The world has lost yet another music legend. Tragic news broke last Thursday that music icon Prince, had passed away at the age of 57. Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota and was pronounced dead not long after. Many people were stunned and could not believe this shocking news. Prince paved the way for many artists and was known for his own unique stage presence. Let’s take a look back at his music, achievements and his legacy that will live on forever.
Since the 70’s, Prince has been creating memorable songs that continue to be played all over the world. At just 21 years old, Prince signed his first recording contract with Warner Bros. Prince came from a musical background, his father was the leader of a Jazz band and his mother was a vocalist. Prince was multi-talented as many saw throughout his career.
He could sing, dance, act and he also was a multi-instrumentalist. He released his first album in April 1978 titled For You. Prince found lots of success with the release of his album, 1999. The album contained hits like “1999â€, “Little Red Corvette†and “Deliriousâ€. “Little Red Corvette†was his first top 10 hit.
The classic album Purple Rain was released in 1984. This album served as the soundtrack for the film Purple Rain and other chart topping songs that came from the album included “Let’s Go Crazy, “When Doves Cryâ€, “I Would Die 4 Youâ€, and the title track “Purple Rainâ€. “Raspberry Beretâ€, “Kissâ€, “Batdance†and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World†were other major hits for Prince. In total, Prince released 39 studio albums.
According to Billboard, Prince earned 30 top 40 Hot 100 hits before his death, with 19 of those reaching the top 10, and five ascending all the way to No. 1. As his career progressed, Prince had two touring bands, the Revolution and the New Power Generation.
The New Power Generation proved to be one of the most versatile and talented bands that Prince had assembled. During his music career, he legally changed his name to the unpronounceable “Love Symbolâ€. People did not know how to say it so people referred to him as “the artist formally known as Princeâ€. Eventually, he dropped the symbol as his name.
Prince had many iconic and memorable performances throughout his career. In 2004, he opened the Grammys alongside Beyoncé and he basically upstaged her. That same year, he performed “My Guitar Gently Weeps†by George Harrison with Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lyne and others at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Prince had one of the most epic guitar solos at the end of the song and this was even more evidence to prove that he was a great guitarist. His Superbowl XLI performance is said to be one of the greatest Superbowl performances of all time. He braved the elements and performed in torrential rain conditions and still crushed the performance.
His fashion was also something else that nobody could stop talking about. He always wore unique clothing and that set him apart from the rest. He wore everything from funky patterned two-piece suits to sky high heeled boots. One of his most iconic outfits is the one he wore while singing “Purple Rain†in the hit 1984 film. He was close friends with designers like Donatella Versace, who invited him to perform at an opening night party for a collaboration between Versace and H&M.
Prince went on to be nominated for 32 Grammys and took home seven of them. He won an Academy Award for “Best Original Song Score†for “Purple Rain†in 1985. He also won different Icon, Image, Lifetime Achievement and Merit awards for his accomplishments.
In total, Prince has been nominated for 48 numerous awards and he went on to win 14 of them. Prince was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2004. His albums 1999 and
Purple Rain were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008 and 2011, respectively.
Although he was a megastar, he liked to live a private and mysterious life. He kept his relationships private for the most part and he was just a genuinely shy person. He made very few television appearances but when he did, he was humble and was genuine with his words. He made a surprise appearance at the 2015 Golden Globes to present an award and the audience’s reaction was priceless.
People close to Prince have also said that he was a funny guy, which is a side that not many people got to see. Some were even lucky enough to get an exclusive invite to one of his impromptu, intimate performances that he held from time to time.
The last few weeks of his life had been a little rough for him though. Prince had been suffering from flu-like symptoms which led to two concert cancellations. His plane had to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois and he was briefly hospitalized for the illness. According to reports, he was treated for a potential drug overdose from Percocet, a painkiller that he was taking to relive pain from a previous hip surgery.
He was administered a shot that was meant to offset the drug. It has not been confirmed whether his death was caused by an accidental drug overdose but an autopsy was conducted this past Friday. Results may not be released for several weeks according to investigators, whom did not reveal much information during a press conference last week.
A private memorial service was held for close family and friends last Saturday and his remains have been cremated. He performed his last show in Atlanta not that long before his death. A few people were lucky enough to capture him singing “Purple Rain†at the piano (even though guests were told not to record anything). It was also revealed that Prince was working on a memoir, which was supposed to be released in 2017.
Following the news of Prince’s death, many mourned his loss around the world. Fans of the music superstar immediately began to leave purple flowers and signs outside of his Paisley Park Compound. Probably one of the most amazing things that happened was when a rainbow appeared over the compound.
People held sing-alongs and candlelight vigils for him as well. Director Spike Lee set up a DJ outside his Brooklyn home and threw a block party in honor of Prince and many showed up to sing along to his famous songs. Broadway’s The Color Purple and Hamilton also paid tribute to the singer by singing and dancing to “Purple Rain†and “Let’s Go Crazyâ€, respectively.
Celebrities and people close to Prince were quick to express their sadness via social media. Actor Will Smith even tweeted that he just had a conversation with the superstar the night before he passed away. Numerous states and countries around the world lit up their buildings or other city landmarks purple for Prince. Places included: Target Field, Lowry Avenue Bridge, the I-35W Bridge, The Orlando Eye, the Superdome, the Forum, Chicago skyline, and Niagara Falls among others.
The legacy of Prince will live on forever. He was in a category all of his own and nobody could compare to him. Prince set himself apart from others by being creative and not being afraid to express himself. He influenced a great number of musicians and you can hear that in their music as well as them saying that they have been influenced by him.
Prince had many iconic performances that will be remembered for years to come and hits that blew up the charts. There will never be another musician like him. He was truly a once in a lifetime musician.
Elizabeth Granato
Features Editor
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