Prince remembered for music, accomplishments

Prince performs "Purple Rain" as the opening act during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards show on Feb. 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  Prince died on April 21, 2016. He was 57. (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Prince performs "Purple Rain" as the opening act during the 46th Annual Grammy Awards show on Feb. 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Prince died on April 21, 2016. He was 57. (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Some of Prince's notable awards

Grammy Awards

2007 - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

2004 - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Performance

grammy-statue.png1986 - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

grammy-statue.png1984 - Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rhythm and Blues Song, Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special

grammy-statue.pngBET Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award - 2010

via The Grammys and IMDb

Iconic pop star Prince died at his Minneapolis estate. He was 57 years old. His publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, confirmed the news Thursday afternoon. The exact cause of death is still unknown.

Prince was often regarded as one of the most “inventive musicians of his era,” according to The Associated Press. 

Some of his hits included “Purple Rain,” “Kiss” and “Raspberry Beret.”

Many celebrities have taken to social media to express their sadness at the news, including fellow musicians Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and MC Hammer.

Whoopi Goldberg was among those who quoted Prince on Twitter, writing, “This is what is sounds like when doves cry.”

Others, including Brian Logan Dales and Lin-Manuel Miranda, quoted the beginning of the song “Let’s Go Crazy,” writing, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called Life.”

During the 1980s, Prince made a name for himself combining pop, funk, folk and rock music in the rock 'n' roll era. He released a total of 37 albums and toured more than 30 times. He continued doing both up until his death. 

Prince won seven Grammy Awards over the course of his career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, hailed as a trailblazer. Travis Harvey, the owner of Village Green Records, agrees.

“Of course he was a trailblazer,” Harvey said. “He created a sound that was all these different [genres] at once. He was such an unorthodox musician, coming from the Midwest, and he chose to stay there and build himself a giant studio, Paisley Park, and work from there.”

Harvey said he has significant memories of his father listening to Prince and telling him all the instruments in the recording were done by Prince himself. There was one recording in which Prince played a total of 27 instruments, Harvey said.

“He was so proficient, almost to a prodigious level,” he said. “People compare him to Michael Jackson, but the difference is that Michael Jackson was kind of born into the role. But Prince just had an acumen to create music remarkably.”

One of Prince’s other legacies is the parental advisory sticker. His lyrics were some of the first to make people consider what was deemed appropriate or not for children, Harvey said.

Lindsey Farley, a freshman journalism major, called Prince a true legend.

“[Prince’s death] is very sad,” Farley said. “My dad always played prince for me growing up. It hit me as hard as when Michael Jackson died. There's no words for what Prince did for music.”

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