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Prince


Drew

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I was sad when Ian Banks died. A good author, who had many more books in him, he was also very young.

Are people genuinely suggesting that we shouldn't be demonstrably sad or upset when someone we respect dies - someone who has enriched our lives in some way? Is that embarrassing? Seriously?

There's a difference between being sad at someone you respect dying young and the death "hitting you hard".

It's that last description which elicited a bit of light hearted humour at your expense.

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I agree with Stu Dick.

My first thoughts were that we probably has AIDS and it wouldn't surprise me at all if it turns out to be the case.

From the SM Observer and written by someone who obviously knows him reasonably well.

April 22, 2016 | Vol XIV, Issue 16

Sadly Prince Rogers Nelson passed away Thursday aged 57. Two days before, a confidential source came to SMObserved.com and told us that Prince was dying of AIDS. Our source said Prince contracted HIV in the 90's which he kept private. HIV/AIDS has yet to be confirmed officially as the cause of death. But if he died from some other cause, just two days after we heard he was dying of HIV/AIDS . . . well, it would be a remarkable coincidence.

Prince's death leaves the world with a mystery. Back in the licentious 1980's and 1990's, Prince got around-- he even asked out this writer a couple of times! (like Prince, I used to go clubbing. To this day, we have mutual friends). But more recently, the singer had a reputation for athletic shows and clean, sober living. As time went by, his public persona became less sexual and more religious.

Prince has had a very weakened immune system over the past weeks, with those close to him reporting he had the flu. His plane made an emergency landing on April 15 due to a sick passenger -- the rockstar himself.

According to his publicist, Prince had recently been hospitalized for dehydration and influenza. However, TMZ reports that the emergency landing in Moline, 6 days before his death, was so that the singer could be rushed to a hospital and administered a "save shot" to counteract the effects of an opiate.

Emergency services in Minnesota arrived at 9:43 AM Thursday morning, to find the iconic singer dead in an elevator at his "Paisley Park" home and studio, said a spokesman for the local paramedics.

Witness reports had Prince pacing a parking lot at his studio last night, looking worried and upset. More details on his condition are no doubt forthcoming. But we have heard that Prince believed he had been cured of a chronic condition through faith. Encouraged by those around him, he stopped taking his medications. The condition returned, but it was too late for medication.

The rockstar had long been rumored to have contracted HIV/AIDS, which he was not medicating due to his membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses church. Our sources are saying Prince developed HIV in the 1990's, but more recently a couple friends and radical church goers, convinced him to withdraw from using protease inhibitors or other medications.

Some Jehovah's Witnesses are known to forego modern medicine in favor of prayer. Other Jehovah's Witnesses take issue with this interpretation of their religion.

Prince became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001 following a two-year-long debate with friend and fellow Jehovah's Witness musician, Larry Graham. Prince said that he didn't consider it a conversion, but a "realization." "It's like Morpheus and Neo in The Matrix," he explained. He attended meetings at a local Kingdom Hall and occasionally knocked on people's doors to discuss his faith.

Praise for the Purple One's music poured in from around the globe. The Los Angeles Times reported that "Prince succeeded as often as he failed, but that's precisely why his music was great." "This is what it sounds like, when doves cry," said the Rolling Stone. President Obama called Prince "a creative icon" who set new musical boundaries. Elton John called him "The best performer that I have ever seen."

Prince reportedly needed double hip-replacement surgery since 2005 but would not undergo the operation, not a bloodless surgery, because Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions. The condition was rumored to have been aggravated by repeated onstage dancing in high-heeled boots. However, when Prince was interviewed in 2010, journalist Peter Willis said that he believed the rumors of Prince needing double hip surgery to be unfounded and untrue, as Prince appeared to be agile.

Prince was renowned as an innovator and widely known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, and wide vocal range. He was widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound. His music combined rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop.

Prince was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958, and developed an interest in music at an early age, writing his first song at age seven. After recording songs with his cousin's band 94 East, 19-year-old Prince recorded several unsuccessful demo tapes before releasing his debut album For You in 1978, under the guidance of manager Owen Husney. His 1979 album Prince went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover".

His next three records-Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982)-continued his success, showcasing Prince's trademark of prominently sexual lyrics and incorporation of elements of funk, dance, and rock music. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as The Revolution and released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name. A prolific songwriter, Prince in the 1980s wrote songs for and produced work by many other acts, often under pseudonyms.

After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), The Revolution disbanded and Prince released the critically acclaimed double album Sign "O" the Times (1987) as a solo artist. He released three more solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. He changed his stage name in 1993 to an unpronounceable symbol (Prince logo.svg), also known as the "Love Symbol".

He then began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations to Warner Bros.; he released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2000, he began referring to himself as "Prince" again. He has released 15 albums since then, including his latest, HITnRUN Phase One, which was first released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on September 7, 2015 before being released on CD on September 15, 2015 by NPG Records.

During his lifetime, Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone has ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. CNBC summarized his career as follows:

Prince began his career at the age of 19

He released 39 albums

Classic "Purple Rain" photo of Prince

He won seven Grammy awards

He sold over 100 million albums worldwide

His classic "Purple Rain" soundtrack, released in 1984, sold 13 million copies alone and enjoyed 25 weeks on top music charts

His movies, "Purple Rain" and "Graffiti Bridge," grossed $73 million worldwide

40 top 100 hits, including five No. 1 songs

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004

His 2007 Super Bowl halftime performance drew 140 million viewers

This story has been updated several times as facts develop, most recently on April 23, 2016 at 9:30 P.M. PST.

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As I said in a previous post, if it transpires Prince was HIV positive, his flu-like symptoms were related to that, the cause of death was directly related to that, and he had been prescribed drugs relating to that - would I be surprised?

Nope.

Would it alter my view of him as an artist and my opinion that along with Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Lifeson and Rory Gallagher he was one of the greatest guitarists I ever saw live on stage?

Nope.

Edited by pozbaird
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