The Prince is dead: Long live his music

To the disbelief of many the tragic news began to filter through that yesterday morning the African American music legend, Prince, was found dead.

Iconic and legendary are adjectives too easily banded about to describe individuals, but not Prince.

For many, when he first burst on to the scene and screen with Purple Rain the world had never seen or heard anything like it. This diminutive artist took music , song writing, and fashion to a level that both redefined what is to be Black and what you could do by merging genres such as funk, R&B, rock, and soul, at times all on one track. That most famous track ‘When Doves Cry’ brilliantly does all of that.

Like the other music icon David Bowie who also tragically died earlier this year, Prince, and his music would not stay still. It seems that he wasn’t happy unless he was pushing his artistic boundaries both musical and personal  to the very limit. For all of thought there are so many wonderful and memorable tracks to savour, here’s just a few: Red Coverette, Kiss, 1999, Let’s go Crazy, Sign of the Times, and Delirious.

But for me, the real essence of Prince could only be savoured by seeing him live. Back in 80’ and early 90’s I would go to concerts almost every week, and was lucky to see some of the great acts of that time: Tina Turner, Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson David Bowie and many others, but no one, repeat, no-one could come close to the live exuberance, energy and dynamism of Prince.

For two or three hours he would play his high intensity music from start to finish. With his almost female band they played the life out of those instruments that left you marvelling; ‘how did they do that’, and ‘oh my gosh, what spectacular show’. When you came away you knew you had been in the presence of a genius, your own physical exhaustion just watching him was testimony to that.

Prince, you’ve left us far too early which has shocked and stunned many of us.

Thankfully we’ve got your music, and for a few us we’ve unforgettable memories of seeing your magic live on stage.

Prince RIP

Simon Woolley