Five things I'll remember about Prince
In a year of sad musical news, it continues today with the death of Prince, at age 57. It's only been a few hours and the news shows have been all about Prince. There have been many tributes from artists such as Elton John and Aretha Franklin.
We use genius too often but it fits in this case. The man was legendary. Here are the things I'll remember about Prince.
1. The Music. Prince recorded 39 studio albums. THIRTY-NINE! To put this in perspective, that's three times as many as The Beatles. For many years, Prince was in the studio every day recording something new. He has hundreds, maybe thousands of songs that have never been released. If you think that Jimi Hendrix has had a lot of music released after his death, it's going to be nothing compared to what we'll see from Prince. Man...to be the curator of that collection.
2. The Visuals As much as the music, you remember him for what he looked like, his live performances and his videos. Prince came along at around the same time as MTV and along with Michael Jackson, they were the perfect forum...the perfect match for each other. It's sad but interesting that Prince and David Bowie died within months of each other. Both had their own style of music that couldn't be copied. Both had their own visual style that couldn't be copied.
3. The Suggestive Lyrics Prince was far from the first to have sexually suggestive lyrics. He may have been the first that got Baby Boomers upset about suggestive lyrics. He got Tipper Gore pissed off enough that she got the warning labels about lyrics on albums. I wonder what Tipper has to say today.
4. Taking on the record industry There have been plenty of artists that have tried to take on the record industry. None of them have changed their names over the disputes. This became the his symbol. The artist formerly known as Prince. The dispute became so contentious that he referred to himself and other artists as slaves to the record industry.
5. The dude could wail! He could write, sing and dance but man the dude could play some guitar. At a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute to George Harrison, surrounded by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood and Dhani Harrison, HE DID THIS!
President Obama may have summed it up the best... Today, the world lost a creative icon. Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer. “A strong spirit transcends rules,” Prince once said -- and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band, and all who loved him.
Here's a piece I wrote about musicians deaths scare us. Here's a gallery about David Bowie
Type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.