By Thomas Hershberger The death of a superstar in music often brings out plaudits and tributes to what the departed artist gave to the industry, and the reflection on Prince is no exception. It is less common (though not nearly enough so, it seems) for an artist to leave us while they still possesses the capacity to continue impacting the industry, if not through their music, through their presence.
Unlike many once-mainstream artists, Prince never settled into the familiar patterns of a “return” tour, playing prior hits from his heyday for the remnants of a fan base who – like the artist in these cases – seem far beyond their glory years. Prince gave these performances from time to time, though always with the verve and passion you’d come to expect from such a master showman. He always had an eye on the future as well, constantly seeking new inspiration to drive his music forward. Artists who do this, who shun the rote and familiar that may bring the heftiest payday, are often perceived to have “lost a step” by a younger public ever-more concerned with the hits of the present. Inside the industry however, the story is much the opposite. Artists as influential (and mercurial) as Prince command attention in all they do, and other artists can often catch the residual rays of their forays into new sounds and styles. In an unintended fashion, this was Prince’s way of giving back. As the effects of his departure reverberate through the industry, they will be felt tenfold in his home state. It is rare that an artist of such fame, from a place wrongly perceived as something of a cultural also-ran in the American landscape, is so vehement in his representation of where he hails from. Though he may have donned the purple suits in homage to his own inspiration – Hendrix – it always seemed as though he was carrying Minnesota to the show as well. He leaves behind a massive void in the state’s musical identity, and this will be especially felt in the Twin Cities – Minnesota’s cultural hub. The city will certainly shift to fill this in time – as will happen to all faded artists, dead or alive – but at present we can only guess as to what may stem the hemorrhage. It will take some time to fill them, but Prince has left his gigantic purple shoes squarely in the state’s music scene. Perhaps, in the opportunities they will provide, this is his parting gift to his fellow musicians, and the state he loved so dearly.
0 Comments
|