Hannah Welton has paid tribute to her "father figure" Prince.
The 25-year-old musician - who formed part of the late singer's backing band 3RDEYEGIRL - has remembered the 'Purple Rain' singer in a sweet message where she describes him as a "friend, mentor, confidant and brother".
1 May 2016
She wrote on Instagram: "The past four years of our life has been a whirlwind ... God used Prince in such a mighty way in mine and Joshua's life ... As newlyweds, walking into this HUGE opportunity, we weren't sure at first how he was going to handle us. (Let's face it, we've all heard crazy stories). But that's just it. Those stories are just stories ...
"Prince quickly became more than just "the artist" to us. He wasn't our "boss." In fact, he didn't like it when people called him that. He was our GREAT friend. Our mentor. Our confidant. Our brother. And even became somewhat like a protective, father figure over us. (sic)"
And Hannah went on to thank the singer - who passed away on Thursday morning (21.04.16) at the age of 57 - for "believing" in them right from the start.
She added: "Though a physical presence has been lost in the natural, his spirit lives on through all the lives he touched. We celebrate the incredible life that he lived, the irreplaceable mark he made, and the millions of lives changed for the better because he was here for 57 short years.
"Thank you Prince...for being all that you are. Thank you for loving my husband and I as your own, and for making sure we knew just how much you loved us. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for pouring into Joshua and sharing all that you did with him. Your friendship will be cherished forever.
"We will make sure baby girl knows just how amazing her Uncle Prince was to us, and countless others, and how excited you were for her precious life. From the bottom of my heart...Thank you. Your legacy lives on... (sic)"
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