RIP Prince

[Badams]

No way. I refuse to believe it was drugs. I have never ever ever heard Prince associated with drugs.

 

[AxelAnnie]

It s gonna be drugs. . Betcha

 

[Badams]

It s gonna be drugs. . Betcha

How gross and classless of you.

 

[AxelAnnie]

 

[Allskate]

I am not buying TMZ's reports. Prince was a known Vegan, known for not doing drugs. He did not even tolerate folks around him doing drugs. He was very health conscious.

I hope you're right. But I've definitely known "health-conscious" vegetarians who did drugs. Also, even if it was drugs, that doesn't mean he was doing recreational drugs. People get hooked on opiates or misuse opiates when they are prescribed for pain. We have no idea what health issues he was dealing with. Remember how much came out about Robin Williams's health after his suicide? It was much more complex than it first appeared.

No matter what the cause, it is very sad that he has died.

 

[4rkidz]

that's so weird, I thought he was really into healthy living and also very strongly into his faith which doesn't allow the usage of any alcohol or drugs etc?? Was he struggling with any mental health issues?

 

[Prancer]

that's so weird, I thought he was really into healthy living and also very strongly into his faith which doesn't allow the usage of any alcohol or drugs etc??

His faith allows moderate use of alcohol and the use of prescription drugs. And like anyone else, people of his faith can become drug dependent in spite of themselves. Or they can accidentally take too much of their pain medication. Or they can sneak around and do things they shouldn't.

 

[AxelAnnie]

I hope you're right. But I've definitely known "health-conscious" vegetarians who did drugs. Also, even if it was drugs, that doesn't mean he was doing recreational drugs. People get hooked on opiates or misuse opiates when they are prescribed for pain. We have no idea what health issues he was dealing with. Remember how much came out about Robin Williams's health after his suicide? It was much more complex than it first appeared.


No matter what the cause, it is very sad that he has died.

Very sad indeed. Prescription drugs are more insidious than street drugs. . You sort of get pass if it is ONLY vicodin.. Or Oxy. It seems more high class and less dangerous. It is not less... . My youngest is a drug addict.... Drug of choice: vicodin. . You can buy them on the street. . They are nasty to get off of.

It is so easy to take an extra.. Then two extra. .

Whatever he died of it is a tragedy.

 

[Kultakissu]

I love this - just watched it for the millionth time this morning (after spending all night drinking wine and listening to Prince albums) https://vimeo.com/8712558

In a 2004 radio interview, Prince said that he had enjoyed this episode of Chappelle's Show and confirmed that the story was accurate - including the pancakes. There's a figure skating joke there as a bonus, too.

 

[Sally1214]

So many speculations ....

I think he might have known he was dying. The "one-off" concerts he did lately ... the ones where it was announced on a Tuesday that there would be a concert on Thursday and the tickets went on sale on Wednesday and sold out (like the one in March in Toronto). It was like he couldn't commit to a real concert tour with dates booked months ahead. And, then, the cancelled concerts in Atlanta and the emergency stop in Illinois after the concert he DID do in Atlanta where he was rushed to hospital. Then, the party he gave last Sat. (the day after being released from hospital) where he appeared and played piano but didn't sing and showed off his new guitar but didn't play it. And, on the news tonight, he'd been to the same Walgreen's Pharmacy 4 times in the last week. It all makes me wonder if he had a terminal disease.

Or, we know he had serious hip problems (needed replacements) but wouldn't have surgery due to his JW religious beliefs against blood transfusions (very common in such surgeries). Who knows how much pain he was in with the hips? Maybe he took too much pain medication. If he really DID have influenza, too much pain meds could have been too much for his heart to stand. Also, he had epilepsy and that could have caused problems with flu or pain meds.

Who knows? We'll just have to wait for the autopsy results. All that matters to me is that he's gone. Too soon. And, I'm heartbroken.

 

[antmanb]

A friend texted me to tell me about his passing last night and I was

On the way home Annie Mac on Radio 1 did a tribute show that was really nice, but they played Sometimes in Rains in April and I was such a poignant and beautiful track to play.

