EDITORIAL THE SOCIAL, HISTORICAL, AND POLITICAL RELEVANCE OF PRINCE ROGERS NELSON, A.K.A. "PRINCE" by Phil Seahorn philseahorn@gmail.com
April 23, 2016 IT'S RAINING AS I TYPE THESE WORDS ON THIS DREARY SATURDAY MORNING IN SPOKANE (WITH WEATHER HERE THE LAST FEW WEEKS MORE LIKE SEATTLE). THE VERY SLIGHT IRONY OF ME WRITING THIS EDITORIAL NOW IS NOT LOST.
BUT THE WORLD, AND AMERICAN MUSIC, HAS SUFFERED A STUPENDOUS LOSS. WE ALL LOST A NATIONAL TREASURE THURSDAY. PRINCE ROGERS NELSON, THE MUSICIAN KNOWN AS “PRINCE”, IS DEAD. I completely stayed off line yesterday. I spent Thursday listening to my Prince collection (especially “PURPLE RAIN”). Another fucking night crying over ANOTHER celebrity that I have never met in my entire life, other than seeing the person onstage. But just as I cried for Johnny, Mike, Whitney, Robin, B.B., and Leonard, I cried that Thursday night over what will most certainly be considered the most talented musician in American (and maybe the world) history. Prince came to all of us right at the start of the first year after
Apartheid America officially ended (1981). Prince, with Dez Dickerson on bass, along with the rest of
THE REVOLUTION”, Prince's first band, was opening for the Rolling Stones. “
When Prince started his opening set, (often appearing in shit that was, well, just Google pics of “Prince opening for the Rolling Stones”) set, fans would throw shit (literally!) and hurl racist insults like "Get off the stage, nigger!" OR “Get off the stage, fag!” This was America, 1981. It took the
ROLLING STONES to officially push into
being something that had, at that point in American music history, simply had not existed. A multi ethnic and multi gender rock band.
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION” '
"
became just that: Prince's first contribution the American Diaspora on all three accounts: social, historical, and political. Prince will go down in history as a man of such a level of creativity and talent not seen in the world before Prince cut his first song in a studio. Here was a man that could play practically any instrument, write, sing, produce: Prince was literally his own music making
"3-D PRINTER." But it was THE MAN that overshadowed his art and music, which only furthered the magnification of his talents. One could argue that Prince, on vinyl, was better than Prince live, and onstage. But with Prince, very much like
David Bowie, it was the
PHYSICAL appearance of Prince that would make (as I have posted before) "A" list actors ( saw
Hallie Berry on the BET
Music awards look at Prince for five minutes straight, not blinking, like she was a hungry vampire. This was on the look of a grown ass woman. Prince was a very tiny man (5’2�) yet he walked and interacted with people almost twice his size. And the interaction has always been just like Prince's name implies: royalty. Prince puzzled and contradicted as much with his physical appearance as with his music. But the relevance of Prince, sadly with his passing, will now be fully explored, revealed and recorded for the American and World Diasporas. Such was 'the cult of personality" that was the
musician known as Prince. PRINCE'S SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE: Prince started performing on American music stages when the music industry in the United States was still steeped in what I term
"AMERICAN MUSIC APARTHEID."
It is very difficult today in 2016 in America to understand or even believe there was a time in American history where Americans were so stratified (hence my term
APARTHEID ) that if a
person was not listening to the "right music" penalization up to and including an ass whipping was always guaranteed.
But such was the case if a white kid walked into a music store
Apartheid America and wanted to buy a “Parliament Funkadelic” album. back in
The fucked up part about THAT is that it was more
accepted that a white person in Apartheid America could experiment with other forms of American music. Far, far more castigation was heaped on a person of color who dared to listen to “white folk’s music.” Take, for instance, a black St. Louisan would walk into a music store (“
PEACHES”, for all the old school St. Louisans) and
buy a KISS album. Questions from the vendors would be like this: "Why
are you buying this album?” or “Your people don’t listen to this", or the classic, "Why are you listening to our music?" Swear to God, Allah, and all other available deities. That was America before 1980 on up to 1985. Then Prince came along.
Black folks would see this high yella ass midget onstage dressed lie a fag (hey, this WAS 40 fucking years ago) playing and acting like a white boy.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS UP WITH THAT?!!!!!" White folks in America were far, FAR more puzzled by Prince.
“Is he black or white? Straight or gay?!!!!!" For white Americans back then, Prince was one word:
"CONTROVERSY". Then came a movie called
"Purple Rain".
After this, for the very first time in American music venues, thousands of Americans all over the spectrum would come together to hear this small man and his band.
“KISS” would accomplish this feat ten years later with their 20 years reunion tour, but Prince was bringing white and black American asses into stadiums (yes, fucking STADIUMS) and get said asses moving and grooving.
PRINCES HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Prince will go down in American and world history as a performer whose music even created new words and phrases in
America's language like "otherwise
known as" (which
Prince was the first man to historically change his name to a fucking symbol.) NOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT: PRINCE completely erased
AMERICAN MUSIC APARTHEID. the last vestiges of
Prince’s live performances (ESPECIALLY with
“THE
REVOLUTION”) greatly influenced huge musical events like “Coachella” and “Lollapalooza”, which today in 2016 feature musical acts from all genres.
PRINCE'S POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE Anyone remember
WENDY AND LISA?
Because, sure as fuck, no one here in 2016 seems to remember almost 40 years ago how much a fucking stir these bandmates of prince in
“THE REVOLUTION” caused
in America and the world.
Lesbianism and Bi-Sexuality were still issues in America back in 1985 that were simply too controversial FOR American music stages. But here you had this light skinned midget on stage with two
fine ass white girls making out while performing.
Get the motherfucking fire hoses, dogs, and torches out! We about to HANG a nigga!!!!! Apartheid
But THAT was Prince back in post-
America: ass hanging out, with two white girls making out onstage. But, these two girls were ALSO extremely talented motherfucking musicians, who put on one helluva show. This HAD to have been America's first real, in your face, slap
: HEY!!!! GAY AND BI SEXUAL AMERICANS EXIST." the shit out of you
And it was white a firestorm of social and political debate on if Prince was straight or gay. Over the years, straight men like comedian and actor
JAMIE FOXX could openly joke onstage about meeting Prince and saying to himself (which of course, he says out loud for the audience): “This is one pretty motherfucker. If he wasn't a man...." Many men have openly commented that Prince was :�A beautiful man."
I have personally heard this over almost 40 years, and especially from foreign men. Talk about putting the whole
LBGT out in the public
conversation, and has been there since 1985. And yet, I have heard absolutely NOTHING about acknowledging Prince for kicking the door in America off the fucking hinges on the discussion of
LBGT rights and even its
existence in America. But make no mistake on the legacy on the musician known as prince: his will be remembered and revered for decades to come. The loss to us Americans of
“cults of
personalities” keep mounting. But with Prince, getting thru”
”this thing called
LIFE”
is never more true here in 2016 in America.
To Prince Rogers Nelson, the musician known as
“PRINCE”: R.I.P
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