Report that Prince has died

[Lennys Tap]

ditto +googal ( my five year old grandgirl was asking me today "what is the biggest number?")

We measure/remember each other based on what we have done for the public, society, the rest of the world. What you do to yourself is none of our business,.... until and unless it impacts the other public side...

....oddly, and counter-intuitively, drugs might even enhance/expand musical artistry....the 60s and 70s were heavily fueled by them and they produced more music and innovation than the rest of the last two centuries. The neocortex and thalamus are the two primary areas involved in consciousness, creativity, imagination, etc....certain drugs enhance these areas. You are right, here keefe

Anticipating CBB will see Prince's habit as unconnected to mind expansion or artistry, lets also note...Anxiety and insomnia are patterns we see with the extremely active minds of musical genius ( I am rarely anxious and I sleep well, ...and I am the worst musician on this planet-lol). Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Elvis, etc, all suffered this. That Prince self medicated this is of no concern to me especially on his death.

 CBB ...I have seen you get totally bent when someone disrespects one your heroes on death, why not understand others are like that too,.... even when the dead arent one of your favs

Chico is by nature prosaic. He's smart but not creative. No big deal, everyone is good at some stuff and not so good at other stuff. The happy, well adjusted person says "Vive la differance" and thank you to the artists who bring us such joy and acknowledges that pain is part of the creative process. The angry, envious guy says "Why do people admire these guys (instead of me)? They use drugs, die young, blah, blah blah....". Then he says, "Sad". It is that, but for a whole different reason.

[Lennys Tap]

.
Yup. I attended the funeral service and wake of an opera singer (knew her live in boyfriend for decades). It was respectful, loving...just great.

Weeks later, I learned it was ruled a suicide. This...Got me thinking a lot...and later arriving at a simple conclusion ...that cause was immaterial, and I am glad not to have known.

 Its the memory of her life, and the mutual support among survivors that is important...I'll never ask about the cause again, as it doesnt change the result, and its immaterial as to why I am there. Death/wakes are a celebration of life...whether you drove, walked or took the bus...its the same destination.

Yours is a very healthy perspective on what wakes/funerals should be. I think Shakespeare was wrong when he wrote "The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones" - discarding the sad/bad and holding close the good is essential.

[Eldon]

I was quite surprised Prince's death warranted a special news break-in on NBC today.

Where do you draw the line?  Does Eric Clapton get a break-in?  Bono?  Steven Tyler?  Tina Turner or Madonna?

It's subjective of course, but I met my opinion is pretty close to the consensus.

News break-in:
Bono?  No
Tyler?  No
Turner?  No
Madonna?  Definitely

IMO, if you could create a Mr. Rushmore of 80s music icons, it would be Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince.  That's it.  They're the 'Jordan, Magic, Bird' of the 80s music world.  Tyler and the rest would be the, I don't know, Dominique Wilkins in the bball analogy.

Regarding Clapton, even though he may be the most technically gifted of everyone mentioned, I don't think his death would warrant a news break in.  'Clapton is God' but he doesn't have the mainstream fame (read: pop crossover) that MJ, Madonna, and Prince had. 

[Eldon]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y</a>

Just saw this video for the first time yesterday.  (Someone else posted it upthread, but I thought it was worth an embed).

The man kills it.  I still think Slash on 'Sweet Child of Mine' is the best guitar solo of all time, but jeez, this Prince performance has got to be on a list somewhere.

The man was the quintessential artist: the talent, the look, the showmanship, the eccentric-yet-recluse personality, etc.  RIP. 

I suggest that we leave the cause of death aside and appreciate the man's artistic brilliance.

[keefe]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y</a>

Just saw this video for the first time yesterday.  (Someone else posted it upthread, but I thought it was worth an embed).

The man kills it.  I still think Slash on 'Sweet Child of Mine' is the best guitar solo of all time, but jeez, this Prince performance has got to be on a list somewhere.

The man was the quintessential artist: the talent, the look, the showmanship, the eccentric-yet-recluse personality, etc.  RIP. 

I suggest that we leave the cause of death aside and appreciate the man's artistic brilliance.

He was a magnificent talent.

It's lunch time here and I had 7 people in my office watching that.

[keefe]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y</a>

 I still think Slash on 'Sweet Child of Mine' is the best guitar solo of all time, but jeez, this Prince performance has got to be on a list somewhere.

Respectfully disagree on Slash - his best was November Rain and Sweet Child isn't in the Top 20.

