As the world mourns the loss of one of music's true greats, the inimitable Prince, celebrities continue to share their stories and pay tribute to the late icon. Performing at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris on April 21, the day of the Purple Rain star's passing, Mariah Carey honored her friend through song.

Before performing her 1995 Daydream single "One Sweet Day" (originally a duet with Boyz II Men), Carey dedicated her song to the landmark artist and anyone who has ever "needed to make it through a moment," referring of course to the sad and tragic air surrounding Prince's death. "So it's a very sad day, but we remember the life of somebody that will always be treasured."

Visibly emotional, the celebrated singer then launched into the stirring, poignant song, warning the crowd first, "You'll have to forgive me if it's a little difficult to get through, okay?"

Following the performance, Carey continued with a touching and personal eulogy, indicating how much of an impact the legendary performer had on her life.

"He was a friend to me too, and he talked me through some times I really, really needed somebody. And he was an incredible person if you didn't ever get to meet him, and I'm sure his music has touched every single person in here, so let's have a moment of silence for Prince if we could please," she told the audience.

Later in the evening, Entertainment Tonight caught up with the artist for a post-concert interview, where Carey dished more on Prince's influence and legacy: "I've loved Prince since I first heard him, and then later in life I got to know him and he helped me through so many moments where I needed somebody to guide me through. He was just a genius, just a true genius. He was just that guy that there will never be anybody else like him, and it's such a loss that he's gone now...I'll never get over it."

And while the performer originally "didn't think [she] was gonna be able to do the show," she explained that selecting "One Sweet Day" for her tribute was the most "appropriate" choice considering the late artist's alleged disdain for hearing other artists cover his work.

"One thing about him that was kinda cool and funny and made me laugh was that he didn't like when people did his songs. He didn't like cover songs," Carey revealed. "He liked other people to do their songs...Otherwise I would have done something of his just to do it, but I know that wasn't his thing."

Ironically, the songstress recorded a cover of Prince's 1984 Purple Rain track "The Beautiful Ones" for her 1997 album Butterfly. It's rumored that he didn't dig it.

Remembering Prince: His Purple Life in Photos

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