Prince, or the artist formerly known as, passed away this past Thursday on April 21. Many people have expressed through social media what a loss to the world his passing is; you could have celebrated his life in the streets alongside the crowds of people, or you could've moved on with your day. You may not have been a very big fan of his, or even a fan at all. You may not have ever knowingly listened to his music, seen his movie, or heard of his name. But unbeknownst to you, the Purple Rain has probably poured down on your life at least once before in one way or another.
Prince was mixed into the soundtrack of my early childhood...and my parent's childhood...and my grandparent's adulthood. Three generations, at least, have been impacted by his music. What songs stuck with us and in our heads? Well, I definitely remember "When Doves Cry," "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy" which were a few of his most popular songs. But I also remember dancing along to the "Raspberry Beret" and "Little Red Corvette" music videos when they played on MTV. It's no surprise the music we loved won him seven Grammy's and put him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sometimes you heard his music without knowing it. There’s a lot of music that came out before the turn of the century, which has continued to shape music being made. Prince gave his music to many of these other artists, including The Bangles, Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Patti LaBelle, Cyndi Lauper, Alicia Keys, MC Hammer, Janelle Monae and Sinead O’ Connor to name several. Can you imagine what you would do in a time of heartache if you couldn’t belt your heart out to “Nothing Compares 2 U”? We have Prince to thank for that.
He made more than albums. He made movies. (And won an Oscar) Most remember Prince for his 1984 classic, "Purple Rain," which is an autobiographically-based film about The Kid and his struggle to make it with his music. The film’s soundtrack song, also titled “Purple Rain,” earned Prince an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. A few years later in 1989, Prince also created the entire soundtrack for Tim Burton’s "Batman." During these years, Prince ended up actually directing the second movie he starred in, "Under the Cherry Moon," and making a sequel to "Purple Rain," "Graffiti Bridge." In 1996, we were lucky that Prince gave permission to the movie "Romeo+Juliet" to use his song, “When Doves Cry.” My favorite part of that movie is seeing a young choir boy sing the song, and it truly sets the mood of the movie. Another part of my childhood affected by Prince was hearing his music in the movie "Happy Feet." This was the first time I heard “Kiss,” and I got to hear a new work of his, the song he wrote for the movie, “Song of the Heart,” which won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.
He spoke out about human issues. In more recent times, Prince has come closer forward about what he thinks and has acted accordingly. He is best known for criticizing artist’s integrity and for defending the rights to his own music, both from the record label and the internet. He appeared numerous times with the word “SLAVE” written on his cheek to speak out against his label. At the 2015 Grammy Awards he said, “Like books and black lives, albums still matter.” In regards to black lives, Prince has donated money, without wishing to be recognized, to several families at odds with the police and courts because of their loss of a loved one. Last year, he held a “Rally 4 Peace” concert in Baltimore during the time of riots to stand in solidarity with the city. For a long time, he and his music have acknowledged socioeconomic injustices, such as inequality within where the government puts its money and resources, and chemical proximity to poor neighborhoods.
His legacy is admirable. Unlike other celebrities today, Prince prided himself on staying out of the spotlight. He always made it clear that his purpose was to make music, not to gain attention. He was still a man of his community, though. For those who lived in the Twin Cities area, like me, we had the opportunity to attend one of several performances called Paisley Park After Dark, of which Prince invited the public to his home and studio. The Twin Cities' best known music venue, First Avenue, even gives credit to Prince for making the club so popular, and thanks him for calling it his home. His sound continues to influence other artists, such as Justin Timberlake, who said, "He's somewhere within every song I've ever written.” It’s clear that Prince was a man of his music and the people.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." -Prince
