Since the moment it was confirmed that Prince passed away, people – both who knew him privately and publically – have been remembering him in numerous ways.

CNN had the fortune to speak with Stevie Wonder after the news broke and asked him how much the Purple Reign legend meant to him.

"He was a great musician. He loved music. He loved playing his instrument," Wonder said, semi choking up in his response. "The times that we did jam together were amazing with all of the various people that he would bring together, and most of all he brought all the various cultures together.

"He could play classical music if he wanted to,” he continued. “He could play jazz if he wanted to, he could play country if he wanted to. He played rock, you know, he played blues. He played pop. He played everything… And [he was] very cognizant of what his responsibility was as a musician and a human being."

Prior to the interview, CNN played for Stevie Wonder a clip of Prince praising him for his artistry and inspiration. Sitting down with Larry King he singled out Wonder as a spiritual being, and one he used as a “role model.”

"I use Stevie Wonder as an inspiration, whom I look up to a great deal just for the way that he crafted music and his connection to the spirit," Prince said. "And boy, back then I used him as a role model in trying to play all the instruments and be very self contained and keep my vision clear."

Prince passed away yesterday (April 21) at his home in Paisley Park, Minnesota. He was hospitalized last Friday (April 15) after his private plane made an emergency landing in Illinois. He had been fighting the flu, however things seemed to be looking upward as he threw a party at his estate just a day after returning home from the hospital. He was 57 years old.

Watch the full interview segment below.

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