A tribute known as “The Court”

is making rounds on the

Internet in the wake of Prince’s

passing, paying homage to i
Michael Jackson, Freddie

Mercury, David Bowie, Robin .
Williams, and—of course—

Prince Rogers Nelson himself.

It acknowledges the void left in

the wake of yesteryear’s greatest

live entertainers by their collective

passing: the King, the Queen, the

Duke, the Jester, and the Prince.

It is asombre tribute, because it
carries with it the implicit knowledge that
other titans of performance will fall, and soon. Though
we have not lost them yet, greats like Keith Richards, Paul
McCartney, and Elton John cannot be long for this world, and we may
not see the likes of them again in our lifetimes. However, there is a
life-affirming truth that these artists’ works will survive them, and will
go on to inspire a new generation of musicians.

When reviewing Prince’s life, perhaps the only thing we can discuss is
his work. Despite his incredible fame, he did not choose to live his private life
publicly in the way many famous people do. Rather than becoming a performer
for the paparazzi, Prince elected to live a very low-key life off the stage. Unlike
so many other stars, Prince has never been accused of public misconduct, sex
scandals, or drug addiction. His fame was a result of his music and talent, not
notoriety.

Though there is no doubt that sex and drugs were involved in his career—
he was famous in the ’80s, after all—everything seems to suggest that Prince
always kept his indulgences to a tasteful minimum. That’s one of the most
important things that sets him apart from other famous musicians of his time.

Both of Prince’s parents were musically talented. His mother, Mattie Della
Shaw, was an accomplished jazz singer, and his father, John Lewis Nelson,
was a pianist who fronted a musical group called the Prince Rogers Trio.
Clearly, music was an essential part of Prince’s life since the beginning, but
this harmony was not to last. Nelson and Della divorced, leaving Prince with a
stepfather, Hayward Baker. Like many other 10-year-olds, Prince struggled to
connect with his s stepfather, but it was Baker who gave him the opportunity to
see James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, in concert, providing him with an idol
he desperately needed.

It was this influence and his connection to the musical world that led
Prince to an early mastery of several instruments, including the guitar left to
him by his father. He became a musical maestro of sorts, mastering 27 different
instruments by the time he was 20 years old. He himself recorded most of the
instruments for his first five albums, and popular opinion still holds that he
played every single one in For You, his debut album.

Fittingly, Prince’s image was distinctive yet ever-evolving one. He both
absorbed and exuded style, taking influence from every popular musical form
of the time. While synthesizing elements of power pop, R&B, funk, rock,
psychedelia, and even soul music, he ensured that each hit was at once familiar
and different, never content with stylistic stagnation. Few know, for instance,
that Prince wrote the gothic soundtrack to Tim Burton’s brooding 1989 Batman
film, merely because it seems so far outside his artistic prerogative, but, just
like his vocal range, no stylistic note was too high for him to reach.

After selling 100 million records, winning seven Grammy awards, and
joining the Rock and Roll hall of fame, Prince seared himself onto celluloid
with the semi-autobiographical 1984 hit Purple Rain. Although it was received
with all the critical tepidity of a grand and indifferent shrug, his fans the
world over went wild for the film’s iconic soundtrack and heightened
interpretation of Prince’s younger years. Celebrated critic Roger
Ebert hailed it as “the greatest rock film since Pink Floyd’s
The Wall?

 

In Memory of Prince
Adam Tatelman, Arts Editor