when it came to music, and when they put '1999' and 'Little Red Corvette' in heavy
rotation, I was immediately drawn to the visuals.
I had heard those two songs on the radio before the videos appeared on MTV, but
'seeing' the songs or better yet, seeing Prince in action, was mesmerizing. The hair. The
flair. The outfits. The dance moves. The passionate performances. And it was all presented
in the wonderful shade of purple, the same Vikings' jersey color that drew me to Fran
Tarkenton and the 'Purple People Eaters' in my early years. I purchased the '1999' album,
discovered the songs that weren't being played on the radio ('Let's Pretend We're Married'
Blew. My. Teen. Mind.), and listened to it repeatedly. I was hooked.
music was already sky high. Once I purchased the album and saw the film, that love
reached stratospheric levels. Sure, the movie's acting was subpar and the storyline had
flaws. I loved it anyway because for me, it was never about those things. It was about
the music! 'Computer Blue' and 'Darling Nikki' in particular went to another level when
I saw him perform them in the film. (Note-I'm not one that can break down voices or
instruments in categorical terms. It's never been about that. For me, music is simple. I
hear something and either like it or don't like it. When it comes to Prince, it's love.)
The next two albums ('Around the World in a Day' and 'Parade') remain two of my
favorites to this day. 'Raspberry Beret' (from the former) is a classic and the song,
'Sometimes It Snows In April' (from the latter) stands as my favorite Prince song of
all-time.
By the time the '90's (and beyond) came along I was still a fan, but wasn't rushing out
to buy every new CD either. My teaching career and family life took up the overwhelming
majority of my time, but I would certainly take notice when one of his songs took off on
the pop charts or came on the radio. Prince's career marched on, as did my adult life.
Looking back, there probably wasn't one week that went by in which I didn't listen to his
music, see an interview/performance/video, or have him pop into my mental thoughts in
some way. When I learned of his death in the spring of 2016, like so many others, I was
shaken. Badly.
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Shortly after Prince passed away, there was talk of opening Paisley Park to the public.
Forty months after his death, my wife and I stood at the front desk inside the building in
the midst of our honeymoon on a beautiful summer afternoon in late July.
I was on edge the entire morning. We were playing his music in the car on the drive
to Chanhassen. My emotions were running high, with tears rolling down my cheeks at
one point, thinking how we would be inside his purple palace in just a matter of hours.
As we stood waiting for the tour to begin I could hear one of the lesser known tracks
from '1999' playing in the next room. My heart was racing. Shortly thereafter we were
standing in the atrium, complete with sunlight illuminating the room via the pyramidal
windows, as well as caged doves on the upstairs balcony. The guide shared that Prince
spent a lot of time in that room and that triggered the first of a handful of emotional
moments for me during the visit. I was in Prince's home. Even though he wasn't there
with us, I found the moment extremely moving.
The tour followed a simple pattern: Enter a new room/area, listen to the guide give
background details about that portion of the building, then we were given several
minutes to walk around and take it all in before moving on to the next part of the tour.
There were recording studios, exhibit rooms, a personal office, a small kitchen, an
editing room, a 'relaxation' room (complete with low lighting and an outer space theme),
three performance spaces, scented candles, videos, costumes, memorabilia, instruments,
portraits, newspaper articles, screenplays, painted murals, award-winning records, and
even a ping pong table Prince and his friends played on frequently, complete with
paddles and purple ping pong balls. The enormity of the complex was evident and he
had everything one could have possibly wanted in both a music and living space sense.
It was a 90 minute experience I will never forget.
Immediately after the tour (and several times since) my wife and I were discussing
what we had seen, heard, and felt. She pointed out that Prince had his work world and
personal life all in one place. Is that healthy? Feels like a no, but who knows for sure.
I've read how he couldn't go out in public without being swarmed by fans, so Paisley
Park felt equal parts necessity and convenience to me.
It felt a mixture of exhilarating, surreal, and sad to be in Prince's home. The tour
guide shared that Prince wanted Paisley Park to be open to the public upon his death
and that relieved some of the intrusive feelings I was having while there, yet it didn't
completely alleviate them. I guess I'm still sorting out some of the emotions from the
visit as I write this (a little over a week later). Here's the thing: It was an incredible
experience to walk through my all-time favorite musician's home. Alas, he not only
wasn't present, he's no longer here on Earth at all. 57 years old. A musical genius,
gone far too soon. If he was still here, there's zero chance I have the opportunity to
see his home from the inside.
I guess that's what's bothering me most about all of this because if I had my way,
life for him would still be as it was before April 21st, 2016. I'd be going through my
everyday life with never having stepped foot in or even thinking about the possibility
of visiting Paisley Park.
And Prince Rogers Nelson would still be here.
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