Prince dead at 57

[harley]

Prince's Genius Can't Really Be Measured in Earthly Terms: RIP to More Than a Legend | E! Online It's an unbelievably bad year for losing great entertainers. I can't believe Prince is dead, at just age 57. From the flu! How does that happen in this day and age? He was possibly the most talented all around musician I've ever seen. RIP

 

[JoeWras]

Hugely popular and influential in my age group (the tweeners between Baby Boomers and Gen X).

MTV came of age while we were in college, and Prince was all over it. He had a way of reaching out to everyone, even hard rockers. He also eventually ticked off everyone.

I thought he'd be one of the performers to last. This just shocks me. I mean, my generation of music performers is dying! I'm feeling old!

 

[Options]

Terribly bad news. Very sad. Sobering as well.

These reality checks to OMY plans and plans to live to age 100 just keep on coming.

 

[timemoveson]

One of the great individualists

and talented musicians of modern times. And, I think vastly under-rated as a musician and writer. His personal antics and persona-management challenges (not to mention devastating battle with his record company) were a huge distraction from the talent he could unleash. Not my core musical preference by any stretch, but total appreciation for his artistry and command of the audience.

 

[frayne]

 

[pb4uski]

Sorry to see someone so young pass... and from the flu! I always thought him a bit weird, but I'm not that into music.

 

[calmloki]

Way talented, super prolific, an incredible performer, and someone who followed his own lights. What a world it would be if it were all full of Steve Jobs/Prince/Picasso brilliance. Aliens could look down and exclaim "Wow - what a bunch of shiny a**/oles!"

Maybe genius, like fire, is appreciated best at a certain distance. Thanks for all the great music you left us Prince.

 

[W2R]

I'm in shock. He was so young!

So many celebrity deaths have occurred in 2016 so far. I was a little shook up that almost all of them were just in their 60's (I'm 67 so I find that to be unnerving). But 57? 57? Enough!!!

And why didn't that hospital insist on keeping him there, where he could get the medical care required to get him through the flu?

I am not especially a fan of his music, but he seemed like an extremely unique and amazing person, and very talented.

 

[Music Lover]

I've never cared much for his music, but he was an outstanding musician.

2016 has been tough on musicians.

 

[easysurfer]

Though I really didn't follow his music or career, so very shocking and sad at such a young age.

I remember in art class during college and the teacher let us listen to the radio as we worked out the art projects and "1999" and "Every Breath You Take" from The Police seemed to be on every other song.

 

[Midpack]

Shocking. Seemingly eccentric and incredibly talented.

His Super Bowl halftime show, in pouring rain, was inspired on many levels. Not a huge fan, but I have Let's Go Crazy and a few others in my music library. Like others here, makes me feel old at 62...

 

[ziggy29]

If 1959 was the year the music died, 2016 is the year the music was utterly annihilated, cremated, pulverized and vaporized.

And yet, Keith Richards lives on. Go figure.

 

[Dawg52]

If 1959 was the year the music died, 2016 is the year the music was utterly annihilated, cremated, pulverized and vaporized.

And yet, Keith Richards lives on. Go figure.

That one is hard to figure. I wouldn't have thought he would have made it to 50. He's still rocking at 72.

I had a old friend die not long ago from pneumonia. He was just 61. Flu and pneumonia can be pretty serious if your immune system is not up to par. Although never a fan of Prince, I do hate to hear of his passing. Much too young.

 

[ERD50]

I've never cared much for his music, but he was an outstanding musician.

2016 has been tough on musicians.

Yes, impressive guitar work, though I never was all that excited about his music, not that I think there's anything wrong with it either, it just never grabbed me that much.

But I do have a slight connection - two of my kids played in Band in High School and another student was a percussionist who ended up in Prince's band, and toured with him a few years ago. She was a very impressive drummer in High School.

So there was an emergency landing of his plane a few days ago near Moline IL, to get him to the hospital. And now dead? I wonder if more will come out after a while? Seems a little odd. I saw some reference to him saying he can't play guitar anymore? Was there something else going on?

