Prince(s) Live(s) Forever

First it was Lemmy Kilmister, then came David Bowie, afterwards Glenn Frey from Eagles. And I feel like fate was way too brutal this time. “ The famous musician Prince, 58 years old, was found dead earlier this morning in his mansion. Cause of death is yet unknown.” This is what I read in the headlines yesterday, with the company of my morning coffee, which turned out too sour after these news.

There are some people, who feel like best friends to our minds, even if we have never met them and we probably never will. The reason why, is probably because we have connected unforgettable moments that marked us, with them. Who hasn’t cried listening to “Purple Rain”? Who hasn’t sung out-loud the chorus of “Kiss”? The prodigious, the one and only, the irreplaceable Prince was undoubtedly one of these “friends”.

He was the artist that left an impressive work of 39 solo studio albums, 104 singles, 136 music videos and another bunch of unusually big numbers, in a period of nearly 40 years. This practically means an album per year. In comparison with other legendary personalities of the musical industry which I adore and look up to, like David Bowie or Lou Reed for example, who left 29 and 21 solo albums respectively in a carrer of nearly 50 years. Prince, this tremendous figure had an endless supply of productivity, which inspired generations of musicians to start something new.

And his work would seem even bigger, if we added all the projects he composed or contributed in, without performing them himself. He collaborated with the leading figures of today’s pop music industry, such as but not limited to Madonna, Beyonce, Lenny Kravitz, Amy Winehouse and loads of others.

Another remarkable side of Prince is his unique, extravagant, eccentric style. He did not follow trends, he created and shaped them. He did not hesitate to get on stage with clothes and colours that come from outter space, such as long purple scarfs, tight purple jeans, colourful bandannas, shiny black wingtips. He knew exactly how to handle his public image, his personal life, his social and artistic profile. Artists of the future can take lessons from how he promoted himself.

What makes him shine more than anyone, however, and gives him a special place in my heart, is that he was not limited to this individual eccentricity that the pop industry demanded.

He also had an extremely deep knowledge of what he was doing with his music. He handled perfectly the music theory, the rules of harmony, orchestration, even music production! He was such a versatile artist, that if he was left alone in a studio, he would be able to make a fully orchestrated album by himself in no time.

I feel that my thoughts and my grief for the death of this man-symbol, make me speechify, when no more words are needed. Therefore, to reach my concluding remarks: Prince was not a follower, he was a leader in all ways. An intriguing person and artist, that has left a vast piece of work for the future generations to learn from.

Prince, we already miss you. Rest in peace.

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