Prince is dead at 57 years old. My husband texted me, I didn’t believe him. I texted back in all caps: THERE IS A DEATH AT HIS ESTATE – DOESN’T MEAN IT’S HIM.” Meanwhile, my Facebook newsfeed flooded with the info, I kept checking AP News while simultaneously texting Andrea.
One of my dearest high school friends, Andrea and I adored all things Prince. We saw Purple Rain together at the Norridge theatre – (SEVEN TIMES,) we wore buttons all down our catholic high school uniform sweaters and purses. We wanted to be Appolonia or Vanity or both. We hated (kind of) Morris Day.
One of us, (which one?) wasn’t allowed to have the infamous bikini poster hanging in our room. My sweet, patient and probably well paid by my parents older brother Dave took us to the Purple Rain concert at the Rosemont 
Horizon. He sat there, while Andrea and I screamed around him, jumped up and down and nearly fainted when Prince was on stage, in a bathtub, wet and thrusting into the air!
Our 15 year old virginal selves were mad with wonder, lust and so much love for the barely five foot musician, rock god and sex god extraordinaire. After the concert, the album was played on a constant loop to the utter dismay and disgust of my parents. We knew the words by heart. We still do.
Hearing this news saddens me of course because a great talent has left us, but more so because of the memories it brings me – all good ones for sure. I can’t help but feel though, that a little bit of my youth has slipped away. Nothing can take away the silly giggles or the late night chats when I would pull the phone cord as far as it could reach into my room. And yet. A tiny part of my past has been put to rest. Put away. It’s like the Universe is saying “All done now. Slowly move along.”
And I sit and I sigh. And I text one of my oldest friends. And we chuckle and I listen to my favorite Prince song. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” came out before Purple Rain, but it still remains to me, classic Prince. Wendy and Lisa at their finest and Prince at his sexiest. I will listen to Purple Rain all day today though, as a lovely remembrance of my adolescence, my giggles with my sweet friend Ange and my continued love of all things purple.
What is your favorite Prince song? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s squeal like crazy fans together today and remember our years as free lovin’ teens.
Related posts:
Never miss a post! Subscribe to You Know Neen right here. Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.
You Know Neen 