Dear PRINCE & All my Purple friends,
In 1980 I bought my first album "CONTROVERSY" for $5.00 at a local drug store in my home town Camden, SC. This would be the biggest change & shift in my life! Not only did I have to sneak & listen to your "soul, raw & funky sound" but I also had to hide that poster! The challenges growing up dealing with religious views, sexuality, family strife -your music was the gateway to helping me cope. In 1985, I would make another huge life change & meet the man who would later be the father to my son. We were 20-21 years old & were in love with you & your vision of life & the world around us! We were a bit crazy about each other too. We shared you, PRINCE as a common thread but it wasn't enough. We had too many holes in our hearts to heal & we ended up divorcing 13 years later.
I'd later meet a fantastic artistic & a musician who blew my spiritual socks off in 2001! We eventually married & took a trip to N. California to where he was from. On a way around Yosemite, I kept saying "Gosh, I sure wish I had brought my PRINCE cd's (it's 2004) because I sure could use some good funk music in this rental car, UGGHH!!!" We were still getting use to our new selves in our marriage & he being a music lover/ hippie/rock n roll type, I'd never given him the PRINCE test!!!! It turns out he loves your purple funkness! So we pull off the road to take care of bizness & I noticed something shiny ditched with what looked like trash dumped out on the side of the road. I asked my sweet husband to keep a look out while I go to the little girls room & go check out what that shiny thing was. OMG! He says" It's a PRINCE GREATEST HITS cd with NO scratches!!!"
You can't tell me that wasn't magical?!! We played that cd over & over! And we thank you for being such a strong thread in our magical ride. I have been mourning you but I'm understanding & accepting your moving on a lot more now.
You changed my life - my Purple life.