The most memorable of all-time (not necessarily the "best") - is Hendrix at Woodstock. Those three minutes defined a generation and a nation trying desperately to come to terms with limits, opportunity, and truth.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Xpdw0ouogQo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Xpdw0ouogQo</a>

[Golden Avalanche]

You may want to re-read your comments. 

After writing a mere 'RIP' you posted 4 consecutive things about drugs...you can understand why people would come to the conclusion that you want to talk about your topic and not Prince.

+1

[brandx]

It's subjective of course, but I met my opinion is pretty close to the consensus.

News break-in:
Bono?  No
Tyler?  No
Turner?  No
Madonna?  Definitely

IMO, if you could create a Mr. Rushmore of 80s music icons, it would be Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince.  That's it.  They're the 'Jordan, Magic, Bird' of the 80s music world.  Tyler and the rest would be the, I don't know, Dominique Wilkins in the bball analogy.

Regarding Clapton, even though he may be the most technically gifted of everyone mentioned, I don't think his death would warrant a news break in.  'Clapton is God' but he doesn't have the mainstream fame (read: pop crossover) that MJ, Madonna, and Prince had.

I think Bono might be included because of his social activism which crossed all political lines. He worked closely with both George Bush and Bill Clinton. And most of his charity work was without political boundaries, such as the Red Cross, MusicCares, Zero Hunger, Special Olympics, War Child, etc.

[ChicosBailBonds]

You may want to re-read your comments. 

After writing a mere 'RIP' you posted 4 consecutive things about drugs...you can understand why people would come to the conclusion that you want to talk about your topic and not Prince.

But that's not what Houston said.  He said I didn't care for Prince, which isn't true at all.  The reason I wrote about the drugs is that I find it sad that we keep losing wonderful talents as a result of them. 

I enjoyed Prince very much, and find it sad that he and others are gone.  I think we can learn a lot from those things, but it doesn't change my admiration for the artist one bit.  If anything, it frustrates me that we keep losing people at the average age of 57.  Tragic.

[naginiF]

But that's not what Houston said.  He said I didn't care for Prince, which isn't true at all.  The reason I wrote about the drugs is that I find it sad that we keep losing wonderful talents as a result of them. 

I enjoyed Prince very much, and find it sad that he and others are gone.  I think we can learn a lot from those things, but it doesn't change my admiration for the artist one bit.  If anything, it frustrates me that we keep losing people at the average age of 57.  Tragic.

Why is this tragic?  I grew up in Burnsville/Apple Valley in the 70's and 80's, saw Prince at First Ave a couple of times and, even though I was high both times, it was an amazing experience, two of the top 10 live performances I've seen**.  Prince obviously crammed more life in 57 years than any of us have or will.

It's celebratory not tragic.  You could argue that the guy who lives well within moderation and strokes out at 45 is tragic, or the guy that is genetically disposed to getting pancreatic cancer regardless of lifestyle is tragic, but not Prince.  He gave billions joy when he was alive and left enough music and film to keep that going for 50 years.  No tragedy.

**my other "whoah! that was a pinnacle performance" (or just 'holy shyte i love rock and roll) concerts:
RHCP - Lallapalooza Harriet Island circa 92 - flame helmets
NIN - Woodstock '94
Beck - KCMO 2015 - if you get a chance to see him, he's amazing.
The National - KCMO 2014
Kinks - '82 at the old Bloomington Arena.  First real rock show and they tore it up.

[Jay Bee]

**my other "whoah! that was a pinnacle performance" (or just 'holy shyte i love rock and roll) concerts:
RHCP - Lallapalooza Harriet Island circa 92 - flame helmets

Was there as well.. more for Cube and Cypress Hill though. But RHCP too. Holla.

[real chili 83]

Why is this tragic?  I grew up in Burnsville/Apple Valley in the 70's and 80's, saw Prince at First Ave a couple of times and, even though I was high both times, it was an amazing experience, two of the top 10 live performances I've seen**.  Prince obviously crammed more life in 57 years than any of us have or will.

It's celebratory not tragic.  You could argue that the guy who lives well within moderation and strokes out at 45 is tragic, or the guy that is genetically disposed to getting pancreatic cancer regardless of lifestyle is tragic, but not Prince.  He gave billions joy when he was alive and left enough music and film to keep that going for 50 years.  No tragedy.

