Prince (1958-2016): The Artist In Purple

English: The american artist Prince. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the record . . . On the morning of April 21, 2016, it was raining in the Twin Cities.  The skies weren't purple and doves weren't crying, but there were people running in the direction of the suburb of Chanhassen like it was Judgment Day.  Chaos and mourning had descended on the Temple of Paisley.

Prince Rogers Nelson, one of the greatest musical exports Minnesota had ever known, had died at his home at the age of 57.  The details of how he passed are murky, which is appropriate since much of his life and career was that way too.

The son of a jazz musician and a social worker, Prince made his name as the architect of the Minneapolis Sound--a blend of R&B, funk, pop and rock modeled on Jimi Hendrix and James Brown, among others.  His hits were part of the soundtrack of the 1980s--some of them of the R-rated variety:  "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Little Red Corvette", "1999", "Cream", "Raspberry Beret" and "Kiss".  His music has been covered by Cyndi Lauper ("When You Were Mine"), The Bangles ("Manic Monday"), Tom Jones ("Kiss") and Sinead O'Connor ("Nothing Compares 2U").  He was nothing short of prolific in issuing new music, whether as CDs or for downloading on his website.

Prince also branched out into the movies, with 1984's "Purple Rain" and its soundtrack defining the era, as well as other films that were not as successful.  Thanks to "Purple Rain", he made the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis and Eden Prairie's "Graffiti Bridge" (since torn down) famous.

Along the way, Prince built up a stable of singers, musicians and hangers-on who became almost as famous as he was:  Morris Day, The Time, Apollonia, Shiela E., Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (who went on to produce records for Janet Jackson), among others.  Paisley Park in Chanhassen became his personal residence and recording studio.

Prince was also considered an eccentric and a control freak.  He had run-ins with his record label Warner Bros. over creative and contractual issues.  He changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph, forcing everyone else to refer to him as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince".  He rarely gave interviews.  He gave surprise concerts with only short notice.  But when he did perform, it was usually past most people's bedtimes.

For all his eccentricities and controversies, Prince made powerful music that you could either dance to or made you think.  Those who saw him perform live, no matter how many times, have marveled at his showmanship and will never forget him.  Having already gotten through this thing called life, it's such a shame that Prince's Purple Reign had to end this way.