Sitting behind a row of elderly worshipers, he looks just like any other Jehovah's Witness.

But the man in the white jacket listening intently is actually Prince - or 'Brother Nelson' as those in the church knew him.

Prince - whose real name was Prince Nelson Rogers - was so devoted to his faith that he remixed some of their songs of worship, Daily Mail Online can reveal.

The musician - who died on Thursday aged 57 - ditched Purple Rain for the religious melodies to show how proud he was in 2001.

But the Watchtower Society, the governing body of the faith, sent him a letter explaining that the songs were copyrighted and they were their property.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Just an ordinary witness: Prince is at the back of a section of a Jehovah's Witness conference last summer, apparently unremarked on by other worshippers

At his side: To the right of Prince (circled) appears to be Larry Graham, the bassist with funk band Sly and the Family Stone, who spent two years converting the singer to the faith

Worship: Prince was last seen at Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall, Saint Louis Park congregation in Minneapolis (pictured) on March 23 to attend a 50 minute ceremony commemorating Good Friday

Regular: Prince was known as 'Brother Nelson' to the congregation and an active member. The meeting briefly mentioned Prince's death at the end and was low-key 'by design'

They asked the Jehovah's Witnesses in Minnesota near his Paisley Park estate who had copies of the music to destroy them.

The church of Jehovah's Witnesses, a sometimes controversial religion, could now stand to inherit a huge chunk of the musician's $300 million fortune.

If the Purple One truly believed then the church could be in line for its biggest ever payday - that will net it hundreds of millions in royalty payments in years to come.

In this photo Prince is seen at a regional conference for Jehovah's Witnesses last summer where he was apparently given no special treatment despite being a megastar.

Prince sits at the back of his section and wears none of the flamboyant stage wear for which he is known.

On Prince's right appears to be Larry Graham, the bassist with funk band Sly and the Family Stone, who is also the uncle to rapper Drake.

Graham was the one who in 2001 persuaded Prince to convert to being a Jehovah's Witness and the two seem to have remained extremely close over the next 15 years.

COUNTDOWN TO PRINCE'S DEATH Thursday, April 14: Prince performs in Atlanta and appears to be fine. Friday, April 15: Prince's private plane makes an emergency landing at Moline, Illinois, and he is taken to hospital for 'flu symptoms'. He is released after three hours of treatment. Saturday, April 16: Prince goes to a party in Minnesota to give 'proof' he is still alive. 'Wait a few days before you waste any prayers,' he tells fans. Sunday, April 17: Prince is seen riding a bicycle outside his apartment. Wednesday, April 20: Prince is taken to a Twin Cities hospital seen by a doctor. He is later seen looking 'frail and nervous' at a Walgreen's store near his estate at around 7pm. It is his fourth visit to the pharmacy this week. He is last seen entering his home at about 8pm and speaks to Will Smith that night. Thursday, April 21: Prince is found unresponsive in an elevator inside his compound at 9.43am. He is pronounced dead at 10.07am. Advertisement

It took Graham two years to persuade Prince to convert and he did so by inviting on his tour and having Bible study before and after each show.

In a 2008 interview with the Washington Post, Prince said: 'I don't see it really as a conversion. More, you know, it's a realization.

'It's like Morpheus and Neo in The Matrix.'

Somehow the church allowed Prince to join despite his raunchy lyrics and history of excess.

Former Jehovah's Witness Scott Terry said that ex-Witnesses thought it was 'baffling' that Prince was allowed to become a Jehovah's Witness as his sexy behavior contradicts with many of their strict beliefs.

Jehovah's Witnesses have a strict, particular interpretation of the Bible and can't associate with non-believers, join the Armed Forces, salute the American Flag or vote.

Nor can they do yoga, play on a sports team, be hypnotized, celebrate Valentine's Day or play bingo.

Other followers of the religion have included Michael Jackson and Venus and Serena Williams.

Terry, who wrote the book 'Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth: How a Gay Child Was Saved from Religion', said that Prince may have been getting a 'free pass' from the church because of who he is.

Terry said in an email: 'There really wasn't anything unusual when he showed up to the Kingdom Hall or for large assemblies, other than the fact that he always came with two bodyguards.

'He wasn't given any special treatment for his status outside the religion, except of course for the obvious fact that the JW hierarchy was willing to overlook his "sins" outside of the religion.

'People who are wealthy and famous, like Prince, are not held under the same microscope as rank and file members of the church.

'Wealth apparently grants them a pass on activities outside of the religion'.

Unlike Scientology which has a 'Celebrity Center' where worshipers get a chance to meet the stars, Jehovah's Witnesses do not use their celebrities for publicity.

There is no monthly tithe and followers are asked to give money in a box that is usually by the door of each Kingdom Hall, their name for their church.

Terry said that he had read Facebook posts as recently as six months ago saying that Prince was going door to door appealing for donations like all other worshipers do.

According to interviews with his family Prince arrived in a limousine outside a stranger's house and would exit wearing a tailored suit and his trademark stack heels.

Instrumental: Larry Graham, the Sly and the Family Stone bassist who is credited with introducing Prince to the Jehovah’s Witness faith, hugs Church coordinator James Lundstrom at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witness in Minneapolis, where Prince was a congregation member

Comfort: Larry Graham hugged mourners at Paisley Park on Saturday as friends and family gathered to remember Prince

Mourning: Prince's friends (left, Graham, right, singer Judith Hill and, in white coat, former lover Sheila E.) and family gathered for a private memorial service at Paisley Park on Saturday, a day after his body was cremated

On stage together: Larry Graham performed on stage with Prince in 1998, shortly before he began trying to convert the star

Surrounded by four bodyguards he would walk up to the front door and knock before asking: 'Would you like to talk about Jesus?'

