Aretha Franklin gave her thoughts on the passing of Prince during an interview with MSNBC's Brian Williams.

During the phone chat, Franklin called the news "surreal" and "unbelievable," adding that it "blew her away."

"He was definitely an original and one of a kind. There truly was only one Prince. Prince is gone, but the music will go on.

Young adults and adults loved Prince, and there was a mystique about him," she told Williams.

"I think that he was very explorative and as I said he was one of those artists that go into the studio and stayed in the studio - he would sleep in the studio," Franklin said.

"Myself when I finish recording as an artist I go home and I am through with it until it's time for me to go back in the studio but some artists just stay in the studio because they love music like that," she continued.

Prince, 57, was found dead by police at his Paisley Park home on Thursday.