**my other "whoah! that was a pinnacle performance" (or just 'holy shyte i love rock and roll) concerts:
RHCP - Lallapalooza Harriet Island circa 92 - flame helmets
NIN - Woodstock '94
Beck - KCMO 2015 - if you get a chance to see him, he's amazing.
The National - KCMO 2014
Kinks - '82 at the old Bloomington Arena.  First real rock show and they tore it up.

County road 42, eh?

[MomofMUltiples]

I wrote JayBee on this, and it sounds like you were much closer to where I lived from birth to 8yrs old....Here is what I sent JayBee:



My question for you two is:
How far were these spots from your area was I? As a 6 year old I was never allowed far from home. lol..."[/b]

With your post...you look to be a neighbor...although in differing time areas ( I left in '65) My Fuller house was basically 57th 4 blocks off of France Ave. SW was the HS for the area. Was Pershing a grade school or Jr high, too? I remember Pershing park beyond the creek. My grade school was St Peters...that modernistic church on france with the 7 spires, and worship in the round (some famous Finn architect, I think). We'd toy shop at Clancy's the Red owl supermarket was behind our house on Drew, and if I remember there was a movie theater along France, too.
 
Do any our memories align?

Hou, when you lived on Fuller we were in the same zip code (55410) and probably less than a mile away.  Kids in my neighborhood went to Christ the King (off 51st and York), but I was right across the street from Armatage so my folks made the decision to send us there.  Pershing was a park, not a school, where Southwest's football field was located.  Fulton was the nearby grade school, and Southwest had a new Jr. High built onto the High School in the late '60s or early 70's.

I also remember Twins games at the old Met Stadium, sitting in the bleachers with a big box of Cracker Jacks and watching Killebrew and Oliva and Carew.  My Uncle Eddie - who played basketball for MU in 1949! - his cousin was Tony Kubek, and whenever the Yankees were in town Tony would come over for dinner and catch balls with my brothers across the street in the park.  However, Kent Hrbek and Kirby are my favorite Twins of all time, along with Frankie Viola and the rest of the 1987 Twins.

I don't know who will rep Mpls now that Prince is gone - well, we still have Dylan, but his Minnesota days are long forgotten by many.  Guess we will have to wait for the next phenom to come along.

Interesting that he died with no record of a will.  He has one biological sister and five half siblings who seem to be first in line as heirs if no will turns up. A $250 million estate that may grow $100 million due to future royalties.  May be a real mess to figure out.

[naginiF]

County road 42, eh?

you betcha

[Lennys Tap]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/6SFNW5F8K9Y</a>

Just saw this video for the first time yesterday.  (Someone else posted it upthread, but I thought it was worth an embed).

The man kills it.  I still think Slash on 'Sweet Child of Mine' is the best guitar solo of all time, but jeez, this Prince performance has got to be on a list somewhere.

The man was the quintessential artist: the talent, the look, the showmanship, the eccentric-yet-recluse personality, etc.  RIP. 

I suggest that we leave the cause of death aside and appreciate the man's artistic brilliance.

Wow. Brilliant indeed.

[HouWarrior]

Hou, when you lived on Fuller we were in the same zip code (55410) and probably less than a mile away.  Kids in my neighborhood went to Christ the King (off 51st and York), but I was right across the street from Armatage so my folks made the decision to send us there.  Pershing was a park, not a school, where Southwest's football field was located.  Fulton was the nearby grade school, and Southwest had a new Jr. High built onto the High School in the late '60s or early 70's.

I also remember Twins games at the old Met Stadium, sitting in the bleachers with a big box of Cracker Jacks and watching Killebrew and Oliva and Carew.  My Uncle Eddie - who played basketball for MU in 1949! - his cousin was Tony Kubek, and whenever the Yankees were in town Tony would come over for dinner and catch balls with my brothers across the street in the park.  However, Kent Hrbek and Kirby are my favorite Twins of all time, along with Frankie Viola and the rest of the 1987 Twins.

I don't know who will rep Mpls now that Prince is gone - well, we still have Dylan, but his Minnesota days are long forgotten by many.  Guess we will have to wait for the next phenom to come along.

Interesting that he died with no record of a will.  He has one biological sister and five half siblings who seem to be first in line as heirs if no will turns up. A $250 million estate that may grow $100 million due to future royalties.  May be a real mess to figure out.

