I’ve lived a large part of my life on the periphery of the rock and roll circus. Close enough to often see behind the greasepaint and, in the words of Gertrude Stein, much more often to learn ‘there’s no there there.’
The sudden passing of Prince Rogers Nelson this Thursday past is yet another reminder that we each have a finite number of sunrises and sunsets. While we never know the exact number we know of its inevitable arrival and finality.
Like you, I enjoyed a great deal of his art and though I never had the opportunity to see him perform (more accurately and truthfully phrased I never availed myself of opportunities to see him in concert), I wanted to share a moment that, at least for me, is emblematic of his genius at transcending and redefining styles, idioms and generations. For many, that moment was his driven performance in a driving rain storm at Super Bowl XLI but I respectfully disagree.
In 2004, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as were, among others, George Harrison for his other than Beatles career. The Beatles, as everyone on earth must or should know, were the Sixties and Seventies and Prince was the Eighties, Nineties and beyond. Timeless is as timeless does.
Prince ‘jammed’ with members of The Travelling Wilburys and with Harrison’s son, Dhani, on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Put on some headphones, crank up the volume and, at about three and a half minutes in, watch the joyful and joyous look on Dhani’s face as His Purpleness just shreds.
I promise you when you look in a mirror afterwards, you’ll have the same look Dhani did.
-bill kenny
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