Prince Tributes Pour In Around the World
Prince's paradigm-shifting influence spanned genres, mediums, and continents — and it's all reflected in the number of worldwide tributes that surfaced in the wake of his stunning death at age 57.
As the Huffington Post reports, a number of landmarks and institutions honored Prince with displays — some with text, as seen on the marquee at the Apollo Theater, and some with a well-placed splash of purple, as seen at Target Field in Minneapolis or on the cover of next week's issue of the New Yorker. Officials at Minneapolis' City Hall, meanwhile, announced plans to broadcast Prince's music through the building's bell towers on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the city, the beloved First Avenue venue announced a free all-night Prince dance party, hosted by DJs Mike 2600, DJ Jake Rudh and DJ Espada starting at 11PM. "Our hearts are broken. Prince was the Patron Saint of First Avenue. He grew up on this stage, and then commanded it, and he united our city," club representatives wrote. "It is difficult to put into words the impact his death will have on the entire music community, and the world. As the tragic news sinks in, our thoughts are with Prince’s family, friends, and fans. We deeply mourn the loss of our friend, a true star. Rest in peace and power, Prince."
Purple-themed Prince tributes have popped up at countless locations around the world. Media Life notes the proliferation of billboards that have sprung up since word broke of his death, as well as the purple makeover given rain forecasts for the day by the Weather Channel and Weather Underground.
For those seeking comfort in Prince's music, both MTV and the Minneapolis station the Current hosted marathons in the hours after his passing. MTV kicked off its coverage with "When Doves Cry," turning its logo purple, while the Current switched to an all-Prince playlist for hours.
Tributes also continue to roll in from an assortment of peers and celebrities impacted by Prince's friendship and legacy. Comedian Charlie Murphy, whose stories of time spent in the Purple One's company created some of The Chappelle Show's best moments, referenced one of his Prince skits when he told TMZ, "If you seen his last show, how could you not watch his show and go, 'That dude is an athlete!'"
"It's a heartbreak and I was shocked. I didn't believe it, as I find it so hard to believe," added Stevie Wonder. "You know, in this journey of music, we as artists that create the reflection of society and reflect, really the people that really want to see a better world, a better people, a unity of people, all those things – as did his music do and will continue to do for those of us who will continue to listen to it – it's a heartbreak to lose a member of that army of love."
Saying "the world lost a creative icon," President Barack Obama added, "Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock 'n' roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer."
Fittingly, fans in the Minneapolis area who looked to the skies after the rainy day coinciding with Prince's death received a colorful reminder that darkness doesn't last forever: As TMZ noted, a rainbow appeared above Prince's Paisley Park home.
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