“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate this thing called life. . . . “
–Let’s Go Crazy
I’ve never been a major Prince fan. I’m not going to pretend to be now. Nevertheless, his death has affected me more than I could have expected.
My mom was the Prince fan in the family (my dad’s more an Ozzy fan, himself). I didn’t realize it at the time but Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, and Purple Rain formed significant parts of the soundtrack of my childhood.
I remember driving with my mom when Little Red Corvette came on the radio and teasing her for her enthusiasm. I remember first hearing 1999 in 2012 and wondering what it must have been like to be an adult at the turn of the century and if people really thought, like they did in the moment, that the world might be ending.
For a while, the latter became my New Year’s Eve theme song. It seemed like the original Live Like We’re Dying and I was hooked.
I didn’t realize at the time that Prince had made such an impact on me. In retrospect, I couldn’t be more grateful.
Thank you, Prince, for everything. Rest in peace.