Explaining the Death of Prince

fureverywhere

fureverywhere

beloved friend who will always be with us in spiri
Location
Northern NJ, USA
I know some of the more golden among us are puzzled about this. This Prince fellow and holy crap what's with all the headlines? He wasn't even cold yet and they're posting a zillion tributes. I don't know how to explain it exactly. A 1980's Sinatra without the balding and mob affiliations perhaps? Prince defined a generation. Maybe more than Michael J. He shied from the press and lived his own life. A few kooky things but nothing horrible.

My son is 22 this year and I am 53. We both said the same thing at the same time. "Damn, I didn't realize how many of his songs I have to put on my IPod". My son put on whole albums. I mean Bowie meant a lot to me but only a pawful of tunes...But Prince? Best buddy has had the hair and fashion tips forever. I guess the best way to explain it to those maybe sixty and over...

When I buy the farm there will be immediate hillbilly family who don't hate me, birth children and hubby, estranged children who think there might be something of value to steal, best buddy and friends...and that's about it except the dawgs n' cats. Like I said, Prince wasn't cold yet and candle light vigils and memorial concerts. He was a special man.
 

Honest question, fur?

What generation did Prince define? Or Michael J(ackson?).

I think the Beatles may have defined a generation, music-wise ...

I'm not being sarcastic or supercilious asking about Prince. I don't know a single song by him, just the name Prince and then "the artist formerly known as Prince." So, he switched back? I am totally out of the loop on this one.
 
I know a few of his songs and have just added two to my gym playlist on my ipod - 1999 and When Doves Cry.
 

I know some of his songs.
I see on facebook friends that are really upset about it.another friend was crying unstoppable.


I personallly just think its sad that another human being died so young.
 
It's okay Gee, I understand being out of the loop. I was reading a Rolling Stone special on the best music of the 1990's. Kurt Cobain was on the cover. Some of the bands I knew just the names but never heard the music. But the last page...the top tunes of that era...nope didn't know any of them. I know one song by Nirvana, " All Apologies".

Which goes to show that just the shift of a decade and all the music changes. I remember being in the locker room of the Y and a few women came in crying. Good heavens, I couldn't imagine what had happened. Kurt Cobain was dead. I couldn't even place the name at first...oh yeah the teen spirit guy right?
 
I wasn't a big Prince fan, never bought any of his music, but did like a few songs that were big hits on the radio like 1999, Red Corvette, etc. Like Guitarist, I feel sad seeing anyone die so young, seems like so many of the music artists I listened to over the years are now gone. It started in the 60s and continues. Seems like Prince was a good person too RIP.
 
He certainly was part of my generation and there aren't many people I've personally crossed paths with my age or younger who didn't regonize who he was and how talented he was as an artist. I was a huge fan early 80s, I talking stick my toung down his throat fangirl for at least two years. I was not as much a fan in later years, like MJ, started to weird me out, but I still amired both their talent. Both born same year as me.

His death was a great shock to a lot of us partly I'm sure because of the memories a lot of his music holds for some, his age we know time is fleeting, the song "1999" still rings supreme as as "Little Red Corvett ". Oh let me not forget he wrote songs for many other artists, one of my favorites he co-wrote with Steve Nicks, " Stand Back".
 
It definitely makes some of us look at our own mortality. I mean we were sex and drugs and rock n' roll. If you didn't overdose or die in a plane crash you were going to live forever. It was the suddenness too. Lou Reed and David Bowie were both older and their health gradually deteriorated. It was a shock hearing of their passing but they knew they were going. Who knew that Iggy Pop will probably outlive us all.
 
As I think I mentioned in the other thread, I wasn't a fan per se, but I did enjoy his music that played on the radio. I was shocked to hear of his death, especially so young.
 
I was not a fan, but did like a few of his songs. He was a unique showman and performer. Like Michael Jackson, he had the allure of 'private' celebrity. I'm not sure whether some of the things I've heard/read about him, were true, or merely to generate publicity.
 
One thing I don't quite understand, and it was true for Michael Jackson and others as well, is the fans who get hysterical and cry and carry on like these people were their dearest friends or part of their families. These people were great artists and all, but it isn't like fans were personally close to them or family members -- why the huge public demonstrations of hysterical grief? It seems a little sicko to me, people who celebrities didn't know from Adam sobbing and carrying on like their mothers had just died.
 
Why people get emotional and cry over many things are interesting, I guess it's no much different from what we see when people get emotional over the departed souls every year on certain dates for people they never knew or even names they don't remember, but, people come together to mourn, worship and ball their eyes out every year. Why do people cry when they see pictures of crying old people that they don't know or people dying in masses. I could come up with some more non-sensical situations, but my meds are kicking in. Different things elicit a variety of emotions in various situations from people. But, yes, I feel you, I'm not one to be in line balling my eyes out carrying on in hysterics in these situations. If Im too be honest my first thought when I saw some of these folks carrying on was wtf. I kind of get
 
I liked Bowie more and Bowie had tons of songs you just aren't aware of. Try looking up Bowie Mix on youtube if you are interested. Prince had good music, yes. He just wasn't really my cup of tea although I do respect him.
 
I always wanted to understand Bowie, but like Susan Sontag he just went over my head. Prince was just all fun and funky.
 
I enjoyed the musical talent and artistry of both Prince and Bowie, they both pushed buttons, were unconventiona,l scared many people who couldn't relate for one reason or another, but, were greatly admired by those who got them. I could care less about their sexual ambiguity, some of what they did, sometimes, was to intentionally confuse people. The songs of both, at times, if the lyrics were listened to were deeper than some people think.

I just wish for anyone who recently passed for them to have a period of time where people can take a moment to wish them to rip and not be spoken about unkindly. I wonder what makes people voice negative thoughts about people who recently passed whether we personally know them or not, seems like something best left unsaid. What a world we live in.
 
I liked Purple Rain, but don't know any other Prince songs.Don't know anything about the man either.
liked a lot of Bowie songs even though he didn't have a great voice, he was just a bit different ( we will forget about the Laughing Gnome!)
 
oakapple said:
I liked Purple Rain, but don't know any other Prince songs.Don't know anything about the man either.
liked a lot of Bowie songs even though he didn't have a great voice, he was just a bit different ( we will forget about the Laughing Gnome!)
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What? Bowie didn't have a great voice? I beg your pardon? I think he had one of the best voices ever!!

I did like Prince's music but didn't follow him like I followed Bowie for some 40 years. Sorry if saying he wasn't my cup of tea offended someone. I thought I was being kind.
 

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