Prince Tribute

by Gracie Crowley

Prince Rogers Nelson left this world on the 21st of April 2016. To most of this world he was known as Prince, the flamboyantly extraordinarily talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. His music was a variety of funk, rock, rhythm, blues, psychedelic touches and pop. Luckily for our ears and eyes, since his debut album For You was released in 1978 our world has been graced with his magical sounds.

His passing is devastating for a great number of people who held him dear and for the music industry itself. It is a shattering moment for those he inspired and his adoring fans. The way in which he passed is irrelevant, and not something that should be a focus. The fact that he has passed is a cause for mourning, remembrance, and for celebrating a life and career of a beloved artist.

I will say this once, and once only. Fans are allowed to be sad and to mourn when their heroes die. People may not have known Prince personally, but they knew his music, and they followed his journey as an artist.

Fans of Prince connected to him through his music, through the sounds and lyrics he created and performed. I am not going to try to communicate what he meant to all of his fans and admirers, because that is a grossly impossible task.
You need only to scroll through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram to read tributes to him from people all over, read within the newspaper’s of the moment and watch on our television screens as we see an overwhelming amount of tributes pouring in.

It is clear that this human being meant a great deal to a vast amount of people and the sudden realization that he is now gone from this world at the young age of 57 is a sad and somber one at that. Reading certain tributes, like that of Harts and Frank Ocean amongst the vast sea of tributes that have appeared since his passing are both moving and tear jerking. It is clear that our world has lost a human that inspired, moved and entertained, who changed our world and the music industry for the better whilst paving the way for future artists to follow in his funky footsteps.

Rest assured that wherever he has moved onto, he has excellent company. This year has been a shocking and devastating one for the musical, literary and entertainment industry. From the end of last year with the loss of Lemmy, to this years loss of David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Merle Haggard, Frank Sinatra Jr, Harper Lee, and Glenn Frey amongst others. It is an odd and very heartbreaking experience for human beings to experience their heroes’ passing. It is as if we view them through a lens of immortality, we never give thought to an ‘end’ when it comes to them and I offer my sincere condolences to all that are touched by this saddening event.

I hope we do not focus on the way in which he left our world, yet imagine him dancing off into the distance through a bout of purple rain - leaving behind him a haze of purple (of course) that lingers over all who loved him.
In his time here he created a total of 39 studio albums that for years to come will be comfort, entertainment and a connection to him for all who love and admire him. This is not the end of his ‘purple reign’ as many are saying, as although he may be gone he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire and influence generations of future musicians, artists and fans that are gathering by various means worldwide to get through this thing called life.