As Prince said to us in his song "Let's Get Crazy," "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." It seems that 2016 can give the music world a break. Left and right that legends of the music industry are leaving us. But they all leave behind a legacy that we cherish both with our hearts and our ears. Prince Nelson Rodgers was one such music icon that has left a major imprint in the music society. In these next few days, the public will buy up albums and download his most iconic songs. Those older fans who have been there since the beginning will remember the times they listened to his music with their friends in school,, and our generation, who listened to him because of our parents introducing it, will weep the loss of a wonderful soul.
Prince Rodgers Nelson had a career that many pursuing music could only dream of. His accolades include a World Soundtrack award, seven Grammy wins, over 100 million albums sold and a plethora of other awards. Now, let's get away from his awards for a moment. Unlike most music artist, Prince was extremely private about his personal life, confining his personal accolades to a few people in his own personal circle. He was a mentor to many artists who, even now, strive to reach the level of musicality that he attained.
While also being a mentor, he was also a humble human being. While many around the world mourn the loss of another legendary musician, others mourn because of the loss of a caring individual that was truly humble. Those of us who were not in his circle sadly will never know the same man that others knew and loved. We will never truly know how many families, individuals or musicians he helped. He was a major aid to those whose resolve involved the helping of the people instead of the helping of themselves.
The sad thing is most of the world will never truly know how many people he helped in his time here with us. We'll never be able to comprehend his impact on not just music, but also on the hearts of people and organizations who had the chance to both receive help and help him in his work. He never asked for a title, the people gave it to him. He never asked to be called some great individual in the world of music. He simply put in the work to attain a level of professionalism and humility that many of us would love to achieve, and when it was time to be in the spotlight, he was there ready to perform at his best. He didn't allow the world's spotlight to be seen on his personal acts but on others so that they may receive the credit and experience that would aid them later in their careers. These are the ideals and acts that we should remember of Prince. Not just his awards, not just his music, but the man who cared for the progress of others and where they will be in their future.
