It was the “blazin' 70s” — the era of “cool”, “hip” and “groovy”, of foxy mamas” and “funky dudes”! He was our neighbor. Well, not really but everyone living in the Twin Cities, (Minneapolis/ St Paul), area in Minnesota, USA, considered him a neighbour. It was “groovy” for the young, and not so young, to drive by his home in Minneapolis and hang around to hear him sing, jazz, play his many instruments, rehearse with his band, and soon it would be a party, indoors and out. At times he would appear at his doorstep and wave or exchange greetings with his growing band of admirers. Occasionally he would invite them in. Little did they know then that their local hero, would be the ‘Prince' of international fame, one of the greatest musicians of his generation. Painfully shy and reticent, he was known as the very private artist who led the good clean life. A strict vegetarian he maintained a healthy lifestyle, and avoided drugs and alcohol. He was different. A member of “Jehovah's Witnesses” a minor Christian sect, whose only authority is the Bible, Prince would often preach his doctrines to friends and fans. It was a mysterious life, as mysterious as his death. He had just performed in Atlanta to rave reviews. On Tuesday, 19 April, he attended a show at his favourite jazz club in Minneapolis, the next day he was dead. He was discovered in his elevator at his estate in Paisley Park in Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis on Thursday, 21 April . How could that happen? He was 57 and had so much more to offer the world. Questions abound. He was on pain pills for a hip injury in 2007, but whatever the toxicology reports reveal, it matters little now. He and his immeasurable talents are gone, cremated, but his music remains unblemished, to live on and thrill more generations to come. The outpouring of grief was as strange as he was. Fans camped outside his residence to pay tribute to their hero, Minnesota's favourite son. Tears flowed freely as his songs were blasted from every corner…like: “Nothing Compares 2 U'. “His death is what it sounds like ‘when doves cry”, said one of the fans, referring to his poignant hit song. The shock moved the world, the music world and even US President Barack Obama himself, who in the middle of packing for his farewell trip, took time off to make this statement: “As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all, Funk, R&B, Rock and Roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader and an electrifying performer, a strong spirit that transcends rules.” They mourned him everywhere in Minnesota. Crowds ranging from 20 to 80 all dressed in purple gathered at First Avenue night club sang and talked about how Prince always stayed close to home, showing the music industry you still can achieve global renown even if you are not in New York, the capital of the recording industry or Hollywood the capital of Show Business Outside his estate fans gathered to mourn his death and celebrate his life. So many came dressed in Prince gear, eccentric and purple. A sea of purple outfits would line the streets at his favourite haunts in Minneapolis or at his residence in Chanhassen, laying purple flowers, stuffed animals, balloons, signs and personal notes. With his music playing, the mourners would turn the gathering into a celebration and soon a huge party was rolling. That is just how Prince would have liked it. Exceptionally talented Prince Roger Williams was born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis. He played the piano at age 7, mastered the guitar and drums by 14, when he joined his first band. Prince's sound was as unique and as visionary as he was. His music transcended genres and generations. He defined the sound of the 80s when he reached fever pitch with his 1984 film Purple Rain, about an aspiring musician, his troubled home life and a budding romance. Between the years 1985-1992 he released eight albums, 1 per year, including the soundtrack for director Tim Burton's Batman. Following a dispute with his Warner Bros. Record Company, who wished to limit his production to a single song per year, our prolific musician decided to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol, the male and female gender signs, or “the artist formerly known as Prince”. Once his contract with the record company had expired, he reclaimed his real name — Prince. Purple Rain (1999), was his best selling album, which cemented his super-star status, and included his No.1 hit, the vulnerable, sorrowful, “When Doves Cry”. He Influenced musicians, turned rain to purple, mastered 27 instruments and defined the sound of the 80s, known as the Minnesota sound. After “Little Red Corvette”,” Raspberry Beret' among other hits, he was inducted in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, where he played his purple guitar and sang: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Music critic Alexis Petrides wrote: “He was the most prolific musician of his age. For 40 years he conducted his career according to a whimsical internal logic that seemed to baffle even his closest collaborators”. “He leaves a mountain of songs, albums that could potentially be huge hits”. He leaves them in Minnesota, where he was born, where he lived, where he loved, where he died. “The devil does not stay where music is” Martin Luther (1483-1546)
