Seems like that's what 2016 is - The Year The Stars Began To Fall. Almost weekly we hear of another one, either a movie star, film star, TV star, or musical artist we all grew up with. Or even before we grew up knowing about, but we have heard of.
Some we sort of expect, they are getting older, wracked with health issues, or alcohol and drug abuse, but some just totally blow us away. Just like with Prince.
The first movie I saw Prince on was "Graffiti Bridge" instead of "Purple Rain" like most. I was taken with his style, his complexity, and his genius. Remaining in Minneapolis Minnesota, instead of moving to California or New York said much about him. The countryside after an early morning Autumn rain shower is more like a Norman Rockwell painting than Prince's Purple Rain.
And it's almost impossible to believe that that city harbored one of the most iconic symbols of the Rock/Funk/Pop era.
He even opened a night club in Minneapolis called the Glam Slam after the fictional club in Graffiti Bridge.
Tributes and comments are lighting up the cyberspace with nothing but the best thoughts and shock, to sadness.
"He was a pretty impressive guy and I would certainly not feel shy about calling him a genius," said SiriusXM host Mark Goodman, "Prince was an artist that broke through color lines, even in the early days of MTV and while other artists were known for the images in their videos, Prince's songs always stood out beyond the small screen."
"Darling Nikki" and the equally
salacious "Erotic City" both hit the airwaves in New York City on
Z100 and executive vice president of programming
for iHeartRadio's Northeast region Thea Mitchem said she wouldn't have it any other way.
Mitchem said all four iHeartradio properties -- Z100, WKTU, WLTW and Power 105 -- took calls from listeners all day.
"We
are playing everything we could possibly
play," Mitchem told Billboard. "'Darling Nikki' made Power, yes it did.
Listeners called in for that. What can you say? Look, Prince always got
you talking. He was an amazing artist and it’s such a loss for the
music industry and music fans all over the world."
WPLJ-FM celebrated the musician with "1999" seconds of "nothing but Prince music" with DJ John Foxx at 4:45 p.m. After that, the station will play two Prince songs an hour, with live tributes throughout the night.
You could always tell it was a Prince song, but they didn't always sound the same. Some of his B-sides were amazing pieces of music. 'Let’s Go Crazy' -- how many times do you get screaming guitars like that in a pop song?
As I'm writing this, I'm still trying to wrap my head around his sudden passing. And then to hear that it's a possible Drug Overdose? Prince? And to die alone in an elevator. Was he going for help, or did The Angel Of Death just whisk him away suddenly? I pray he didn't suffer because in the end, we all die alone anyway.
Rest In Peace Prince Roger Nelson June 7, 1958 - April 21st 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment