Obituaries for 2016

[andy58-in-nh]

He was weird.

Let the doves cry.

Three kinds of weird, but very musically talented.

[flowers]

Truly a talented man. R.I.P.

[flowers]

[Sanguine]

Isn't that the truth!

[flowers]

Isn't that the truth!

Yes it is. Saw him on the late night show last year. He was funny. He was asked how many guitars he owned. He said very many. He was then asked if his grandkids could play with them. He said they could do anything they wanted.

[flowers]

This one's "yuge." IF it's true.

Prince dead at 57



Prince Nelson was a musician whose musical styles carried influence from R&B, soul, 1980s synth-pop and rock. He began his career in the 1970s and had his first hit on the Billboard charts in 1978. From then through 1997, he charted over 30 songs in the top 40.

Prince was found dead, according to TMZ, this morning. He had been battling what he described as the flu for at least a week prior. He was in the process of writing his memoirs at the time of his death.

TMZ report:
http://www.tmz.com/2016/04/21/prince-dead-at-57/

Police have confirmed that someone has died at Prince's estate but have not identified who the deceased person is.

Wikipedia

He was bad 3ss on the guitar.

[Lando Lincoln]

Prince was a musical genius.  I only saw him play live once - at the Super Bowl in Miami some years ago between the Bears and Colts.  It never stopped raining and during Purple Rain, they projected purple lights upwards.  The effect was indeed, purple rain.

[libertybele]

We've lost an extremely talented musician.  ..."If you know what I'm singing about up here, C'mon raise your hand,Purple rain Purple rain..


www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8BMm6Jn6oU&ebc=ANyPxKrMuPLPLcD4o-ISnMvn5rBhe1JA2byJ63109GxXfh1hXu9QXimeFwatghP6kFMGipQZSvZsiVGDal6suseh9OQRIk7HJg

[mrclose]

Prince Kicks Kim Kardashian off the stage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLP38moqC8&feature=youtu.be

 

[Bill Cipher]

Purple rain, purple tears.

[Lando Lincoln]

[ABX]

From Cracked
(videos at link -- http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-rock-stars-you-wont-believe-are-secretly-musical-geniuses/

5 Rock Stars Who Are Secretly Musical Geniuses (RIP Prince)

The Amazing Talent:

I almost didn't include him on this list because I always thought that people just knew that Prince was a guitar legend. But over the years, I've been continually shocked to find out that many people don't.

I can kind of see where they're coming from. Prince's biggest hits have been laced with that synthesizer- and keyboard-based pop sound. And although his solos in songs like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Purple Rain" were insanely good, they weren't the focus of the songs. Because as flamboyant as Prince is, he's one of the few musicians in the world who know how to use subtlety instead of cramming the solo right in the listeners' faces and screaming, "Listen to how bleep good I am!" He uses his talent only as a means of enhancing the song as a whole -- not using the song as a mechanism for showing off his guitar skills. But when he does cut loose ... holy ----:

That's him playing a tribute of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." And for the first half of the video, he plays a basic rhythm piece so subtle that if it wasn't for his blindingly red pimp hat, you'd hardly know he was there. But then the solo comes around, and he just explodes. It's the same in this one:

...So yeah, behind all the sparkling women's clothing and gyrating -----dancing lies one of the greatest guitarists to ever walk the planet....

[ABX]

Also, a correction to my post above. I just read he could play 27 instruments masterfully, not 5.  His entire album "For You" is all him, all the instruments, all the vocals recordings, all the producing......

[Sanguine]

Also, a correction to my post above. I just read he could play 27 instruments masterfully, not 5.  His entire album "For You" is all him, all the instruments, all the vocals recordings, all the producing......

Amazing!

[ABX]

One other little tidbit (it is on the internet so I can't confirm if it was true)...

Eric Clapton was once asked by a reporter what it was like to be the best guitarist in the world. He responded, "I don't know, ask Prince"

[A-Lert]

One of the last musicians who really could do it all. I believe he could play 4-5 instruments as well as write his own music, choreography, and even manage his business- successfully.

