Pop icon Prince, who died in April at the age of 57, once told political commentator Van Jones that he wished President Barack Obama would outlaw birthdays and Christmas.

In an interview with GQ, Jones recalled that his friend Prince would ask him all sorts of questions regarding politics.

"He was very interested in the world," Jones said. "He wanted me to explain how the White House worked. He asked very detailed kind of foreign policy questions."

Prince also reportedly wondered why Obama hadn't taken steps to get rid of birthday celebrations.

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"And then he'd ask, 'Why doesn’t Obama just outlaw birthdays?'" Jones recalled. "I'm like, 'What?' He said, 'I was hoping that Obama, as soon as he was elected, would get up and announce there'd be no more Christmas presents and no more birthdays, we've got too much to do.'"

Prince became a Jehovah's Witness in 2001, according to The Washington Post. This helps explain his aversion to birthday celebrations, as Jehovah's Witnesses believe God is offended by them.

President Obama was a fan of Prince's music. The pop star performed a private concert at the White House in 2015, and Obama issued a heartfelt statement via Facebook when Prince died in April.

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"Today, the world lost a creative icon," the president wrote. "Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince."

He added: "Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all ... He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer."

Sources: GQ, The Washington Post, President Obama/Facebook / Photo credit: Scott Penner/Flickr