A lot of threads about it for sure, yet oddly Prince fans knew he was, because of the song he mentioned it in.

actually Prince said it in one song... I Think It was in "sacrifice of victor" I think the line was something like: "epileptic untill the age of 7" or some song from that period - but of course its different when he tells it in a interview.

hmmm. makes me wonder about the number 7
[Edited 4/29/09 10:56am]

hsh said:

Yes that was the song, I just didn't want to type it out AGAIN. haha He also wrote "true" backwards on the lyric sheet next to that line.

I think he said the thing about being flashy and noisy was in response to him being teased and everything. I don't remember him saying he was doing this before the seizures stopped. I thought he was referring to when he was becoming famous, his early years, etc. But...I could be wrong. Gotta watch it again.

I didn't know that about the lyrics sheet though. That's interesting.

hsh...7 is a biblical number. I think him using 7 is because of that. Michael Jackson uses 7 all the time. He has jackets and shirts where he had 777 sown into the sides of the sleeves. It was in reference to things in the Bible. He is also very spiritual.

Any number has a Biblical significance.

ernestsewell said:

? I don't know what u mean by this. But, regardless, the number 7 definitely stands out.

sexyeyeliner said:

In the bible every number's significance and meaning is given. I forget what book of the bible it's in.

nurseV said:

Ah...gotcha.

I haven't read the whole Bible yet. Workin' on it. I haven't really read any of the Old Testament. :/ If u remember what book, can u please let me know?

Still though, that is my guess for the use of 7. I could be wrong, but it makes sense.

what an amazing story, thanks for sharing Prince,

nurseV said:

That's really not true. Numbers are obviously throughout the Bible. It takes reading and understanding as to what they signify. Number 1 is beginning. Number 3 is the Godhead. Six is the number of man, and Satan. Seven is completion or perfection. Eight is new beginnings. etc etc.

Google "symbolism of numbers in the Bible". There are those who have listed these things.

I'm not buying it just a publicity stunt to get some attention.

Thanks, Ernest.

ernestsewell said:

Have to disagree-it does specifically say every number and it's significance.