On April 21, 2016 we lost a legend. At only 57-years-old, the seven-time Grammy winner, Prince, passed away. An autopsy was performed but nothing has been released. Days before his death, Prince was in the hospital due to the flu. The cause of death is still under some questioning.
Some of his most popular songs include “Little Red Corvette,” “Kiss,” “When Doves Cry,” “1999,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain” and many more. Prince was an artist that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable as an artist. When he became well known in the late 1970s, many people did not know how to react to his outlook on performing. He was seen as a new found sex symbol and a “badass.” His music and his outlook on life was completely out of the norm for society. His music and his style brought up controversies that could never truly be resolved. People just had to accept Prince for who he was. He wasn’t pop, rock, soul—he was Prince.
There is no doubt that Prince was an extremely talented human being. He was not only a phenomenal singer and performer, but he was also a songwriter, and could play guitar, piano and drums. Many of his albums were produced and arranged with just one man behind the magic, Prince himself. No matter what Prince did, he was always introducing new concepts and pushing the boundaries of creativity. He once made the statement that he wanted to be “free” when writing his music. He wanted to sing and write what he wanted and didn’t want anyone to change that. This could be one of the many reasons that Prince was also so passionate about his music because of the dedication and emotion that went into each song.
It would be factual to say that Prince was truly a music legend that left a lasting impression on all of us. His 38-year career was not at all wasted time. Within those 38 years, he has 39 albums, all with new material that no one had ever heard. On the Hot 100, he had over 19 Top 10 hits that we all came to know and love. Not only were his songs chart toppers, but his albums were also. He sold over 100 million records alone in his music career. He also was recognized for his talent when he was sworn into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Prince also won two Golden Globes, a BET award and many more awards. His music was also in movies such as “Batman,” “Happy Feet,” “Show Girls” and of course, a movie that he starred in, “Purple Rain”.
It would be an understatement to say that Prince will be missed by millions of fans of all ages. But no one will ever be able to forget the man that changed music and made it what it has become today. Prince set the stage for many artists that are allowed to fully be themselves and have the freedom to do what they love. We can all learn a lot from this “prince” of music.