 

[paskatefan]

What a shock to learn of his death. Gone too soon. RIP, Prince.

 

[Frau Muller]

According to TMZ, he was hospitalized for a drug overdose, not the flu. They say he was treated with a save shot and was advised to stay at least 24 hours, but there wasn't a private room available, so he left. I hope they turn out to be wrong, but they have multiple sources and their sources are often sleazy but accurate.

http://www.tmz.com/2016/04/21/prince-treated-drug-overdose-dead/

This is what's being reported on all stations this morn. If true, then it's "three for three" for the pop music Gods of the 80s: Prince, Whitney and Michael. All gone too early.

Autopsy being performed today, Friday. It usually takes several weeks before results known.

 

[Jenny]

I've been gutted about this, thinking about his music and the concerts I saw, and then last night my husband reminded me that the first song we ever danced to - 31 years ago this week - was Let's Go Crazy.

And the lyrics of that song!

Tell me, are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? Oh, no let's go! Let's go crazy

 

[Twizzler]

So many speculations ....

I think he might have known he was dying. The "one-off" concerts he did lately ... the ones where it was announced on a Tuesday that there would be a concert on Thursday and the tickets went on sale on Wednesday and sold out (like the one in March in Toronto). It was like he couldn't commit to a real concert tour with dates booked months ahead. And, then, the cancelled concerts in Atlanta and the emergency stop in Illinois after the concert he DID do in Atlanta where he was rushed to hospital. Then, the party he gave last Sat. (the day after being released from hospital) where he appeared and played piano but didn't sing and showed off his new guitar but didn't play it. And, on the news tonight, he'd been to the same Walgreen's Pharmacy 4 times in the last week. It all makes me wonder if he had a terminal disease.

I've been thinking the exact same thing. Saw a report about what ended up being his last concert. They stated that he was so overcome with emotion (crying) that he had to leave the stage to compose himself. I understand that as a performer, if you always give each performance your all, it can be emotional. But this was apparently during Purple Rain- a song he's performed (probably) thousands of times at that point. I kind of equated it to a skater knowing he was retiring after a performance and having the skate of his life (Amodio) which causes him to be overcome with emotion. Significantly more emotion tied to it if you know it's your last. Wish I could find the link...

What a loss. He was a brilliant musician!!

 

[allezfred]

I know people talk about "Purple Rain" being his signature album, but for me "Sign O' The Times" is even greater. Such an amazing piece of work.

 

[Cachoo]

I know people talk about "Purple Rain" being his signature album, but for me "Sign O' The Times" is even greater. Such an amazing piece of work.

I know he delved into different genres but I like his bit of funk with a lot of rock-n-roll. I think "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" is my favorite Prince single.

 

[Veronika]

We know he had serious hip problems (needed replacements) but wouldn't have surgery due to his JW religious beliefs against blood transfusions (very common in such surgeries). Who knows how much pain he was in with the hips? Maybe he took too much pain medication. If he really DID have influenza, too much pain meds could have been too much for his heart to stand. Also, he had epilepsy and that could have caused problems with flu or pain meds.

I hadn't heard about the epilepsy...but between that and what you mentioned above, I think you are on to something there.

 

[allezfred]

I know he delved into different genres but I like his bit of funk with a lot of rock-n-roll. I think "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" is my favorite Prince single.

Mine too.

 

[Prancer]

I think he might have known he was dying. The "one-off" concerts he did lately ... the ones where it was announced on a Tuesday that there would be a concert on Thursday and the tickets went on sale on Wednesday and sold out (like the one in March in Toronto). It was like he couldn't commit to a real concert tour with dates booked months ahead. And, then, the cancelled concerts in Atlanta and the emergency stop in Illinois after the concert he DID do in Atlanta where he was rushed to hospital. Then, the party he gave last Sat. (the day after being released from hospital) where he appeared and played piano but didn't sing and showed off his new guitar but didn't play it. And, on the news tonight, he'd been to the same Walgreen's Pharmacy 4 times in the last week. It all makes me wonder if he had a terminal disease.

