Prince

 Prince Rogers Nelson "Prince"

June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016
Singer

When I heard the news yesterday of Prince's passing, I was too stunned to even write this post.  I had to make sure that the TMZ report was true...and so it was.
Prince died at his Paisley Park Recording Studio/Home in Chanhassen, Minnesota after a bout with the flu.
One of the most iconic singer/artists, Prince is gone. The Purple Reign is over.
He was 57 years old.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to his parents Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and John L. Nelson a lyricist and pianist, he would become a child prodigy teaching himself a myriad of instruments including piano, guitar, drums and bass.  He would also become a great vocalist with an incredible vocal range.
He wasn't just a singer, he was a musician, songwriter, producer and actor as well....a creative icon.
He wrote tons of songs for himself and others and they did well on the charts.  Songs drenched with sexual overtones and songs filled with spirituality, that was the pop star that was Prince.
His music influence was pop, R&B, funk, hip-hop along with a whole gamut of other sounds.

Back in my partying days it was totally unheard of not to play his music...what's a party without His Royal Purpleness....boring.
I loved him for his incredibly crazy music......his flamboyant performances on stage...his extravagant dress style....you never knew what he was going to do next.
I loved him too because we shared the same birthday.

 

He was eccentric and I mean that in a nice way.  In 1993 after a contract dispute with his record label Warner Bros., he changed his name to the" Love Symbol" sign and became "The Artist formerly known as Prince."   I was shocked, but then again that was Prince...the Unpredictable.

 

When he changed his name back to Prince, I was cool with that too.

Prince the prolific writer and arranger was still there no matter what he called himself....we the fans didn't care.

I never had the opportunity to attend one of his concerts....concerts that went on past the three hour limit because of the dedicated performer that he was.  It always seemed as if my trips to the US would never coincide with any of his concerts no matter how I tried.....I do have two of his concerts on dvd....electrifying and stunning guitar work accompanied by his indelible vocals...incredible.

Some of my favourites: Purple Rain, 7, When Doves Cry, For you, Controversy, 1999, I wanna be your lover, Let's go Crazy and KISS.

Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide (I am included in that total), making him one of the best selling artists of all time.
He has won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award.
In 2004 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Here is an interesting article on Prince, one of his rare interviews.

His career spanned over 35 years, in which he released 39 solo albums....he was always releasing new material....and working on new material...up to four albums in the last 18 months. 
The legend of Prince alludes to tons of his unreleased material known to be in "the vault" ....The vault is packed to capacity with his work....we could hear new music for many years to come...approximately one album a year for the next 100 years.
His legacy as a singer and musician along with his limitless creativity can never be replicated...ever.
Fans all over the world are in mourning. 
Purple tributes are everywhere....buildings and famous landmarks all over the world are bathed in purple lights in his honour....the grief and shock is raw.
Gone too soon.

He will be missed....the world won't be the same without him.
Rest in peace Prince...if you can find that at all possible....Rest in Peace.
All images for this post were respectfully borrowed from Google Images.