Thursday was just an ordinary day, or at least it was supposed to be. It was a bit sunny and warm, and I was feeling really good. But then on my way to lunch, I checked my phone and saw a notification from a news app of mine, headlined “Music Icon Prince Dies at Age 57.” At that moment, I couldn’t even think. I was in complete shock.
Prince, born Prince Roger Nelson, was found in his Paisley Park residence in Chanhassen, Minnesota. While the public is still not sure of the cause of death, he has had some health problems, even stopping his plane in Illinois due to flu-like symptoms.
This man truly is the definition of a music icon. Prince was an artist of multiple genres. He had funk, he had the rhythms of R&B and his guitar riffs were what rock was made of. While his songs were popular, one could never just peg Prince as a “pop” artist. He didn’t make mindless tunes and repetitive lyrics. His songs were all filled with great lyrics and high-pitched notes that most other male artists wouldn’t even attempt.
As I thought about him more and more, I started to tear up and could barely pay for my lunch. He was one of the main artists that I grew up on, my mom blasting the radio when any of his songs came on. “Little Red Corvette” reminds me of late summer nights driving down Lake Shore Drive. “When Dove Cry” is literally a go-to for my mom and I during any 80’s throwback jam sessions. I remember watching “Pretty Woman” for the first time and I lost it when she started doing a pretty horrible rendition of “Kiss.” But honestly, that’s how my mom sings it (obnoxious and loud) and no one could ever really do it like Prince anyway, so why not butcher it? There are many artists that I grew up with (my mom played music all of the time), but Prince is probably one of the most influential, as well as the most memorable. When I hear that falsetto, I know that I am home.
And not only his songs, but his music videos and movies were like something not meant for this world. I’m not going to lie, when I watched them as a kid, or when I would catch a glimpse of “Purple Rain,” I thought they were the weirdest things. I didn’t know exactly what he was doing or why he was wearing the things he was, but I sometimes couldn’t look away either. And that’s what he wanted. Of course, I did eventually come to love the artistry behind it all.
Along with his innovative music videos, he was one hell of an entertainer. I never saw him live, but my mom did and she was enthralled. Being a fan, she of course loved it, but I’m sure anyone would have been moved by that concert. Even just watching him perform on video, I get chills. He put so much emotion into every chord he strummed, every note he belted. His guitar solos were unlike anyone else’s. And the audience just feels the performance like nothing I have experienced.
Whenever a famous person, especially a musician, dies, there is always an outpouring of support and grief. We saw this with David Bowie and now with Prince. But Prince was so far-reaching that it has just flooded my newsfeed. Many celebrities shared some really touching and grief-stricken posts. A lot of the posts I saw were just words like: “No more.” “Stop.” “Gutted.” Spike Lee gathered people in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn and basically had a massive sing-along to all of Prince’s greatest hits. Watching the video is truly chill-inducing.
Another moving tribute I saw was from Justin Timberlake, and I think it really touched on a lot of what Prince truly encompassed.
Prince was meant to do what he did. That was his calling and I am beyond grateful that I, along with the rest of the world, got to experience such an enigmatic and unearthly being rock out on stage and grace us with his talent.