Prince and Michael Jackson were born in the summer of 1958, Prince born today, June 7th and Michael on August 29th. Sade would enter the world just a few months later in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 16th, 1959. All three of these artists are near and dear to my heart, a Black dude born in the Midwest during the month of June 1974.
The night before I learned that Prince had passed I was actually fixing a video on my post (Halloween 13) where I ended the post with an advertisement of Prince’s album, Art Official Age; after the album’s release the advertisement was removed which left my page with a blank video. I couldn’t find a replacement video on Youtube and it was late so I figured I would go to bed and fix the video the next day. The next day I got a call from my wife with the news, and it wouldn’t be until two days later I noticed that I had been working on Prince leaving my video the night before he left this world.
My 10th grade student drew this, by hand.
Whether it was a coincidence or something else, I knew I had to do a post about a person who has been special in all of my homes since birth, and today was his Birthday so I said I should post something before going to bed. I knew my only problem would be figuring out how to respect my relationship to him and his art. Simply put, one can’t explain how cold this dude was. Any brother who could vocally and instrumentally open or headline a show in any genre or time period of music; what could you possibly say to do justice to their artistry?? So I decided to mention three things (one crazy, two cute, three loving) that connect us and include a video interview I really love where he is just the coolest Kat and saying some profound things about the industry, live performance and the American audience. He’s Subtle, Powerful and all the way beautiful in this interview.
So, 1) I have a cousin that went on a date with Prince back in the 1970s. One date. And her dating career was terrible after that one date and first husband. No, I have to include her first husband as being a terrible date because they divorced, but he was a good dude, and she left him for her second husband’s prestige as a city cop who frisked people so well he was sent to prison back in the 1990s. She divorced him as well. He wasn’t a good dude but would represent every type of dude thereafter. He was actually just released three years ago. By the beginning of the 1990s her dating career, and other stuff she was into, was so bad I stopped believing she went out with Prince. I would tell my mother, “no way Prince hung with her,” and my mom would say, “she was very gorgeous and together back then,” and then I’d say, “yeah, but, Prince wrote 1999 so he probably knew where she was heading.” We would die laughing for about seven seconds and then my mom would say I shouldn’t be saying that and then she would gently laugh and sigh. And then later on that night you could hear my mom on the phone telling that same conversation to her girlfriends and laughing loudly—-Quick side note: this older cousin attempted to seriously hurt my feelings throughout my childhood and my mother knew that! Prince probably knew it too and that might be why she only had one date.—End of Quick side note.
2) On a positive Prince note, my son was so taken by Prince’s music he did a presentation
Book presentation with page marker still intact:)
on him in the first grade (2008) at his Catholic school. He had a special Prince book he received for his Birthday and wanted to share it with his classmates, so his mother marked off the pages he could share because Prince was butt naked on several others. My son, who was just supposed to show the three pages marked off by his mom did just that, however, he started the presentation by saying, “um, um, the pages marked off are about Prince. The, the other pages are about Prince but my mom said I can’t share’em because he’s naked.” And of course this class of first grade Catholics were tuned in and requesting those unmarked pages be revealed during snack. My son also drew the Prince symbol around Jesus’s neck on one of his coloring assignments. We did first and second grade there, and then homeschooled.
Last and number 3) My wife and I met at age fourteen in high school. In our Junior and Senior year we were Prom Queen and King (Juniors) and Homecoming King and Queen (Seniors). We even won the Ken and Barbie award. Yeah, two Black people getting the Ken and Barbie award, but anyway, we married at age 22. This year we will celebrate 20 years of marriage and my surprise was to have Prince sing, compose a song or just call my wife. It was going to be something that involved Prince.
So, with Prince’s passing we all know it won’t happen but I like to think I could have pulled it off and here’s why. I began my strategy (a year ago) with a simple comment of one of Prince’s songs on itunes where I left my blog address at the end of my cool review. I then received a couple cool responses from, let’s just say someone. Now, the responses might not be from him, they are probably from all of the other people who also saw my address (only if they read my review) and decided to get my childish, but so sincere, hopes up. But it might have been from him, so I’m going with that memory. My plan was simple, I said to myself if you talk to him just make sure you don’t bring up he dated your cousin who left him for a touchy feely cop and took his song, Let’s Go Crazy, extra literally:)
“My name is Prince and I am funky
My name is Prince the one and only.”
Love & Harmony
Nvizaboman 