What we have lost with the death of Prince

Something happened when Prince took the stage that only fervent fans know. While many knew the musician through his albums, others knew that the genius he put on a record was a mere shadow of the spirit that took over a stage. That spirit died a little on Thursday when fans learned of the iconic musician’s death.

“I can’t believe what we have lost,” KIRO Radio’s Chaz Lipp told the Tom and Curley Show. “He was an uncontainable musical force, and one of the greatest performers to ever take the stage.”

Lipp was a lifelong fan of Prince, ever since watching his cult classic movie “Purple Rain” at the age of 9.

“We lost a guy that pretty much could do anything. He could play anything, any style. As a lyricist he broke new ground,” Lipp said. “This is a guy who broke down all boundaries, who had a multiracial band, who had men and women on an equal plain … he was prolific. This is a guy who brought out music almost every year, sometimes more than one album a year.”

Lipp recalls one tour in 1997 when Prince hit three Northwest venues in as many days – he didn’t miss a single one, first in Vancouver, then The Gorge, and on down to Portland the next day.

That sentiment is backed up by Seattle rock journalist Charles Cross, who told KIRO Radio that Prince is among his top 10 favorite concerts he has seen. He notes that the last time Prince came through Seattle, in 2013, he didn’t just rock the Showbox.

“He was a phenomenal live performer,” Cross said. “The last time he played here, not only did he play the concert at the Showbox, he played an after party to God knows when in the morning.”

Now, that passion will live on in the fans who experienced the man, and in the albums he put out, which Lipp notes, was far more than most any other artist.

“This is a guy who brought out music almost every year, sometimes more than one album a year,” Lipp said. “In an age during the ’80s when you had some superstars spending three or four years between albums, this was a guy who was back with something different every year, much to the consternation of his record label.”

That all that music has paid off, even for those who aren’t fans of Prince.

“He influenced so many artist,” Cross said. “You virtually look at the billboard charts today and everybody there owes something to Prince.”

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