The recent death of Prince on Thursday, April 21, left a hole in the music world. Born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the musician had been a game changer for the music industry for over 40 years. His first album, “For You,” was released in 1978. His famous “Purple Rain” album was released in 1984, and was his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. “Purple Rain” earned Prince a two Grammys, and Oscar, and an American Music Award for “Favorite Pop/Rock Album". Over the years, he has received seven awards and 32 nominations from the Grammys. Throughout his career, Prince has released 39 solo studio albums and never stopped making music.
Prince has also influenced several other musicians, including Usher, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Janelle Monae. In honor of the “Purple One’s” lasting legacy on the music industry, here are some covers of his songs performed by some of our favorite musicians.
Kelly Clarkson: “Purple Rain”
While performing in Prince’s home state of Minnesota last year, Clarkson performed her cover of “Purple Rain.”
Beyoncé: “The Beautiful Ones”
In 2011, Beyoncé performed this Prince hit at the Glastonbury Music Festival in London. Beyoncé also had the chance to perform with Prince on stage at the Grammys in 2004.
John Mayer: “Raspberry Beret"
At one of his concerts in 2010, John Mayer performed a cover of “Raspberry Beret” in Jones Beach, New York. Like Mayer, Prince was known for his incredible guitar playing.
Mariah Carey: “The Beautiful Ones”
At the height of her career, Mariah Carey recorded a cover of Prince’s song “The Beautiful Ones” for her 1997 album “Butterfly.” 1990s R&B artist Dru Hill joined Carey in the rendition of this song.
Muse: “Sign O’ the Times”
The British rock band performed Prince’s song “Sign O’ The Times” at one of their shows in France.
The Cast of "The Color Purple" :“Purple Rain”
The night of his death, performers everywhere celebrated Prince’s life and his music. In a stunning tribute, the cast of “The Color Purple” on Broadway, led by Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo, performed a chilling rendition of Prince’s song “Purple Rain.”
Over the years, Prince has inspired many musicians with his songs. Not only has he been an influence on other artists, but Prince has been inspired by the work of other musicians as well. As a sign of his genre- transcending talent, and collaborative spirit, Prince has covered the songs of several different artists. Prince was also famous for being a very private person, so recordings of his live performances are hard to find. Here are a few rare recorded performances of covers, including performances with Elton John, Lenny Kravitz and a performance during the Superbowl Halftime show.
Elton John and Prince: “Long and Winding Road"
At a London Performance in 2007, Prince partnered up with Elton John to perform a cover of the Beatles song.
Lenny Kravitz and Prince: “American Woman”
In another star -studded performance, Prince and musician Lenny Kravitz performed Kravitz’s cover of Guess Who’s “American Woman.”
Prince: “Heroes”
At a Toronto concert a few weeks before his death, Prince paid tribute to fellow musician David Bowie, who also passed away earlier this year.
Prince: 2007 Super Bowl XLI Halftime Performance
In 2007, Prince performed during the Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show. During this performance, Prince performed a selection of his own songs, including “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Baby I’m a Star” and “Purple Rain.” He also played cover songs from different artists like Tina Turner’s version of “Proud Mary,” the Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” and “All Along the Watch Tower” by Jimi Hendrix.
By looking at all of Prince’s performance’s and the performances done by other musicians, the impact that Prince had on the music industry, and his immense talent is clear. Musicians who make strong impacts on the music industry and pop culture are incredibly rare, and Prince's unique style and music insure the fact that he was a "one of a kind" performer. Prince will be missed by fans, family and friends, but his music, and the messages it sent out to the world will last for generations.