Another explanation for Prince's conversion was that it was the last request of his mother, jazz singer Mattie Shaw.

Prince had been raised a Seventh Day Adventist - a closely related but different faith - but she wanted him to be a Jehovah's Witness as she had been for most of her life.

As a result he wed second wife Manuela Testolini weeks before Shaw passed away and six months after the death of his father, pianist and bandleader John L Nelson.

And after signing up, Prince seemed to take it all very seriously.

In 2005, he reportedly needed double hip-replacement surgery but wouldn't undergo the operation because Jehovah's Witnesses refuse certain types of blood transfusions.

It appears that Prince's death may have been related to taking pain medication for the same condition.

In an interview on US TV Prince once said that he did not even vote because of his faith.

Prince said: 'President Obama is a very smart individual and he seems like he means well. Prophecy is what we all have to go by now.'

In a 2001 interview he appeared to go back on even his own sexual lyrics even though he was still performing them.

He said: 'When I look at the violence, I wonder where the parents are, but also where is God in their lives? A kid is an open computer ready for programming. Some weird relationships happen, smoking too early and sex'.

Prince was so dedicated that he even gave one journalist who interviewed him a leaflet and told him to call any time - so he could personally convert him.

Graham lives a few miles from Prince near his sprawling Paisley Park estate just outside Minneapolis and has remained close to him until his death.

In an interview with Dutch TV station Nederland 1 from the 1990s, Graham and Prince appeared together and looked more like father and son than friends.

In the video Prince says: 'Larry is as important as anyone, anywhere any time'.

Graham says it is a 'wonderful blessing' to be working with Prince, who hired him to be part of his New Power Generation group .

Prince says that he is seeking 'complete oneness with the spiritual God and the knowledge of the truth'.

He said: 'He's (Larry) been so kind as to help me with a lot of things I didn't have a firm grip on.

'There's a lot of temptation out in the world and it can confuse you and get you wrapped up in something that keeps you from the truth but with a loving brother like that by your side, you usually do alright.

Graham said: 'We have a very close relationship, we spend a lot of time digging into the truth, and getting closer to our creator.

'We are connected heart to heart, and out of the heart comes the music'.

This is the moment Prince's ashes were carried to a car and taken to their final resting place after the legendary musician was secretly cremated on Friday in a 'no fuss' funeral as per his wishes

Mourning: Paisley Park has become the focal point for grief from Prince's fans

The extent of Prince's devotion to his faith will be shown by how much he leaves the church in his will.

It is not known if Prince even had a will, in which case his family could become embroiled in a battle over his fortune akin to the one which tore apart Michael Jackson’s family.

Prince died with no wife and no children meaning that unless he did write a will then his sister Tyka stands to inherit his estate.

Prince’s earnings are set to skyrocket after his death and there is said to be enough music at his Paisley Park estate to release an album every year for the next 200 years.

In addition to his sister, Prince has four half brothers and three half sisters would could lay claim to their share of his assets just at the King of Pop’s family did to his.

Former Witness and advocate Alexandra James said that Jehovah's Witness leaders have recently been on a drive to get followers to leave the church their inheritance instead of 'non believer' family members.

She said: 'We've seen lots of stories about people being pressured into leaving their estate, especially if their family are not Witnesses.

'I can completely see that Prince would come under pressure to do the same.

'Does it happen officially? No. Does it happen unofficially? Yes.

'We have had stories of family members being asked: 'Why leave it to them (your family)? You should be leaving it to the other Witnesses'.

James added that as far as she was aware there was not even an official endorsement of Prince and that the way he presents himself is in total contrast to the 'serious, somber' way most Witnesses are.

Prince was a publisher with good standing here in our congregation. He was active, he shared in the ministry every month Brother George Cook, elder in the church Prince attended

She said: 'Prince performing in front of others, drawing a crowd to himself, associating that closely with non-Witnesses.

'These are things that would get rank-and-file members some major counseling if not disfellowshipping (excommunication).

'So in some ways they do seem to get special treatment even if it's not overt and obvious'.

Days after Prince's death Daily Mail Online visited the Kingdom Hall in Saint Louis Park, Minneapolis where prince was a worshiper.

Witnesses said that he gave the congregation significant ‘gifts of mercy’ over the years, though the large cash donations were made in secret in line with the teachings of Jehovah.

Brother George Cook, who is one of the nine elders of the small 90-person congregation, said that Prince was a 'publisher', meaning somebody who spreads the word of God. He said: ‘Prince was a publisher with good standing here in our congregation. He was active, he shared in the ministry every month.

‘We didn’t see him very often because he was away all the time, but he did attend the memorial of Christ’s death on March 23 here, he brought some of his band members with him.

‘He was a spiritual man from what I know of him and he talked to individuals and he very strongly believed in the message of the bible that Jehovah Witness’s proclaim.

‘He believed that the true God is Jehovah and he knew for example that when we die, we’re dead, we’re sleeping and the hope is the resurrection, that’s why Jesus died.’

In a rare public statement, a spokesman for the Jehovah's Witnesses said the church was 'saddened' to hear about Prince's death.

David A. Semonian said that Prince 'found fulfillment as a Witness and in sharing his faith with others'.

The statement said: 'We do not have any details regarding his medical condition or the cause of his death.