Beyoncé and Prince’s lost 'Purple Rain' duet seen only once on TV

29 May 2025, 14:52

26 million people tuned in to watch the duo sing a medley of hits including 'Purple Rain', 'Baby I'm a Star' and 'Crazy In Love'.

Prince and Beyoncé may just be one of the greatest musical collaborations of all time.

On February 8, 2004, the 46th Annual Grammy Awards opened with a performance between the pair that remains one of the ceremony’s most memorable — and rarely seen — moments.

As the opening chords of 'Purple Rain' rang out Prince took the stage first, his silhouette cast behind a curtain before he played a purple guitar.

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Moments later, he was joined by Beyoncé, who was just 22-years-old and had recently launched her solo career.

The two performed a medley that combined Prince’s hits — 'Let’s Go Crazy,' 'Baby I’m a Star,' and 'Purple Rain' — with Beyoncé’s new single, 'Crazy in Love.'

The collaboration was a rare blend of generational talent, musical styles, and staggering stage presence.

Despite the impact of the performance, it was not re-aired in full and was absent from official Grammy retrospectives for years.

For over a decade, only fan-uploaded versions were available online, adding to the mystique. The performance became a kind of musical urban legend — a one-night-only meeting of two icons that vanished almost as quickly as it arrived.

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The reason for its scarcity is partly due to licensing issues involving Prince’s catalogue, known for being tightly controlled during his lifetime.

Beyoncé has described the performance as transformative. In an official post-show interview at the 2004 Grammys, she called it “magical.”

“Certain times you perform and you don't feel anything but just your blood is running through your veins. It was just unbelievable,” she said. “I love Prince so much and I'm so excited that I got to work with him.”

In a later interview with Giant magazine in 2012, Beyoncé recalled being intimidated rehearsing with Prince.

“Of course, I was terrified to be working with him. Walking into rehearsals, I was just so overwhelmed and nervous and star-struck,” she said.

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“We rehearsed every day for an hour for a week, instead of six hours the day before. That was so smart, it was Prince’s idea — I guess he knows people are star-struck because he’s so amazing.

"It made me really comfortable. By the time it was time to do it, it was second nature.”

Prince also later reflected on his medley with Beyoncé.

PRINCE MEDLEY (The 46th Annual GRAMMY Awards)

The 'Raspberry Beret' singer praised the young star, saying he was impressed with her musical knowledge and raw talent.

“I was really curious as to how much she knew musically, and I was really pleased to find out that she knew a lot about scales — mixolydian scales and Egyptian styles — and different things like that.”

“I was just trying to show her some chords on the piano," Prince continued, "and help her to respect the fact that if she learns piano — à la Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles and things like that — I mean, the sky's the limit as to what she could do, because she's so very talented.”

The performance remains a singular moment in Grammy history — not just for its musical execution, but for the visible respect between two artists at very different points in their careers.

Since Prince’s death in 2016, the duet has taken on even more significance among fans of both performers.

It was broadcast only once, but for those who saw it, the moment was unmistakable. Beyoncé and Prince on one stage, for one night, performing as equals.

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