Prince performed some of what are now his last shows in Montreal and Toronto in March. Today, with the news of his death, many Canadians joined millions of others on social media and traditional media, sharing their memories and condolences.
He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock…
Prince was recognized as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era, with hits that included tunes like “1999”, ”Let’s Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry, and “Little Red Corvette,” to name a few.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, he died at his Paisley Park estate, his home in Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota today, according to his publicist. He was 57
Prince was married to Maneula Testolini, who was from Toronto, in the early 2000’s. They divorced in 2006. He lived in the city for a time, with a home in the tony Bridal Path neighbourhood.
Some of the “Musicology” album was recorded at the Metalworks Studio in nearby Mississaugua, and he was occassionally spotted at Raptors games.
“I love Toronto,” he told The Canadian Press a decade ago, in an interview that was printed in the Toronto Star newspaper.
He described the city as “cosmopolitan,” with the variety of people that live within Toronto and its vibrant nightlife, its restaurants and music scene. “It’s a real melting pot in every sense of the word,” he said at the time.
The Canadian dates of his recent ‘Piano and a Microphone’ tour, sold out immediately in both Montreal and Toronto.
Prince was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. “He rewrote the rulebook, forging a synthesis of black funk and white rock that served as a blueprint for cutting-edge music in the Eighties,” reads the Hall’s dedication. “Prince made dance music that rocked and rock music that had a bristling, funky backbone. From the beginning, Prince and his music were androgynous, sly, sexy and provocative.”
“Prince was a pioneer, an icon and a trailblazer. We called him Prince, but he was really a King” Nickleback tweeted today.
Even NASA was moved, tweeting an image of “A purple nebula, in honor of Prince, who passed away today.”
The Weekend, from the Greater Toronto Area, described receiving his Grammy Award from Prince at this year’s ceremony ,as “the greatest moment of my entire life”.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed. Last week his plane made an emergency landing in Illinois for medical treatment. He was said to be suffering from a bad case of the flu.
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