Prince

 We lost an icon this past week. The very talented artist, Prince, left this earth and many people around the globe mourned him. It was unbelievable news. I learned of it while in my office listening to the radio and immediately text my husband, a big fan, to inform him of the terrible news. He already knew. His response- "I know. This is crazy."I entered a meeting that afternoon in which a co-worker blurted out the news of his death in the middle of the meeting and a heated discussion. No one questioned her inappropriate timing or the fact that she was playing on her phone during the meeting because of the news she shared. It came as a shock to many.On a scale of not knowing who Prince is and being his number one fan, I’m somewhere in the middle. I appreciate his music and respect his talent although I didn't particularly grow up listening to him. I know the lyrics to many of his songs and bob my head along when his songs play on the radio or when live bands cover his music, but I have to admit that I don’t own any of his albums (please don’t judge me).In this last week that he has left us, I've made it a point to get to know Prince as much as I could and my appreciation for him has grown tremendously. I watched television specials dedicated to him. My husband and I watched Michael Keaton’s Batman over the weekend, for which Prince wrote, was lead vocals, and played various instruments for on all the songs on the soundtrack. I even attended a Prince listening party hosted by one of our closest friends who is for sure one of his biggest fans.I became curious about everything I didn’t know about this man who inspired so many. Countless artists admired him for his gift of creativity. I found great respect for Prince’s beliefs and his adamant privacy. I became fascinated by the design of his symbol that seemed to embody his style, sexual fluidity, and defiant nature. He was a true genius! He practically owned a color for goodness sakes! Who else can say that?!? Even the name of his band- The Revolution is extremely clever. He was a rebel in many ways, testing boundaries in fashion, music, and so forth. Everything I learned by reading, conversations, and watching tributes of him was consistent and worthy of much respect.A reporter stated that Prince had recently begun to work on his memoir. As a big fan of memoirs I’m sad to hear that I’ll never get to read that one. I’m sure it would’ve been fascinating.How did I completely miss all of these details while he was alive? Why didn’t I appreciate him as much as I do now while he was still with us? Who else am I missing out on? What a legendary man!We’ve lost some popular and iconic musical legends across our community and generations. When Michael Jackson died, it was just as devastating and all over the news. Whitney Houston's passing made headlines worldwide. When David Bowie died earlier this year, it flooded my Facebook feed. Many of my friends that listen to his music were saddened by the news. When Kurt Cobain’s death anniversary rolls around every year, a few of my friends post his quotes and discuss his music. The Latino community mourns Celia Cruz, Selena, and a few others whom I grew up listening to. Aaliyah, Big Pun, 2Pac, and Left eye are other famous artists gone too soon, from my generation.I’m not attempting to compare these artists to Prince on any level. I AM trying to engage in a conversation about musical inspiration.I’m on this Sister Act kick right now (don’t ask), and I’ve been watching movie clips of the songs on You Tube. When Lauryn Hill’s rendition to Joyful, joyful began to play from my ipad the other day, her voice literally made my eyes water. Maybe it was the soulful feeling behind her voice. Maybe it was how I empathized with her character, "Rita", who feared her mother's disappointment while mom glared at her in the crowd. Maybe it was that hearing this song brought me right back to living in the attic at my grandmother's house in New York which brings back so many memories. Maybe it was the powerful lyrics to this great song. Whatever the reason, my emotions couldn't handle it at that moment.What artist gives you the goosebumps when you listen to them? Has any artist ever brought you to tears? Have anyone’s powerful lyrics hit you right at home at the right time? Who musically inspires you?