-ERD50

 

[Midpack]

#33 on Rolling Stones top 100 guitarists list. Prince - 100 Greatest Guitarists | Rolling Stone

Not bad for a guy who reportedly played 27 different instruments, "though they were different types of string, percussion, and keyboard instruments."

 

[Music Lover]

#33 on Rolling Stones top 100 guitarists list. Prince - 100 Greatest Guitarists | Rolling Stone

Not bad for a guy who reportedly played 27 different instruments, "though they were different types of string, percussion, and keyboard instruments."

Prince was a great guitar player, but not because Rolling Stone says so. They put Johnny Ramone at #16 and Kurt Cobain at #12 for example...two people who could barely play, above Eddie Van Halen at #70 and David Gilmour at #82.

 

[Sojourner]

My high school friends and I spent many weekend nights watching Purple Rain on VHS back in the mid 80's during sleepovers at our various houses. We were so into that movie and the soundtrack. Pretty much everyone of my age was infatuated with Prince at that time, and I've continued to enjoy his music off and on through the years. So tragic that this is how it ended.

 

[tulak]

If 1959 was the year the music died, 2016 is the year the music was utterly annihilated, cremated, pulverized and vaporized.

And yet, Keith Richards lives on. Go figure.

On a lighter note, I saw a Facebook post earlier today which said, "Keith Richards Found Not Dead in San Francisco Hotel."

With the bad news today, it gave me a good laugh. RIP Prince.

 

[HFWR]

Prince was a great guitar player, but not because Rolling Stone says so. They put Johnny Ramone at #16 and Kurt Cobain at #12 for example...two people who could barely play, above Eddie Van Halen at #70 and David Gilmour at #82.

Yeah, don't get me started on that...

Then again, my list would likely be a bunch of jazz and prog rock players, with the occasional Chet Atkins or Vince Gill scattered here and there...

 

[RunningBum]

I was never a big fan but I heard a good point made by someone in the media today: That era of the early/mid 80s had a lot of forgettable music, but when you listen to Prince's music today it still sounds fresh and relevant, not at all dated to the time. I agree with that.

 

[Mulligan]

Yes, impressive guitar work, though I never was all that excited about his music, not that I think there's anything wrong with it either, it just never grabbed me that much.



But I do have a slight connection - two of my kids played in Band in High School and another student was a percussionist who ended up in Prince's band, and toured with him a few years ago. She was a very impressive drummer in High School.



So there was an emergency landing of his plane a few days ago near Moline IL, to get him to the hospital. And now dead? I wonder if more will come out after a while? Seems a little odd. I saw some reference to him saying he can't play guitar anymore? Was there something else going on?



-ERD50

Your thought on his demise actually was in my head, also. I wonder too if there was another health issue. I really liked his 80s stuff. I remember the few times I went to a "Gentlemens Club" way back when Prince's song "Creme" would always be playing when the Poles were getting a workout.
I guess he truly was an eccentric one. A friend of his said when Prince was at home the hired help on certain days could look at him, but not talk to him. On other days they could talk to him, but not look at him. Very odd....

 

[mn54]

He just hosted a dance party at his place, paisley park, in chanhassen, mn. five days ago. He said that he had a touch of the flu but that he would be fine. He was showing off his new purple yamaha grand piano, he played the chopsticks on it, and his new guitar. Next thing you know he's dead. Unbelievable. RIP.

 

[Dan4495]

Dude was not only a great guitarist and vocalist, he was an equally accomplished songwriter that could play virtually any musical instrument. I was one of those rockers that he won over in the 80s. Can't say I was a big fan of his music, more an admirer of his immense talent. Sorry to see him go. David Bowie, Glenn Frey, and now Prince all in less than 4 months! May they all rest in peace.

 

[razztazz]

If it helps I just read a story saying there would be an autopsy so, I don't think there will be any stonewalling or myth creating associated with this.

 

[Gumby]

What an amazing artist! I loved him as a performer, but his talents expanded far beyond that. He wrote many songs that other performers made into hits, including Sheena Easton, The Bangles, Moris Day and the Time, and Sinead O'Connor.

Here is a Prince song ("Call My Name") performed by Morgan James. Prince won a Grammy for it. Young Ms. James does it justice.