1999

Born and raised in Minnesota, and a lover of music, I discovered the music of Prince early on in his career. It was big deal locally when he made an appearance on “American Bandstand” in 1979. I quickly became a fan, especially after his 1999 album came out during my sophomore year in high school. We were all so proud to see our local boy become a music success.

But we had no idea just how big of a success he would become.

The movie Purple Rain completely rocked the world in the summer of 1984. It was an instant hit, worldwide, putting Minnesota on the map. The soundtrack came out a month before the movie, so I already knew all the songs pretty well by the time I packed myself into the Hopkins Theater with a thousand other kids on that hot July day when the film premiered. That was definitely one of my most memorable movie experiences. There was so much hype and excitement surrounding the event and so much talk afterwards.

I remember leaving the theater and wondering what it was that I just watched. It wasn’t as if the movie had a great plot or brilliant acting. But the music was fantastic, and it was all filmed in our hometown – places we recognized. I went back and saw it again a few days later.

Prince skyrocketed from a local musical success to a worldwide phenomenon in the blink of an eye. His albums in the 80’s sold millions and millions of copies, and his massive tours were a huge success. He was pop royalty. We all expected him to leave Minnesota, probably for the sunny skies and celebrity hotbed of L.A., but he never did.

He stayed home.

My Brush with Fame

Everyone living in the Twin Cities has their own story about Prince. I’ve seen him many times over the years at different music venues, especially at his old club Glam Slam, and the dozens of shows we’ve seen at the Dakota Jazz Club. He’s a big music fan himself and doesn’t hesitate to blend with the locals.

My “brush” with Prince happened in the summer of 1987, probably sometime in August. During my college years I had a great paying summer job, but worked long and hot hours in a warehouse. I often only had one day off each week, and it was usually a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Not exactly ideal for a young guy trying to find something exciting going on. I most often ended up hanging out with my fellow warehouse workers since they were the only ones on the same schedule. We’d do our best to entertain ourselves, usually by figuring out which of the hottest night clubs had something going on during those particular nights.

The latest hotspot at the time was a bar called Norma Jeans, in South Minneapolis. They had a slick method for getting people out on the weeknights, by perpetually awarding their patrons with the gift of a “party”. Those who were lucky enough to win one of these parties (which we all did, eventually) could bring up to 10 guests to a private event at the bar, from something like 7 to 8 pm, before doors opened to the public. During this hour, you got free drinks and food. It seemed like an awesome deal, but in the end it would have been a lot cheaper if we all stayed home to watch “Cheers” or the” A-Team”. We usually ended up eating at White Castle at 2am these nights, returning home with our wallets much thinner than when we left.

One particular night the crowd at Norma Jeans was pretty sparse. I think I had been playing pool or darts with my warehouse buddies when I suddenly realized I had a bladder full of free drinks. So I made my way to the men’s room. Completely focused on my upcoming task, I rounded the corner to the entrance of the restroom and literally plowed into a wall of security. There were two tall, beefy security guys blocking the entrance. I asked what was up, and one of them replied, “You’re gonna have to hold it for a minute longer.” So I waited. But after a couple minutes, I really had to go. So I pleaded my case by exaggerating my predicament, acting like a 7 year-old boy in an emergency situation. I bent my knees together and placed my hands as if they were the only thing keeping me from going right there on the spot.

Looking for their reaction to my little demonstration, I was surprised to see the guys start moving away from the door. They passed right by me without a word. I figured I must have convinced them of the urgency of my situation. But then I saw that right behind them was this small guy, dressed to the nines.

I made no connection at first. I only noticed how incredibly short he was, but yet how HUGE his presence felt. It was a very odd combination. about the time I realized that it was Prince who just passed me, he turned back with a quick glance, giving me a sly smile with a single raised eyebrow that seemed to suggest “Yes, it really is me….but you better go take care of your business”. I then realized I was still standing there like a 7 year-old on the brink of an emergency. So I laughed to myself and gratefully entered the vacant men’s room.

So there it was – my big moment with Prince!

Thinking Back

I bought my first Prince album in the fall of 1982 after hearing the title song, 1999, on the radio. It was a little purple cassette that amazingly contained the full two-record set. I listened to the whole tape several times the first week after I bought it, and quickly appreciated the full diversity of the songs included. Looking back now, I see that this album was different than anything else I’d ever heard before. It defied standard definition. But back then I didn’t bother to think about genres or try to identify the influences behind the music. I just knew was unique. It was Prince. And I liked it.

I was particularly taken with the song 1999. Back in 1982, I still had 17 years to wonder what that magical year at the end of our millennium would look like. What would my own life be like in 1999, at the age of 33? Given that I was only 16 at the time, this felt like a lifetime away. But now here I sit in the present day, thinking about that memory. I’m 17 years beyond that mysterious future…which was still 17 years away at the time.

Time is funny like that. No one can cheat time – it has concrete boundaries. Yet sometimes it feels like time can be as flexible as piece of string. It’s overwhelming for me to think about all that has happened in the last 34 years. And at the exact same time, I can’t believe that 34 years has passed so quickly.

I wonder if Prince was thinking the same thing…as he took his final breath in that Paisley Park elevator?

An Inspiring Legacy

I’ve experienced far more in the last 34 years than I could have imagined back in 1982, and yet it’s nothing compared to what Prince experienced and accomplished in that same duration.

He was a creative force that straddled the barrier between our physical world and the mysterious beyond. He was a hyper-conduit to the ultimate muse. His creative energy had no boundaries — he didn’t hold anything back. He constantly pushed himself beyond the physical limitations of a mere mortal. It’s quite possible that his body could handle no more. It was all tapped out. After all, he fit way more into his 57 years than those of us who are lucky enough to live 80 or 90 years.

To me, his existence provided us with a direct link to the other side, to our eternal nature. His boldly lived life demonstrates to us the truth of our own existence. That our connection to our source is real and available to us all. We only have to live more boldly – trusting our voice within, and living by our heart and inspiration rather than by our mind, which is so full of doubt and limitation. Many of us never reach our full potential. And even fewer of us shatter that potential, like Prince did. His life was indeed the definition of greatness.

I didn’t fully appreciate, or even understand all this, until his sudden departure. And now he’s gone.

This is why Prince’s death is having such a profound effect on me.

 
But just like every loss we face in our lives, it’s important for us to appreciate the gift we were given rather than mourn its loss. In that light, Prince’s legacy will live forever. He’ll be an inspiration for us all to live life as boldly as possible. To live as if we have no boundaries or limits. And to do it all in our own unique style, marching to the beat of our own drum, just as he did.

He blazed a beautiful purple trail for the rest of us to follow.

Well done, Prince. Thank you for all the beautiful music, and thank you for inspiring us with your greatness. I’m tempted to wish you peace and relaxation after such a wild and productive experience here on earth, but I’ve got a feeling you’re already tackling your next mission with reckless abandon.

Let’s head back to 1982 by checking out the official video for the song 1999. It wasn’t his first video, but it was his first big one. To me, this is classic Prince.