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♪ (industrial music) ♪
♪ (synthpop) ♪ - Are you kidding?
- ♪ I was dreamin' when I wrote this ♪ - But now I'm gonna cry.
- ♪ The sky was all purple ♪
♪ There were people runnin' everywhere ♪
- He's the only guy who could wear eyeliner and just look so cute.
- It's funny. I know him more through his persona
and who he kind of is to in pop culture than his music.
- If they're all Prince videos, you're gonna make me cry.
♪ (electric guitar playing intro to "When Doves Cry") ♪
- He's so good at guitar.
- When MTV actually showed music videos.
- He was so bony, but he was all cute still.
- ♪ You and I engaged in a kiss ♪ - Oh!
- ♪ Why do we scream at each other ♪
- (singing along) ♪ This is what it sounds like when doves cry ♪
- All right.
♪ (Prince, "Purple Rain") ♪ - Super Bowl.
- ♪ I never meant to cause you any sorrow ♪ - He didn't age.
(crowd cheering wildly)
- Oh my god. Look at that crowd!
- (singing along) ♪ Purple rain, purple rain ♪
♪ (shredding guitar) ♪
- (sighs) So good.
- That makes me cry. That makes me tear up!
- Well, a lot of people is gonna miss this guy.
- So good. I mean, this year, what the heck is going on?
Just even in the last five years-- Whitney Houston, gone.
Michael Jackson, gone. Prince, gone.
David Bowie, gone. Now who do we have?
♪ (industrial music) ♪
- (Finebros) So what feelings do you get watching Prince
and hearing his music with him recently passing away so suddenly?
- I wasn't ready. It was very shocking.
- It brings me to tears.
It's like watching your youth die.
- It's always tough when you lose someone
that was such a big part of the music culture.
- It's sad, man. It's really sad.
His music will never die, and that's the testament.
It's almost like he's still alive.
- I'm kind of used to seeing these guys go away.
I don't know if they partied too hard,
and, you know, now they pay some consequences,
but definitely sad to see him go.
- (Finebros) Were you a fan of Prince? - Yes.
He really, really gave us a lot. You know why he was on this earth.
- Yeah, yeah.
He just brought soul into everything.
- I should've been more of a fan.
(laughs) That's what I would consider myself.
- Prince had been more of a persona
and a staple of pop culture to me.
I never really listened to much of his music.
- (Finebros) Prince was a huge icon and was embraced by people
for being so different than many popular artists.
Why do you think he was so successful for so long?
- I think that-- well, first of all, he's just extremely talented.
He sang really well. He knew how to dance,
get funky on stage.
- David Bowie kind of paved the way
for a lot of the eccentric and the strange.
Prince was also kind of an American answer to it.
Not just an American answer, but also a minority answer.
- He's got good lyrics, good guitar.
He's eye candy to girls.
He's just got massive appeal for every person.
- (Finebros) Many consider Prince's album "Purple Rain"
to be his greatest work, and it's often listed
as one of the greatest pieces of music in the last 30 years.
It even holds its own place in the Library of Congress
for being quote, "Culturally, historically, or aesthetically important."
- Yep, and he won a Grammy that year too.
1984, I believe. That was his year.
- (Finebros) What is a lasting impact of this album and the music it contains?
- I think that album, he has so many different things going on.
It gave us awareness to abuse and love and being nasty.
- Purple Rain, still a popular song 30 years later.
It's just one of those albums that it's just every song is good.
Every song means something.
- (Finebros) Not only did Prince put out tons of hits on his own,
but he also wrote songs under different pseudonyms
for artists like Chaka Khan, Alicia Keys, and Madonna.
- Yes, he did! ♪ I feel for you ♪
- (Finebros) He even directed some of his own films
and made music for movies like Tim Burton's Batman.
- ***.
- (Finebros) What do you think this says about his creative abilities?
- He's one of a kind.
- He had so much talent and creativity.
He wasn't just pigeon-holed into being a pop star or a rock star.
- If you gave him anything to work with,
he's gonna be able to bring it out so people could understand.
- Built up one block at a time, one block at a time,
to continue to build, I think that's amazing
'cause, you know, most people-- one thing gets tough and we quit.
- He just constantly had to let out his feelings.
He wrote every single day.
Wrote a song, recorded it, and put it away in a vault
that his publicists are gonna start publishing!
- (Finebros) Not only was he popular in the charts,
but he's renowned for being an amazing musician.
On many of his albums, he was the composer,
played most of the music himself, sang lead and background vocals,
and, in total, has said to have been able to play 27 different instruments.
- Wow. I don't think I can name 27 instruments. (laughing)
- That is incredible.
It's really impressive to see how much talent
and how large a scope of talent he actually had.
- He knows 27 different instruments and that's why he's able to--
he was able to write songs for other people.
- How many times can you say "incredible"?
I mean, that is just a phenomenal human being.
♪ (upbeat theme music) ♪