I was minutes away from posting an album review when the news about Prince dying hit.
What a terrible day.
I admired Bowie, but he was hardly vital to me growing up. When he died I wondered what aging rocker death would have the biggest impact on me. It would be sad when McCartney and Ringo died. Plant and Page, Daltry and Townsend would cause reflection. But those guys were all of my parents’ generation. And, honestly, based on what was played in my house when I was growing up, I will be much sadder when Stevie Wonder dies.
But for my generation, and the music of our youth, Prince is it. For me, he was above Michael, Bruce, and the other giants of the 80s. He was the synthesis of all the different kinds of music my parents played, put into a very modern context. He proved that white kids in the suburbs could like “black music” and rock at the same time, especially when it was all blended together.
I’m going to sit on that album review for awhile. And go listen to a lot of Prince.
RIP