A native from Minneapolis, he mastered the elements of funk, dance and rock music. A unique singer with prolific lyrical writing, he had small beginnings. He conquered the '80s with sexual and off-color tones, and hit the big time with "Purple Rain." His purple world was full of creativity. He is the artist -- his royal badness -- Prince.
One of the of the most influential artists of the 1980s, and of all time, Prince innovated music and created many themes that were mysterious, yet amazing. He married soul, pop, rock, funk and gospel, and made it cool. He's the equivalent of a mad scientist in the music world, creating strange and amazing songs that no one else thought of.
Prince, who passed away last week at 57, left behind a legacy marred by funky songs, a myriad of different stage names and risque themes that were too hot to handle. This time, doves are crying and mourning for his death.
Before he hit the big time, important tracks included "1999," "Little Red Corvette" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
By 1984, "Purple Rain" hit the scene and skyrocketed the singer to fame. Cool and sexy, his onstage performance was incredible, and the songs that were produced made everyone lose their freaking minds. "When Doves Cry" and "Baby I'm A Star" were a few of the No. 1 hits that he landed. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "Purple Rain" is ranked as the 76th greatest album of all time.
I was never around to experience the purple phenomenon like other people, but there were a couple of songs that I liked, my favorite being "1999." I don't know what it was about him, but he just looked cool and mysterious. Of course, "Purple Rain" is his best album, there is no denying that his best songs came from that record.
My mother, Patricia, was a fan of his music. Quite a bit of my musical catalog comes from her, including the Eagles and a whole bunch of disco and funk music. And of course, Prince.
"I liked him because he was funky, he was just up-and-coming at the time."
She saw him before the "Purple Rain" era and was quite surprised by how amazing he was before he got big. It was Feb. 1, 1982, at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During his "Controversy" Tour, my mom described the concert as a different, but great experience.
"It wasn't those huge stadiums, sort of a different place where he performed."
Just 22 years old, the first album she bought was "Controversy." To this day, and like the rest, her favorite album and song are "Purple Rain" and "Baby, I'm A Star."
"It was the funky beat that got me. He had good music."
This situation is the same with other huge musicians, everyone posting on Facebook with typical posts saying how they remember them, and radio stations putting their music on regular rotation. It reminds me a little bit of Michael Jackson, my social media feed being flooded with aforementioned posts and hearing his music every single day.
Honestly, it can be a bit much but that is the great thing about these musicians. Hearing their staple songs and how amazing they were. Because when I think of music from the 1980s, one of the musicians I think of is Prince.
The only thing I request in the coming weeks is that I hear, and only hear, my favorite song, "1999."
