you played tribute to a hero of mine, maurice white.hat is the importance of earth, wind and fire to your career. >> it's a kind of two fold, and i just give you a peak into the - my little sole. when i was in skylark, the singer in skylark, a great guy was not a fan of mine particularly. he was a huge fan of earth, wind and fire. when the group broke up. i thought i want to work with earth, wind and fire, it will be my mission and goal to get to earth, wind and fire. >> why is that? >> when he turned me on to the group i loved then. i made it the goal. he was in my head saying "you'll never work with earth, wind and fire." i got there. every art. >> from usher to prince is on though tree. >> is on the tree from earth, wind and fire. >> yes, the gap band. all came from earth, wind and fire. maybe that came from sly a little. but maurice was fierce. he was fierce. >> "after the love has gone", soul. >> got to tell the story. i was sitting in an officers playing an album that i want the artist signed. he didn't like the album. i bsed him

the last few months have seen the loss of so many legends, including maurice white, and prince wrote llenium album. earlier i spoke to verdine white, the bassist and co-founder. verdine, thank you for joining us. first of all, my condolences, you lost your brother maurice in february. >> yes, right. >> news of prince's death is so shocking. when you first heard it, what went through your mind? >> almost what i went through with maurice's passing, it hits you. we knew prince well, maurice new prince, it backs you up for a minute, we went to rehearsal today and everybody's real quiet. we're getting condolences and hearing everybody's thoughts on the great artist of prince's caliber. >> i was reading on the background today about prince and i read that cbs actually wanted you to produce his three albums when he was only 19. >> that's right. i had a meeting with him with the cbs executives. i met with him when he was a beginning, beginning artist and then cbs didn't work it out and he went to warner brothers. but we all state close after that. of course he had the same management that we

basically sang the sound track to their life and this comes after the death of natalie cole and maurice white. not a good year for artists in the music industry. >> thank you christie. our coverage of prince's death continues at 6abc.com and you can see photos from his legendry career and read the reaction from the music industry and celebrities around the world and share your memories of prince with us on the "action news" facebook page or twitter. and night line will air an hour long special on prince's life and legacy tonight after jimmy kimmel and 20/20 will honor the icon tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. >>> in other news now wilmington police are questioning two students allegedly involved in a deadly fight this morning. the action cam was outside of howard school of technology when the victim was wheeled out on a stretcher and air lifted to a nearby hospital and a short time later she died. a student says she was in the bathroom stall when the fight broke out. >> she was fighting with the girls and then all of these other girls started banking her. >> what? >> banking like jumping her and that i

. >> maurice white. >> yeah. >> you think about it, just losing so many people that mean -- their musich. it's the thing about everybody has a great first story how it touches you, how his music made something very specific for you, you know. and i remember the song that came out and i lived in st. louis and it was such a big hit that i radio played it like eight times in a row and nobody complained. like people just -- people just let the radio play the song over and over again one night. it was just -- nobody worried about. we just loved that song when it came out and remember, you know, that was the effect that he had on people like that with his songs and his music. >> i think i played "when doves cry" on my way to work six times today. what about you? >> "holding my head" and all those in the last few days and "erotic city" is for the deep-voice brothers. that's a song i can actually sing in my range. >> what about you, chuck? >> yeah. my radio rap station, dan mr. man, sign of the times, did a song called "undisputed," "let's go places." another thing about prince, there was a tim

the last few months have seen the loss of so many legends, including maurice white, and prince wrote the bassist and co-founder. verdine, thank you for joining us. first of all, my condolences, you lost your brother maurice in february. >> yes, right. >> news of prince's death is so shocking. when you first heard it, what went through your mind? >> almost what i went through with maurice's passing, it hits you. we knew prince well, maurice new prince, it backs you up for a minute, anderson. then we went to rehearsal, everybody is quiet. we're getting condolences and hearing everybody's thoughts on the great artist of prince's caliber. >> it is nice people coming together to share their stories. i was reading on the background today about prince and i read that cbs actually wanted you to produce his three albums when he was only 19. >> that's right. i had a meeting with him with the cbs executives. i met with him when he was a beginning, beginning artist and then cbs didn't work it out and he went to warner brothers. but we all stayed close after that. of course he had the same manage

