On April 21, 2016, Prince passed away and left fans from all over in a state of mourning. From Barack Obama to Aretha Franklin, various noteworthy figures and noncelebrities paid tribute to the artist.
With each passing year, fans continue to reflect on the Minnesota-bred artist’s impact and legacy. In honor of Prince, let’s take a trip down memory lane and recap some of his most memorable moments.
#1
Making Moves & Causing Waves From Jump
Starting from his early career, Prince entered the professional music world with his For You album at 19.
He went on to release a number of saucy hits throughout the early 1980s. Projects like Dirty Mind, Controversy, and 1999 were well-received and evoked tons of fun, sexy vibes.
These bops caused Prince to instantly blow up, and he swiftly began earning fans’ support.
#2
The Reign Of 'Purple Rain'
When discussing Prince, many immediately think of the impact of his work in the Purple Rain film, as well as its accompanying soundtrack.
The project was released in 1984 and served as Prince’s acting debut. It’s easily one of the artist’s most widely-known works and earned him several accolades!
#3
Taking A Stand Against The Music Industry
Everything wasn’t all peaches and cream, though, as Prince had long-running beef with Warner Bros. over control of his music.
In an effort to take a stand against industry practices, Prince wrote “SLAVE” on his face at various different points in the mid-1990s.
In fact, while accepting an accolade at the 1995 Brit Awards, he proclaimed, “In concert: perfectly free. On record: slave.”
Prince wasn’t afraid to take a creative stand against the music industry, and the impact definitely left its mark.
#4
Shuttin' It DOWN For His Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance
Jumping forward to 2007, we have to acknowledge Price’s performance during the Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.
As Miami was hit with a massive storm on the day of the Super Bowl, Price was given the opportunity to put on a stunning performance as the wind and rain pelted him. Additionally, he surprised many by singing “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters.
#5
Getting Cheeky At The 1991 MTV VMAs
While on the subject of noteworthy Prince performances, we can’t forget to acknowledge his show at the 1991 MTV VMAs.
He specifically performed “Gett Off” while on stage with several scantily-clad dancers. At one point, he revealed that he was donning an outfit that put his buttcheeks on full display, showing that he wasn’t afraid to push the envelope during his performance!
#6
Bringing Innovative & Flamboyant Fashions
We’d be remiss not to mention Prince’s influence on fashion, too.
His style is often noted as having pushed the boundaries of gender norms, and he continues to be remembered for how he unabashedly did his own thang!
#7
Adopting An 'Unpronouncable Symbol' As His Name
Of course, we can’t wrap up without mentioning Prince adopting a symbol as his name.
According to BBC, Princer acknowledged the matter by noting, “It is an unpronounceable symbol whose meaning has not been identified. It’s all about thinking in new ways, tuning in 2 a new free-quency.”
As the icon is “unpronounceable,” many still referred to the artist as Prince. However, he’s definitely tied himself to the symbol!
