I can remember the first time I ever heard Purple Rain, I was 4 years old on my way home from the YMCA where my mom worked, my favorite color was purple and I loved anything having to do with it. She put on this song and it became the only song I wanted to listen to for months. It was my first ever favorite song, and if you know me you know how much my favorite songs mean to me. I can also remember the first time I ever heard Heroes by David Bowie. Though it was like 20 years old by the time I heard it, I was so mesmerized that I thought the first time I heard it was the first time anyone had ever heard it, it was only for me. Bowie kinda had that effect on, like, anybody who ever listened to his music.
We’re not even half way through 2016 and we’ve already lost two of the greatest music geniuses that we’ve ever known. Prince and David Bowie. They’re considered legends, rightfully so. It’s natural to compare the two; Bowie arrived on the scene a little more than a decade before, blazing the trail for Prince, in many ways: musical freedom, flexibility of gender, and the ability to disobey just about all the rules. If it was thanks to Bowie that we were exposed to a fluidity of gender and sexuality in performances and characters and personalities, then we probably couldn’t have asked for a better follow-up than Prince. Who recorded a whole album’s worth of songs as Camille, one of his alter-egos with a higher pitched voice and a crazy temper. If Bowie’s long career was verification of his independence, then Prince’s was a testimonial to his irrefutable geniusness. These two were two of the coolest people to exist in the same era (and actually probably to exist ever). Prince has covered some of Bowie’s songs throughout the years, and he just covered one of Bowie’s biggest hits ever, Heroes, literally a month ago in March.
No matter what Prince did, whether it was changing his name to Jamie Starr, or going by a symbol that you couldn’t type or pronounce, it did absolutely nothing to negatively affect his unwavering genius. He was a prodigy and referring to him as the single most talented vocalist, pianist, guitarist, and producer in the world wouldn’t be unwise or false. Prince was said to radiate vitality and age defying joy and was considered one of, if not the best live musicians of his time (and probably a long time to come.)
Bowie was a sponge, he absorbed everything he heard and jumped around from genre to genre with an insatiable appetite for ever-changing sounds. While Prince was a synthesizer and took every genre – rock and roll, R&B, pop, funk, even some folk and jazz – and blended them into his one-of-a-kind electric sound. With a discography of his stature, it’s hard – albeit impossible – to pinpoint his “peak.” The only thing more impressive than the quality of his hard work was how long his musical career lasted. He wasn’t perfect, he could be stubborn and too prideful but that in no way degrades his talent and work. He continued making music long into his middle age, as well as mentoring young up and coming artists. He toured the world as long as he was able to do so, and shared his amazing musical gifts with anyone who would come and listen, and did so with remarkable spirit and charisma like no other. In 2007, he was the Super Bowl half time show performer. He braved the rainy weather to put on one of the best halftime shows we’ve ever seen. And probably some of the most phallic imagery you could think would ever make its way onto prime time TV. Prince didn’t play during the Super Bowl half time show, the Super Bowl played around Prince’s performance.
A world without Prince and Bowie is a hard world to fathom, but it doesn’t have to be dreadful. Their works exuded energy and liveliness that wasn’t challenged by their ages or their current life struggles. Their legacies demand a certain type of admiration and appreciation; one that does not include sadness or anger.
We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. And to celebrate these men who lived their lives to the absolute fullest.