On the afternoon of April 21, I was greeted to a collection of melancholy Facebook posts when I opened my Facebook app after my Performing Arts Management class. The world shook a little because Prince had died. I was immediately filled with sadness because Prince is from Minnesota and growing up, my mom would always drive me by his studio, and I thought it was the coolest thing. Unfortunately, I've gone on Facebook or received a text message far too many times in the past few years, delivering news that a musician I loved has passed away. Here is my tribute to the death of musicians gone too soon, who made a difference in my life, and news of their death shook the world.
Prince – "Kiss"
I will admit, I was not a Prince mega-fan. But this song was one of the first songs to ever make me feel sexy. Every time I put this song on, even if I'm in the most negative mood, I always feel immediately empowered. Definitely my go-to song when it comes to sexual empowerment. It really can't be beat.
Michael Jackson – "Beat It"
Who doesn't remember where they were when Michael Jackson died? This was one of the first deaths of a musician that really made an impact on me. I was playing "Mario Kart," and I walked into my mom's room and CNN was on, the headline saying "Breaking: Michael Jackson found dead." This man made an amazing musical impact. I choose "Beat It" because it was the first Michael Jackson song I ever heard. This has been, and always will be, my ultimate dance jam. If this comes on at a party, no matter what I'm doing, I will always get up and dance. Plus, when you listen to it on your headphones and walk around campus, you feel like you're in a macho Action movie.
Amy Winehouse – "Valerie"
I was devastated when I found out Amy Winehouse had passed away. Her music is the kind that sounds good to everyone. You can't not like it. "Valerie" always makes me feel better when I'm missing my friends from home, and Amy's soulful sound makes it impossible to not sing along.
David Bowie – "Changes"
David Bowie is the original Gaga. His unique artistic persona always encouraged me to embrace the weird that I am. "Changes" was on the Shrek 2 soundtrack, and I fell in love with it and listened to it on repeat. When I committed to college last year, I got scared because I knew it meant a lot of things were about to change. I listened to this, again, on repeat.
Whitney Houston- "I Will Always Love You"
The ultimate slow-dance at prom song. Whitney is the epitome of soul and beauty, she had so much to offer the world, and her death was a major tragedy because she had so much hope to offer the world.
These are just a few tragic musician deaths that I have in my recent memory that broke my heart. All of these were made more tragic by the fact that they were gone way before their time. Long live the creators, may their work never die.
