WATCH: James Corden Honours Prince on The Late Late Show

The Late Late Show's James Corden had already filmed Thursday's show by the time he heard the news, but her aired a special introduction for the night with a personal tribute.

“It didn’t feel right to me to start an entertainment show without coming back down here and turning the lights on and saying something about it before we begin," said Corden. "I don’t even know where to start when I talk about Prince as an artist, because to be unique in this world is impossible. Almost all art is taken or borrowed from somewhere else, and yet an artist like Prince stands alone – he is completely original.”

Adding that he had seen Prince in concert several times in London, Corden added that “I feel like today is about celebrating the incredible life that he led and the brilliant songs that he gave us.”

“What a thing to be have been alive when Prince was making music, we are all incredibly lucky," he concluded.

Watch Corden's video below.