ABC-7 speaks with two locals who worked with Prince

Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator Thursday morning at his home in Minnesota.

The cause of death isn’t known at this time but TMZ is reporting he was treated for a drug overdose six days ago.

Fans from around the world and in El Paso have taken some time to remember the seven-time Grammy Award winner, often called an innovator in music.

Prince’s music has been around for more than three decades. He just released an album in September of last year.

Thursday ABC-7 caught up with a well-known Las Cruces woman who brought him to the Pan American Center and a El Pasoan who got to tour with the music icon.

Former Pan Am Center director of special events Babara Hubbard or “Mother Hubbard” as they call her, reflects on the time she brought Prince down to the Pan Am center in the ’80s.

Hubbard showed ABC-7 pictures of the day the tickets went on sale. Saying people camped out just to get their spot to see the star.

Hubbard says it was his passion for music that helped him reach the top of the charts.

“The fact that he involved his total being in whatever he was presenting and he was emotionally into his pieces,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard tells ABC-7 if Prince would do a concert today, he would still fill every seat.

“I’ll tell you what, I would have to do two shows if not more if we were doing it today,” Hubbard said.

“He just loved playing if it was for five people or 5,000 people or 50,000 people, he would play it, he loved playing music,” Brian Kennedy, CEO of the El Paso Sports Commission said.

Kennedy got to tour with Prince in the ’80s. He worked on the security team.

“I was part of the team that would go out late at night when he decided to go clubbing after the show,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy says Prince would always go out after hours when he knew most people had left the bars and Prince was known to keep to himself because the popularity became overwhelming.

“‘Purple Rain’ hit so hard and so big that it almost forced him to be a recluse because the people were crazy trying to get to him. We would go to an after hours club and people would lose their minds trying to get to him,” Kennedy said.

On a personal level Kennedy says Prince was humble and polite but it was the musician’s talent that awed him all those late nights.

“He was a genius musically. He would get on stage and say ‘OK, what do I want to play.’ He could pick up anything on stage and play any genre,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy says Prince was constantly producing and recording music that was never released. He tells ABC-7 there’s a good chance we could be hearing new music coming out in the future.