Silence. I sit on my balcony overlooking Glendale Boulevard, and all I can think of is how silent I feel. The wind stirs, and I have to break it with something softer … the sound of my own disbelief … the sound our hearts breaking … the sound of a dove crying.
As we painfully say goodbye to another beautiful music icon, I’m left wondering why is it that we feel so connected to these musicians? What drives us, compels us to take refuge in the lyrics, melodies and vision of artists? While I don’t have a definitive answer, I know that when music hits you in just the right way, you feel it in your soul. It resonates with every fiber of your being and becomes part of your molecules in the weirdest of ways.
Prince Rogers Nelson gave us his heart and soul, and we felt that unparalleled power and funk in every bone in our body.
Whenever someone important passes away we always want to talk about accolades: what that person accomplished, what they were famous for, what they won, what notoriety can be tacked onto their name. But what’s really important is who they were and why they did what they did.
The last time I wrote about a musician passing away I mentioned his innate connection to nature and incredible ability to be who he was with unwavering and unapologetic confidence — that manifested in anything from a lost astronaut named Major Tom to an enchanting Starman.
The same can be said for Prince. He too held himself to a higher standard. Gender conformity, sexuality, propriety and just about every other societal norm was a non-factor.
He didn’t care for such things. He couldn’t be bothered to. Prince had bigger things to accomplish and self expression was always the driving force behind his life. Music was his outlet and a window in which to see his world, a world where rain fell down in a glorious purple mist, where controversy was welcomed and Little Red Corvettes became the innuendo for a hell of a night.
He was a fantastic guitar player, a heralding lyricist and champion of love, equality and individualism. Sex symbol, rock legend, music icon, human being — that’s who Prince was, and his music was divine.
I remember my first taste of Prince some 15-16 years ago, riding in the backseat of my parents car on a Sunday night as they listened to Art Laboe’s Killer Oldies. Prince was almost always in the mix and I remember the first time I heard “When Doves Cry.” Who could forget the opening guitar riff and haunting drums? Not me.
The lyrics went over my head of course, but the beat of those drums, it was like they were matching the beat of my own heart. Those car rides hearing “Purple Rain” “When Doves Cry” “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Kiss” and so many more were so groovy.
You never get tired of music like that or of musicians like Prince. There’s a unique chemical reaction that happens with artists like him. He takes his time to make something truly captivating, then in the blink of an eye, he explodes onto a scene and takes over seemingly without any effort at all.
Coincidentally Prince came up in my car conversation fairly recently on a trip to San Diego. I was discussing bands, venues and all things music with a rather talented musician. At one point we were talking about venues with amazing acoustics and artists we’d like to see. Prince of course entered our conversation.
Looking back at that moment, it’s disheartening to know I’ll never hear him live. But, I also remember the amazing smile that lit up my friend’s face when he mentioned seeing Prince a few years back.
That moment is the reason I love music. It’s the moment you realize music is a tangible and exhilarating thing that manifests in our heartbeats, our smiles and our minds. In every way possible, music changes us (at least for that moment) to make us feel like better people.
Prince made us better people. He was as passionate as he was gentle, as striking as he was subtle. His music was more than just a collection of sound, it was a novel, a compelling musical we could live our lives to. With Prince we could be as freaky as we wanted. We could be free.
Prince’s career spanned over 40 years. In that time he won seven Grammys, collaborated with countless musicians and released a truly expansive discography. His performances have been documented many times over, and his elaborate, strange and amazing stage presence is captured in short bursts of film.
If you want to really know about the mark he left in this world though, just ask his countless fans about the first time they heard him or the many times his music has made them feel better.
Rest easy Prince Rogers Nelson. Your music will live on in the hearts and souls of those who loved you.
Source:: Prince: That time I heard a dove cry