A musical genius, a cultural icon, a seemingly ageless and endlessly curious and challenging and infuriating and inspiring man whose brilliance crossed generations, is dead at 57.
The likes of Prince will never be seen again.
The reign of the man born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis in 1958 began when, at the age of 19, he released his debut album. By 21, he went platinum. Then came three hit LPs — “Dirty Mind,” “Controversy” and “1999” — followed by the earthquake: “Purple Rain.”
Song after song, the 1984 soundtrack to the movie of the same name imprinted itself on the American mind: “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Darling Nikki,” “Baby I’m a Star,” “The Beautiful Ones,” “When Doves Cry” and the title track.
STARS REACT TO PRINCE’S DEATH
This was not just because of the explicit sexual content (“Nikki” was one of many targets of Tipper Gore’s crusade for “Parental Advisory” stickers).
It was because of the passion. The screaming. The perfect pop hooks laced with layers and layers of something so much more dangerous and honest.
And mostly because of the angst, the strangeness, the impossible energy and the vulnerability of the man who on some songs played every instrument (he was proficient in two dozen): keyboard, drums, guitar. Oh, guitar.
