Dearly Beloved,

Dearly Beloved,

I need a moment. Maybe we all do.

This is one of those celebrity deaths that actually hurt.

One of my good friends had just spent an evening with Prince in concert in Atlanta, so he has been a topic of conversation for my crew over the last few weeks.

Maybe that six-degrees of separation is making this one a bit harder to accept.

And maybe it’s also because he was a musical genius. Maybe it’s because his Super Bowl Half Time Show still ranks as my favorite of all time.

Maybe it’s just because: he’s mo’ fo’ Prince, y’all.

There will never be a more perfect passport photo ever made.

Prince wrote many songs in the soundtrack of my youth. I have memories galore tied to his 1999 and Sign of the Times.

Here’s one:

My favorite Purple Rain story was the night when it finally rained in Austin.

It was the summer of 1993 or 1994 and we’d had a long drought. It was hot, dry, and miserable.

And then the rain fell. And fell hard.

My annoyingly loud upstairs neighbors (who I was always way too old to live under even at the ripe age of 20) blasted Purple Rain off the balcony.

Everyone in the apartment complex came out, danced in the rain, and sang our hearts out.

It was a moment, with a 10-year-old song, that has stayed with me all these years.

Timeless.

I never saw him in concert, but at least I can say I ran with him once.

Or… something like that.

RIP, Prince.

Patty Holliday

Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.

noguiltdisney.com

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Elaine

Tuesday 26th of April 2016

Nothing compares to [him].

I've cried a few tears over this one.

My nieces are on a high school drill team in Texas (all that Rangerette-type high-kickin'), and they just had a big Spring show. They sent me a video of their favorite routine, and it was to a Prince song, "Baby I'm a Star." They couldn't believe it when I told them that song was a huge hit when their old aunt was their age ...

I had to buy those girls a copy of 1999 and the Purple Rain soundtrack.

Lisa

Friday 22nd of April 2016

I got to see him in about 2000/2001 at a tiny late night club show he did after doing an expensive (for the time) theatre concert in my hometown. He played this club of about 400 people and it was $20 to get in. I went with my friend B and my dad (my dad is the hippest and a big music fan).

I got to sit on stage with him just above me...and he accidently dropped his gum in my hair...then apologized, plucked it out and gave me a hug. Such a weird interaction to have but I consider myself luck to have had it.

Aside from my strange encounter with Prince...that show was amazing. It was 2 hours or so of amazing covers...Prince interpreted all sorts of tracks...from Whole Lotta Love to Ain't No Sunshine (When She's Gone). Someone from the crowd yelled him to play the hits and he told them to go home and listen to his records because he's playing what he wants to.

I was fortunate to see him again a few years ago, in a big arena setting and though the show was amazing, nothing can top that tiny club show I saw with one of my good friends and my dad at 2am on a school night.

patty

Oh man. This is amazing. Weird and fabulous, just like a Prince encounter should be.

Ana

This was very sad, and very sudden. When I was little, and living in Mexico, the would run his videos on TV, and I would just be hypnotized by his voice and his dancing. Such a tragedy! May he rest in peace.

Great memories. He was a genius!