His Name Was Prince

(Cover photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Ten years? Has it really been ten years?

The news of Prince’s death hit me like a ton of bricks. Sudden deaths in the music industry are nothing new. But certain artists are supposed to be exempt. Certain artists are supposed to be above such a thing. Prince was on that list.

Prince was supposed to bring us more new music than we could handle, year in and year out. Prince was supposed to be the guy who NEVER came off the road just so we could point to young artists who think they’re special and say to them, “See? THAT’S how you do it!”

I’d love to say I’d been there since the beginning, but I’d be lying. I knew who Prince was, and I was aware of and liked a few of his songs. But I was nowhere near fandom.

All that changed in the spring of 1988, when I met the man who would become my best friend. He was a massive Prince fan, and he wanted to make sure I walked down the same path. I may never have achieved his level of fandom, but I knew I had a major musical influence on my hands.

When it comes to music, Prince was one of THEM. What does that mean? I know it can’t be defined. I know it’s a level almost never achieved by musicians. And I know Prince was one of THEM. I’m so fortunate to have been able to experience it in real time.

Was there anything he couldn’t do? No, not really. One of life’s great mysteries is trying to figure out how so much skill came from a body that small! That mystery will remain unsolved for the foreseeable future.

My favorite album? It’s easy to pick one like Purple Rain or 1999. But I’ve always had a soft spot for The Gold Experience, a record that just feels better on a pound for pound basis. The album that brought me in was Sign O The Times, so I’ll always have a soft spot for that one, too.

Album after album, concert after concert, Prince never had to look for the next level. He found it early and never came down. He was one of the few people on the planet capable of turning the Super Bowl Halftime Show into an event more important than the game itself! I pity each and every artist hoping to top that.

I have assembled a ton of playlists online, but not many surround a single artists. It only made sense to put one around Prince.

One of my best days was getting to visit Paisley Park in Minneapolis, where Prince lived and worked. It was a Bucket List item, and I’m glad the stars aligned in such an unexpected way, allowing me the chance to make it happen. The only question is, when can I go again?

I say “God, I miss Bowie” at least three times a year, because I’m still shocked that he’s gone. But there is one more artist who deserves the same treatment. I can’t believe I haven’t said it more.

God, I miss Prince.