If he did have AIDS and went off his meds, then yeah. I don't know why he would have done that, as he had no religious reason to do so that I know of. That seems to be the rumor du jour.

But he just got a new guitar, too, which seems pretty optimistic for someone who thought he was dying.

Dunno. But by all reports, he looked really frail and fragile for weeks, so he must have been pretty sick, poor man.

 

[PeterG]

I know people talk about "Purple Rain" being his signature album, but for me "Sign O' The Times" is even greater. Such an amazing piece of work.

Sign O' The Times came out when I was at the beginning of a trip in Europe. I was in Amsterdam with a friend and we went to a nightclub around 9pm. We didn't know that things started much later than the clubs back at home, so the club was almost entirely empty. So they were playing this album in it's entirety and we listened when we felt like it and dance to the uptempo songs. After a while she asked if I wanted to leave because the club was so empty. I said, "No way"! Not a chance in hell I was going to leave as long as they were playing Prince!

 

[Simone411]

His faith allows moderate use of alcohol and the use of prescription drugs. And like anyone else, people of his faith can become drug dependent in spite of themselves. Or they can accidentally take too much of their pain medication. Or they can sneak around and do things they shouldn't.

That in a way is my situation now because of my memory issue which occurred while I was in the induced coma. I have to take Cyclobenzaprine (Felxeril) for my spasms which sometime shoot all the way down my leg to my toes. I write it down now when I take it because there have been times when I don't even remember whether I've taken it or not. That's when I'm too scared to take for fear that I've already taken it. I've made it a habit to write it down for that reason.

 

[Simone411]

I know people talk about "Purple Rain" being his signature album, but for me "Sign O' The Times" is even greater. Such an amazing piece of work.

I don't have that album. However, I have the album that says "1999" on it. It's a two album set which includes Purple Rain and Little Red Corvette. I ended up listening to both albums last night. It certainly brought back a lot of good memories. Prince was truly ahead of his time and a great artist.

 

[Impromptu]

Photos of the wake/block party that Minnesota Public Radio hosted last night. (The article also contains a link to where they will be streaming his entire discography starting tonight at 6 central):

http://blog.thecurrent.org/2016/04/...menting-the-24-hours-following-princes-death/

 

[topaz]

I know people talk about "Purple Rain" being his signature album, but for me "Sign O' The Times" is even greater. Such an amazing piece of work.

I can relate. Purple Rain was his major commercial success. Purple Rain is great and I enjoy Sign O the Time too. I watched the concert recording of Sign of the Times so so many times.
"I asked her if she wanted to dance and she said that all she wanted was a good man and wanted to know, If I thought I was qualified?"( I could never take the place of your man)

If I was your girlfriend, U Got the Look, Hot Thing and the iconic Adore.

I love so many of his albums. Some of my favorites are Dirty Mind, Controversy, Love Sexy, Diamonds and Pearls, Around the world in a day and 1999.

The scene from 1st avenue in Minneapolis was so awesome.

 

[Rob]

His was one of the best live concerts I have seen.

 

[viennese]

So sad to hear of Prince's death.

I have so many Prince albums, and so many hot memories of dancing to his music. If you wanted to lead somebody off the dance floor and into the bedroom, his was the music.

Thousands, millions of people are probably remembering the the line "They say the first time ain't the greatest..." from "Raspberry Beret," or some other Prince song, and smiling about some other secret memory from the 80s or 90s. Music, Prince, really did set a lot of us free.

 

[IceAlisa]

I am leaning towards drugs too. And there is no reason to stigmatize him or anyone if it turns out to be the case. Saying things like "gross" and "classless" is not helpful. Addicts need help, not derision.

 

[Skittl1321]

No way. I refuse to believe it was drugs. I have never ever ever heard Prince associated with drugs.

It is possible to overdose on drugs that are not being used illicitly. They may have been prescribed for valid reasons, and he accidentally took them wrong. It doesn't mean a drug addiction.

 

[icie]

It's also possible to have a bad reaction to a prescribed medication.