Nicole-Marie

I feel fortunate to have been raised on Prince's music and to have been heavily influenced by him as a musician and singer.  I have always listed him as an influence and was lucky enough to see him perform at the Gorge in George, Washington.  Besides being a musical and creative genius, Prince was transcendent in so many ways.  There's no way you can't take for granted someone who transcends gender and race and blends sex and religion, female and male into one.  He was so gifted on so many instruments that he could and did create and produce whole songs all by himself.  Despite getting recognition and success at a early age, he was so humble that he performed other people's songs at the 2007 Superbowl Halftime show and went under other names like "Christopher" on work he did for other artists - such as the awesome keyboard part he played on Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back."  He was so generous with his talent and supportive of other artists, especially women in music, that he championed people like Vanity, collaborated often with other artists such as Madonna, Sheila E and Gwen Stefani, and wrote amazing songs for others like Nothing Compares 2 U for Sinead O'Conner and Manic Monday for The Bangles. 

It seemed that Prince never got old or out of style yet at the same time he was a throwback to the greats like James Brown and Little Richard.  His music videos were always entertaining, beautiful and stylish.  He had an amazing work ethic and was so respected as a well-rounded and extraordinarily talented artist, that just showing up to any award's show as a presenter garnered standing ovations without him having to say a word.  Purple Rain is one of my favorite movies.  My favorite Prince music videos include:  Cream, 1999, When Doves Cry, and Seven.  My favorite Prince songs are:

He wasn't afraid to step outside the box and experiment with different sounds and styles.  He was gorgeous and inspiring and unique.  He was one of the first artists of mixed race to come to the forefront, was a quiet humanitarian and was willing to speak out on issues such as artists' rights.  In a growing climate of diminished creativity and musicianship, reduced diversity as far what genres and artists get promoted on the mainstream radio and on music video television, and an increasing entitlement for free music among the general public, I feel very lucky to have shared earth time with someone like Prince who was beyond genre and so out of this world that he brought the art form of music to a whole new level.  When he performed at the Superbowl in 2007, he didn't let the downpour get in his way but took advantage of it by performing an unforgettable rendition of Purple Rain.  His music transcends and we should be grateful for all the songs, performances and art (videos, movies, etc.) that he left behind.  I'm sure there is more to come from his vault posthumously.  Talk about leaving the world a better place!