05-07-2016, 07:52 AM
I did not try to write a mini-biography of Prince, or a compendium of his works/songs.
I did not imply that he was the only singer who wore frills, but his overall style was very different from any soul/pop/rock/jazz Singer, all his own, that.
What I did write was my feeling about the shock of his early death. My feelings, and reaction to a brilliant and unique musician. Why mention Purple and Doves, everybody knows what they need to know about those, those are their feelings, my feelings took the form of partial fantasy, “mourning beauties” could be fans, groupies, lovers, grandmothers who took a liking to his music, nobody by name. Come on, free performances, his being the sole creator of his songs, those didn’t happen to be a part of my feelings at the time I wrote this. What did enter into it was respect and admiration for an enormously successful musician who didn’t seem to lose his humility, and treated success as part of the performance game, not flaunting it, but what I caught was a dedication to his craft.
I did not write an all-inclusive piece about his fans’ respect for him, I didn’t have all their names.
Part of the fantasy reaction, if you read into it, showed my feeling that he was one in the ancient tradition of African griots, troubadors, who worked hard to bring a new message to their audiences, and in passing, a mention of his melodic brilliance being similar to what you find in West African music. I think he was heads above any contemporaries in accomplishing that task, he did work hard at it and produced.
The passage you so objected to, with an icon no less, I hate icons whether they’re approving or otherwise, “skies caressed by children’s eyes” if you suspend just a fragment of disbelief, could be about children hearing the griot music in the skies above Minneapolis and wondering where it was coming, who was producing it.
So, in the end, I guess it’s about me, and the effect his passing had on me, certainly not your straightforward elegy, but, as I am a performing musician, singer and songwriter, deeply felt.