A pop culture icon since his rise to stardom in the 1980s, Prince gained attention for his unique fashion sense, his edgy performing style and even changing his name to a symbol, but what will really be remembered about him is his music.
The singer-songwriter, who was found dead at his home in Chanhassen, Minn., on Thursday, first gained worldwide recognition in 1982 with his breakthrough album “1999.”
The album fused rock and funk and its second single, “Little Red Corvette,” would become one of Prince’s biggest hits.
Prince also starred in the 1984 box-office hit “Purple Rain,” a film loosely based on his own life.
Two songs off the film’s soundtrack, “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” went on to be No. 1 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The film helped expose Prince to an even wider audience and propel him to superstardom.
Despite the magnitude of his fame and the fact that he is one of the best selling artists of all time, Prince lived a mostly private life.
In addition to his own work, Prince wrote and performed for many other artists under pseudonyms without taking credit for his contributions.
Notable artists that were assisted by Prince include Sheena Easton and Kenny Rogers.
However, it is impossible to know just how much work Prince did for others as some of it was done off the record completely.
Prince also quietly donated millions of dollars over the years to various organizations both in his home state of Minnesota as well as New York City.
His philanthropy includes a $250,000 grant to the Uptown Dance Academy in New York City in 2011, a dance school for children that would have been forced to close if not for Prince’s donation.
The school was able to move in to a different studio after the donation and is still open today.
Prince will also be remembered for one of the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory.
At Super Bowl XLI, Prince performed in the pouring rain to a crowd of 74,000 as well as 93 million others watching around the world.
Instead of letting the Miami rainstorm discourage his performance, Prince carried on with an electrifying 12-minute set, a testament to his showmanship.
The show included partial covers of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” and the Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” and concluded with one of Prince’s signature hits, “Purple Rain.”
Other notable live performances of Prince’s include his guitar solo on a collaborative cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at his own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2004, as well as his cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” at Coachella in 2008.
Prince’s death is the latest in an unfortunate 2016 for music legends.
His contribution to music and pop culture will certainly be missed but it’s likely that his influence will be prevalent for years to come.
KYLE JOESPH
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