Wait a few days before wasting any Prayers on me - The Death of Prince
“Wait a few days before wasting any Prayers on me” - Those were the supposedly last words that Prince uttered at the concert called the AFTER DARK GIG – at his Paisley Park gig, in Minnesota, USA on the 16th of April 2016
Then the unthinkable happened. On the 21st of April, 2016, the world lost one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. And definitely, one of the greatest icons to come from the 1980s.
I have also mentioned previously to a number of people that I have met over my life; that the 1980s along with the 1960s are the greatest music and media decades of the 20th century.
Both decades pushed the envelopes of music development and media entertainment to reach the masses around the world more than any other decade before and since.
Within the 1980’s we had two such musical icons - Michael Jackson and Prince. These were the two performers that ruled that DECADE.
Michael Jackson was possibly the greatest entertainer the world has ever seen.
However, with Prince, we witnessed one of the greatest Pop musicians the world has ever seen in action either via producing, arranging, or singing.
Or doing all three at the same time at times!
Both had to work hard to get to the top. But their hard work paid off in the end. Michael Jackson achieved true global fame with the album release “Thriller”. Prince did the same with the album that was/is “Sign of the Times”.
Together with MTV, the 2nd Invasion of the USA via UK artists, the development and growth of the music’s House music and Hip Hop music around the world, and then finally the TV program that achieved a global audience was – Miami Vice.
Singer and performer Sheena Easton from the UK, who was engaged to Prince during the 1980s and dueting with him on their together “U got the look” stated,
“It is impossible to imagine him not being here. The world of music was forever changed the day he picked his guitar”. His talent was breathtaking, his heart was kind, and all of us have been blessed to have a glimpse into his sweet and magical soul”.
That is a statement. And yet she is right. In my time he was the only person that truly rivaled Michael Jackson and his global fame.
For me, Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer that ever lived. I was extremely lucky to see Michael perform at Wembley Stadium, London, England during the year 1988 (The Bad tour).
He always seemed to mesmerize the audience wherever he played in the world. On that day he was like a Snake Charmer and we were the snakes!!
Michael performed like a man processed and the tunes kept coming and coming from him on that day (The bad tour – London, England, 1988).
In fact, on that day he wanted to perform for a further 3 hours for the crowd that had come to see him – and he had the music to do so as well which summed up his talent. But the authorities would not let him.
However, Prince was no slouch in that matter. In fact, he was the only main rival to Michael on the global stage during that era.
Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2004, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at number 27 on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
Another fact is that PRINCE is still the only man to have played in the O2 area in London for 21 days straight. A record that still stands today.
Michael Jackson was the only man destined to beat this as he proclaimed that he did a deal with the O2 event organizers which would have seen him playing a further 50 dates at the same venue.
However, this was not to happen as Michael was to die before the start of the dates began.
The track called “Sign of the Times” (from the album called SIGN OF THE TIMES) was just as stellar as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” from his album that is (THRILLER). It told us what was going wrong with the world in epic proportions and over a funky beat.
This was the first Pop song on the Pop charts at the time to mention such depressing social commentary that was happening within our world at the time.
Prince's full name was – Prince Rodgers Nelson was found dead, slumped in a lift at the Paisley Park compact studios (Chanhassen, Minnesota, USA) within the compound.
Medics and Police responded to an emergency call made a 9.43 local time (USA). A USA Sheriff's response official statement was:
“When the deputies and medical personnel arrived, they found an unresponsive adult male in the elevator.
First responders attempted to provide lifesaving CPR but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced dead at 10:07. He has been identified as Prince Rodgers Nelson.”
However, there is fresh news that Prince knew that he was dying. New reports are flooding through various media outlets stating that PRINCE was suffering from HIV/AIDS before he died. (Please click on the link below)
If this is the case then it will only bring more heartache to all PRINCE fans from around the world.
As he was generally liked by all who met him. If we are led to believe that PRINCE contracted the condition during the 1980s which develop into full-blown AIDS recently.
Prince, it must be said has become more aware of his legacy over the years. In fact, news has been filtering in over the Internet and other media sources; he had been writing a personal memoir called “The Beautiful Ones”, which would tell the full story of his life. If it is to get the go-ahead, it is planned for release next year (2017).
Prince during the decade of the 1990s refused to use his name over a battle with record chiefs at Warner Brother Records.
They wanted to limit the number of albums he could release and the control that Prince wanted.
He even appeared on stage at that time with the comment “Slave” written on his cheek. He started using his name again in the year that was 2000 after leaving the label.
I was not lucky to see PRINCE perform live in his heyday. Whether during the historic O2 GIGS (21 days at that venue, which were all sold out during the year of 2007).
Or when he came back to the UK and performed a series of gigs which became known as - Guerrilla gigs” (at Ronnie Scots venue) during February 2014 here in the UK once more.
However, I did manage to collect 2 albums from Prince in my time. The first one that I got was called “Prince” from 1979 – that contained the hit that was “I Wanna Be Your Lover”. The 2nd was “Sign of the Times”.
Both of the albums I own make you appreciate the talent that was Prince. And the 1980’s. It was such a groundbreaking decade in which you had more artistic control of what you wanted to put out. Even though the record companies have enormous power at the time as well.
Then music production or creativity didn’t entirely depend on how you looked or if you had a sexy image so much as it does these days. What mattered if the single that you released could or would chart?
I believe it was harder to make the charts back then as well. As you had artists that truly believed in what they were doing, and were totally into music production and creation.
And no, there were as many “Manufactured bands or TV shows making one-off Pop wonders" who would soon disappear after a couple of years or so.
The death of Prince leaves sadness in your heart that the decade and its stars from that period are fast disappearing. The music from that decade wasn’t as sexy as it is today.
However, it has to be said that some of Prince’s earliest single releases were risky, to say the least. And some of his early stage performers would have made the sturdiest of men blush.
However, Prince was a multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer, and stage performer. He could do it all.
His guitar solos when he decided to do them – shocked well-traveled musicians, let alone audiences around the world at his mastery of the instrument.
He was credited before the time of his death as being the 8th best guitarist in the world, and yet he didn’t really have time to practice as other guitarists above him due to him doing other things such as creating, producing, arranging, and marketing his music.
Please click on this video below to see Prince in action.
The only person who Prince reminds me of and who has that same talent would be the one and only Stevie Wonder.
Stevie who is the master of the Harmonia, as was Prince the master of the Guitar, could do it all. Like Prince, and Stevie Wonder. could and still does produce, arrange, perform, write songs for other people and artists, and sing.
Have I got a favorite song from Prince? Well yes. Mine would be the single called “Sign of the Times” from the album called – “Sign of the Times”.
The song is so funky and groovelicious and it comes with the message as well. Just listen to it.
We are going to miss Prince. And yes we have lost another musical legend from probably the greatest musical decade of the 20th century.
But the people who favor the 1960s as the better of the two might want to argue otherwise.
PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK BELOW TO READ MORE STORIES REGARDING PRINCE
Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.
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