
However, the loss of Prince... this one hits hard.
I vaguely remember some of his hits from when I was a kid, "I Wanna Be Your Lover" standing out in my mind. I would have been eleven or twelve, and I distinctly recall the first time I saw his face on an album cover in Warehouse Records. It wouldn't be until high school that I became a fan, but something about the face on that cover drew my attention and I was intrigued by his androgynous looks. Despite the hair on his chest and the mustache, he gave off an unmistakable feminine vibe.
About three years later, other singles were making the charts such as "1999", "Little Red Corvette", and "Delirious", all of which I liked but he was still kind of under my radar for the most part.
Then Purple Rain happened. O...M...G! Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that one of the main reasons the album Purple Rain had such an impact on me was because of its timing. It came out right as I started high school, and this thing was huge. And honestly, if it wasn't for the movie--that cheesy ass movie--I don't know if I would have ever become the Prince fan I became.
I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure I didn't buy the album until after I saw the film. The music on that soundtrack was so different than anything else I'd heard. Purple Rain made me take a closer look at Prince, and I was hooked.
Those who knew me in high school know I was kinda reserved and modest, at least compared to the theater crowd I ran with. I recall being at a party, all of us watching that movie, and the heat rising to my face during a particularly racy scene. And the number "Darling Nikki"? That was a seriously naughty song!
So I'd like to thank him for being part of the wonderful memories of my youth I will forever hold dear, and for gifting the world with his brilliance.
Goodnight, sweet Prince.