Thanks for this, former neighbor.lol
Did you ever play or fish carp on Minnehaha? That bridge at the end of fuller (which led to Pershing beyond) was our best play spot.
Vic Power (1st base..Twins in 60s) was about the only black family in Edina, His son and I hit it off in school and we played a lot. When I ran into son at the Edina Garden Center, and we were chatting... my Dad rushed up and gushed over meeting Vic...until that day I didnt even know his dad was a Twin. lol Oh well..my dad was impressed and proud.
Kubek had a great yanks career and became a fine broadcaster, too--good story.
I still have cousins in Finlayson today...and I always root for Twins in the playoffs...its a model organization. That the hallowed ground of the Met (incl Vikings of the 70s) became the Mall of America...ugh
Thanks for sharing

[ChicosBailBonds]

Why is this tragic?  I grew up in Burnsville/Apple Valley in the 70's and 80's, saw Prince at First Ave a couple of times and, even though I was high both times, it was an amazing experience, two of the top 10 live performances I've seen**.  Prince obviously crammed more life in 57 years than any of us have or will.

It's celebratory not tragic.  You could argue that the guy who lives well within moderation and strokes out at 45 is tragic, or the guy that is genetically disposed to getting pancreatic cancer regardless of lifestyle is tragic, but not Prince.  He gave billions joy when he was alive and left enough music and film to keep that going for 50 years.  No tragedy.

**my other "whoah! that was a pinnacle performance" (or just 'holy shyte i love rock and roll) concerts:
RHCP - Lallapalooza Harriet Island circa 92 - flame helmets
NIN - Woodstock '94
Beck - KCMO 2015 - if you get a chance to see him, he's amazing.
The National - KCMO 2014
Kinks - '82 at the old Bloomington Arena.  First real rock show and they tore it up.

I suspect he wasn't ready to die and would have liked to have lived longer.  Certainly his family and friends did.  To each their own.  My dad died only a few years older than Prince, he also lived life, worked hard all around the world....we all felt he died young and suddenly.  A few friends that also passed young, relatives, etc.  So that's where I'm coming from...57 is young.  Wish Prince was still around, an amazing talent.   Wish many entertainers were still around to entertain that died young.

My two cents, not everyone will agree.

[naginiF]

I suspect he wasn't ready to die and would have liked to have lived longer.  Certainly his family and friends did. To each their own.  My dad died only a few years older than Prince, he also lived life, worked hard all around the world....we all felt he died young and suddenly.  A few friends that also passed young, relatives, etc.  So that's where I'm coming from...57 is young.  Wish Prince was still around, an amazing talent.   Wish many entertainers were still around to entertain that died young.

My two cents, not everyone will agree.

99% of humanity, and 99.5% of humanity

[ChicosBailBonds]

99% of humanity, and 99.5% of humanity

Agree....that's why it is sad.   57, very young.  Lots of music left in his brain and heart.   

[naginiF]

Agree....that's why it is sad.   57, very young.  Lots of music left in his brain and heart.

That's why it's life - you choose to be sad, I choose to celebrate it. 

He left (unsubstantiated) 100 albums and more than a few films in his vault - from my point of view, wanting more is selfish. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

That's why it's life - you choose to be sad, I choose to celebrate it. 

He left (unsubstantiated) 100 albums and more than a few films in his vault - from my point of view, wanting more is selfish.

I choose to do both....celebrate the music he created, but sad for him, his family and the music that will never be created to make others happy.  I don't see how that is selfish one bit.

Again, to each their own.  One can celebrate life and still be sad it was struck short.

[naginiF]

I choose to do both....celebrate the music he created, but sad for him, his family and the music that will never be created to make others happy. I don't see how that is selfish one bit.

Again, to each their own.  One can celebrate life and still be sad it was struck short.

You cast shadow on how he lived and (presumably) died and you are wanting more of his gift than he gave (which is more than almost anyone - again including what's in his vault). 

Nothing in that position strikes you as being selfish?

[keefe]

I don't know who will rep Mpls now that Prince is gone

[ChuckyChip]

Is the genius of Sid Vicious less biting or sharp-edged without the magnifying glass of heroin? Probably. But would his creative spark been any more prolific without it? We don't have that answer and we never will because of the needle.

This is hilarious.  What did Sid Vicious do that was even on the same planet as genius?  He didn't even play on any Sex Pistols records because he was such a horrible bass player.  Almost all of the Pistols' songs were written before he even joined the band.  Vicious was far, far, far away from a genius.

[Lennys Tap]

You cast shadow on how he lived and (presumably) died and you are wanting more of his gift than he gave (which is more than almost anyone - again including what's in his vault). 

Nothing in that position strikes you as being selfish?

Nailed it.