four f months included david bowie who passed away, glenn fry from the eagles pa who passed away, maurice whiteot to add this one. five d it -- passing away from complications from diabetes. die keith ebber son.eron. all of deaths hit like a punch p to the gut their careers longir enough to create impressivessiv legacy not nearly long enough th satisfy our need for incrediblee talent.nt >> prince brought his amazinging concerts to the d.c. area so ars many times over the past 355 years and one celebrity who remember him remembers those time fondly.dly. taraji says i remember skippingg school all day to score ticketse to the perp pell rain tore thent line was wrapped around theun capital center in maryland aftea eight hours, prince graciouslyoy added shows so that everyoneone could get a ticket.d t a we finally got our tickets. tice i felt like i scored a golden gl ticket to the willie wonkall chocolate factory.. >> prince played four shows at f the capital center in november of 1984. 198 i mean that was the height of h purple reign.purp rei oman.oman >> the year i was born. >> somebody who was

. >> reporter: kristine and maurice, today the white house said that it will spend half a billion dollars in an urgent battle against mosquitos and the spread of zika virus. we're going to have dr. john lapook here with us tonight to tell us about the imminent transition of zika virus into the united states which is expected by the cdc, a virus that causes birth defects. we'll have that and the rest at 6:30. are. >>> a landmark ruling allows parents in new york stated as to secretly record their children's conversations in certain situations. critics say it's a slippery slope. cbs 2's carolyn gusoff reports. >> reporter: in this apartment in 2008 a beating of a 6-year- old at the hands of his mother's boyfriend. convicted of whipping the first grader with this weightlifting belt. the helpless child' screams caught on audiotape recorded in an open phone line by the boy's biological father. that recording just ruled admissible by new york's highest court. >> it was a good ruling for people who care about the rights of children. >> reporter: nassau d.a. madeline explains that now parents who

white. we'll talk about all that coming up. >> coming up on the "cbs evening news," political director john dickerson talks with donald trump. scott pelley is here now live. >> reporter: hey, maurice and kristine. great to be with you on this friday. we are going to have john's interview with donald trump right at the top of the broadcast. trump clarified what exactly it was that he meant about punishing women who have illegal abortions. john will have that and more questions for the gop front- "cbs evening news" at 6:30. in new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. all across the state, the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, and the lowest taxes in decades, attracting the talent and companies of tomorrow. like in buffalo, where the largest solar gigafactory in the western hemisphere will soon energize the world. and in syracuse, where imagination is in production. let us help grow your company's tomorrow - >>> residence in an upper west side building are fed up with the smell of marijuana from a neighbor. mark morgan reports new at 6:00. >> cause it smells very, very >> reporter: that awful smell is why the co-op board of 400 central park west is s

maurice. what may be a shermanesque or a sweeping declaration, this, amid the cruz and trump debate. >> should not be considered, period, end of story. >> reporter: he was the potential white knight but house speaker paul ryan said leave it to the candidates. >> if no candidate has a major in the first ballot, i believe that you should only choose participated in the primary. count me out. >> reporter: comments by ryan come as ted cruz ratcheted up the rhetoric against trump, likening him to a mob boss like in the movie "the godfather." >>donaldhas to understand he is not michael corleone. he has had should shady business deals with people who are in prison. >> reporter: trump said that the system is rigged. >> i find out i get less delegates than this guy who got his [bleep] kicked. give me a break. >> reporter: the john kasich campaign is looking at both opponents. >> anybody who chooses to drive america on the dark side is not doing a favor to the american people. we will overcome. >> reporter: on the democratic side, hillary clinton joined others in manhattan to talk about the gender gap. >> groceries don't cost us less. why should we be paid less? >> please do everyth