Well another music icon from my childhood passed away today. Prince was found unresponsive at his home and EMTs were unable to bring him back.

I’ve written before about how much music plays a role in our lives but for me, the artist that really followed me through my life was Prince. From hearing him for the first time in seventh grade all the way through my college years, I could always fall back and enjoy his music. Even through my hair metal days, I could always take a day and listen to Prince. I have 1999 on vinyl. I had it on cd as well. Always hated that the cd was missing one song that was on the two album vinyl set. I also had Purple Rain on cd and cassette as well as Around the World in a Day on cassette.

I can remember specific instances of my life involving his music.

I can remember at a seventh grade dance and hearing 1999 for the first time. I can remember at the same dance hearing Let’s Pretend We’re Married for the first. We won’t discuss that one though. :O

I can remember listening to Purple Rain cassette on high school trips and discussing the lyrics. Darling Nikki was always an interesting conversation. Sorry mom.

And of course the end of the song was always interesting. He sang in reverse. As luck would have it one night while a friend of house sitting we ran across a special cassette player for tapes for the blind. You could actually play one side of the tape backwards so we ran and got the Purple Rain so we could hear what he was singing. In case you want to know he is singing the following:

“Hello, how are you?
Fine fine ’cause I know that the Lord is coming soon
Coming, coming soon.”

I can remember when Around the World in a Day came out and thinking that this album wasn’t as good as the last two and was a bit disappointed.

I can remember my senior year in high school and our FBLA chapter did a fund raiser by holding a fashion show and the theme was U Got the Look based off of the Prince song from Sign o’ the Times.

While in college, I don’t know if there was an artist that me and a friend of mine played air guitar to than Prince.

Misty said earlier today that Prince is our Elvis talking about our parents. My parents owned a business that sold records and tapes when Elvis died and I can remember mom talking about when her and my aunt heard the news of Elvis dying them going over to the record case and only finding one copy of Moody Blue. Mom said they flipped for it and mom won.

But Prince is our Elvis. He is the one artist that has continually produced music over the years. He could played the guitar like it was nothing. If you haven’t seen him in the tribute to George Harrison  at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps, then go watch it. Amazing performance at the end.

However about a year ago, Prince requested that all of his music be removed from online streaming services. No Google Play Music. No iTunes. No Spotify. No reason. Just gone.

So I have one request to those who could change that. Let us remember Prince by being able to listen to his music. Give us a couple of weeks to listen and enjoy the Artist Known as Prince. Let us take a ride in that Little Red Corvette again. Let us party like its 1999 again. Let us dance in the Purple Rain while we mourn him.

Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life

Electric word life
It means forever and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here to tell you
There’s something else
The after world

A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night

Prince – Lets Go Crazy from Purple Rain