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America’s Favorite Shade of Purple
Funny how fast time flies when you having fun! Welcome back to ShadyBrooke where all your worries are erased and the tea is always hotter than a Southern summer. Although I am glad to be with you all again, it is a very sad and somber time in ShadyBrooke. Why? We have recently lost a legend that will never be forgotten…. Prince!
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was called home on …. And let’s just say his birth is the reason many artists we know and love exist today. I refuse to give a long biography on his life, because TBH it would sound artificial and that is not what I’m about. In this article, I want to explain the impact Prince has had in not only my life but to others.
As a child I was always described as different, and for years I tried to change that. During my middle school years I constantly tried to be like everyone else, and was slowly starting to drive myself insane trying to keep up. This is when a good friend of mine, Taylor Plummer, introduced me to Prince and his music.
Without Prince, I would never learn how it feels to feel comfortable with being myself. Prince is known for many flamboyant and different song that MADE you feel no matter what walk of life you were from or however you acted. Prince was truly unique and (excuse my language) didn’t give one ounce of a damn who noticed. This was the most empowering thing I have ever seen. In a world, where people are judged and cast away from social society because of their differences, Prince stood strong and conquered the world with his music. Songs such as “D.M.S.R”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker”, and “Purple Rain” have been influential in not only music but in the lifestyle of the “hopelessly different”.
Prince also taught me that you have to stand up for what you believe in. Most notably, Prince has been known for speaking up on artist’s rights. In other words, he wanted an artist to be paid for what they do and not handing all their money to record companies. Without his input, the music industry would be nothing but artist losing money and eventually losing their love for music.
Long story short, Prince was one of the many artist who made me who I am. Without Prince, I could honestly say I would be unhappy with my personality. Without Prince, I would have never won “Most Unique” in high school. Without Prince, many artists such as Toni Braxton and TLC would not know what their rights as musicians are. The question I really want you to ask is “Without Prince, where would the world be?”
Finding out about his death was the biggest shock of my life. Prince was such as magical presence, I had this fantasy that he would die at 100 and perform at his funeral. Needless, to say I cried. Not only for myself or for Prince, but for my dear friend Taylor, who loved him with all her heart. Stay strong Taylor!!! We all know where Prince is now and I bet he is putting on the best concert heaven has ever seen.
I leave you with this last thing. Appreciate your family, your friends, and your favorite artists and let them know you love them. You never know when they might leave Earth. Until next time ShadyBrooke, and remember “Spread nothing but peace, love, and shade!!”