The Irish singer - who is famed for her emotional cover of Prince's song "Nothing Compares 2 U" - was furious when the US star criticized her for swearing when they met.
She said: "I didn't hit it off with Prince. I met him after I'd recorded 'Nothing Compares 2 U' and he said he didn't appreciate how I used bad language in my interviews. I told him to go f**k himself and he wasn't very happy."
The 42-year-old singer admits she wasn't ready to be in the public eye when she first became famous, adding if she was starting out now she would go on a reality TV show, such as British singing contest "The X Factor."
She told Britain's The Observer magazine: "I was too young to be able to deal with fame."
"It's not that I didn't appreciate it, but I felt like an impostor. I couldn't understand why anyone was really into my records."
"If I was starting out now I'd go on a TV talent show. I've often thought about going to an 'X Factor' audition in disguise to see if I got anywhere. I'd be gutted if I didn't."