What many don't know, Prince was a Conservative Republican - http://hollowverse.com/prince/

So now Minnesota is down to two remaining Conservative Republicans.

[mountaineer]

Report: Prince Suffered Drug Overdose Days Before Death
by Daniel Nussbaum
21 Apr 2016
Breitbart Hollywood


Late pop icon Prince reportedly received drug overdose treatment just six days before his untimely death at age 57 on Thursday, reports TMZ.

Prince’s private plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois on Friday and the singer was rushed to a local hospital. At the time, representatives for Prince said the singer had been battling a severe case of the flu.

But according to a report from TMZ, Prince received a “save shot” at the hospital, medication used to treat opiate overdoses. The singer was reportedly advised to stay in the hospital for 24 hours, but left after just three when his request for a private room was rejected.

The following evening, the singer appeared at a dance party near his Minnesota home, where he showed off a new guitar and piano, but did not sing. Cryptically, the singer told fans to “wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”

Prince was found unresponsive Thursday morning in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the pop star’s death, though no signs of foul play have been reported. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Friday.

Prince — full name Prince Rogers Nelson — was one of the best-selling artists of all time, with more than 100 million records sold.

[ABX]

Report: Prince Suffered Drug Overdose Days Before Death
by Daniel Nussbaum
21 Apr 2016
Breitbart Hollywood


Late pop icon Prince reportedly received drug overdose treatment just six days before his untimely death at age 57 on Thursday, reports TMZ.

Prince’s private plane made an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois on Friday and the singer was rushed to a local hospital. At the time, representatives for Prince said the singer had been battling a severe case of the flu.

But according to a report from TMZ, Prince received a “save shot” at the hospital, medication used to treat opiate overdoses. The singer was reportedly advised to stay in the hospital for 24 hours, but left after just three when his request for a private room was rejected.

The following evening, the singer appeared at a dance party near his Minnesota home, where he showed off a new guitar and piano, but did not sing. Cryptically, the singer told fans to “wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”

Prince was found unresponsive Thursday morning in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the pop star’s death, though no signs of foul play have been reported. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Friday.

Prince — full name Prince Rogers Nelson — was one of the best-selling artists of all time, with more than 100 million records sold.

Interesting but that contradicts what his DJ said this afternoon. He said he went to the hospital for influenza that he was fighting for several weeks but checked himself out. He refused to take the drugs the doctors gave him, part of being a Jehovah's Witness.

I guess we have to wait for the autopsy to find out what is true.

[mountaineer]

Yeah, I was under the impression he wasn't a drug user. It's a TMZ report, for what it's worth.

[jmyrlefuller]

If it's any indication of the gravity of the situation, Drudge Report has gone purple in mourning.

http://www.drudgereport.com/

[A-Lert]

Illicit drugs, will people EVER learn?

[Free Vulcan]

Also, a correction to my post above. I just read he could play 27 instruments masterfully, not 5.  His entire album "For You" is all him, all the instruments, all the vocals recordings, all the producing......

I've heard that too, just unheard of talent. Recall reading an article about him 10 years ago or so. In addition to his instrumental ability, we know he mastered every end of the business with smashing success, but what the article brought out is that he really knew music. Theory, form, arrangement, genres, and the entire history and artists of jazz, gospel, soul, R&B, funk and so on to the finest detail. Literally a walking encyclopedia and a student of the art.

It's sad anytime to see the icons of your generation die off, but this guy was a true living treasure of knowledge and experience. Eccentric as hell, but what a huge loss to the music world.

[ABX]

If it's any indication of the gravity of the situation, Drudge Report has gone purple in mourning.

http://www.drudgereport.com/

Dallas tonight. That's the Omni Hotel lit up. They actually have a rotating light show tribute right now.  If it is going on tomorrow, I'm going to try to run up tomorrow night with my big Hasselblad and get a good high resolution photo.

[mrclose]

Believe it or not .. he couldn't read music.

[Mod1]

In a few days, we'll merge the separate thread about Prince into this one.