He’s dead and gone but he lives on.
This is a very personal message from me and a tribute to the man who made music impossibly addictive and masculine, sexy and provocative even vividly colourful just listening to it through the earphones.
When Prince rocked the world with Purple Rain and When Doves Cry, I was too young to recognise his musical talent. I just thought of him as an uglier Michael Jackson rival and one with a screeching voice that’s as annoying as metal rubbing against each other.
About almost a decade later when I’ve come of age to understand the world slightly better and comprehend English a little more, somehow this seemingly old cassette just found its way to my home. I can’t even remember where I got it from but history was made that moment on, I was hooked to this crazy fella like a heroin addict to his fix.
Purple Rain of course blew me away and so did When Doves Cry. I must have repeated the cassette till the battery went flat a few times over on my imitation walkman. Yes, that’s how long ago it was. But with every track played, I was just as mesmerised by his music as I did the notes, the tone, the tune, the psychedelic genre created by this insane musical genius. If my mum could hear what I was listening to, she would seriously have thought her son might have needed some valium to calm his soul.
Prince became an instant legend in my books and I would read about him whenever he appeared in the papers or magazines. The most astounding was when he announced his retirement. Apparently, when he “retired” from the scene, he had 500 unreleased songs in his song bank. That to many a singer out there, is supply of a lifetime if not more. And if memory serves me right, Casey Kasem also said Prince could play every single instrument on stage, far more outlandish and capable than any accomplished artiste.
Today, this Little Red Corvette driver has driven away. Driven to a better place I hope…although it’s difficult to say given his eccentric lifestyle and questionnable habits and preferences. But to this author here, he will always remain, the greatest ever, a Prince forever, an Artiste unsurpassed.
So long by friend!
Picture courtesy of www.ibitimes. co.uk