June 7th. For millions worldwide, this date sparks an instant refrain: the birth of Prince Rogers Nelson. Born in Minneapolis in 1958, he reshaped music, culture, and countless souls. Today, we remember not just the icon, but the innovator, the secret giver, and the revolutionary who painted the world purple.
The Sound Revolution: Where Genius Defied Gravity
Prince wasn’t just a musician—he was a one-man cosmos of creativity. Signed to Warner Bros. at 19 with unprecedented control, he fused funk, rock, pop, and soul into a sound that ignored racial and genre boundaries. His early band—a defiant mix of Black, white, male, and female members—embodied the “Uptown” ethos: “black, white, Puerto Rican / everybody just a freakin’.”
- The “Purple Rain” Eruption: The 1984 film and album weren’t just hits; they were cultural tsunamis. Tracks like “When Doves Cry” (with its absence of bass) rewrote production rules, while his electrifying stage presence—trench coat, bandana, and fearless sexuality—left audiences breathless.
- The Collaborator’s Heart: Prince’s Paisley Park became a laboratory for proteges (Sheila E., Apollonia) and peers (Madonna, Chaka Khan). He penned hits like “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinead O’Connor) and “Manic Monday” (The Bangles), proving his genius flowed beyond his own voice.
The Secret Garden: Philanthropy Without Fanfare
While his music roared, Prince’s giving whispered. He donated millions anonymously through one of his charities, Love 4 One Another, believing “love needs no publicity.”
- Education & Empowerment: He gifted $200,000 to transform a nursing home into Harvest Prep Academy, funded recording studios for youth programs, and backed tech initiatives like #YesWeCode to diversify Silicon Valley.
- Crisis Compassion: After the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, he quietly sent $50,000 to victims’ families. When Trayvon Martin was killed, he supported the family.
- Other philanthropic efforts include $80,000 to Urban Ventures to build a youth music studio and $50,000 to Green for All’s environmental jobs initiative.
Birthdays: From Lavish Parties to Quiet Reflection
Prince’s relationship with June 7th evolved dramatically:
- 1980s Extravagance: In 1984, he celebrated at First Avenue with The Revolution, debuting new songs days before Purple Rain exploded. The next year, a masquerade ball featured “giant spiral staircases, brass beds, and international food stations.”
- A Spiritual Shift: After embracing Jehovah’s Witness beliefs in the 2000s, he publicly rejected birthdays. Yet in 2015, he broke silence just once—tweeting a fan’s tribute article with the caption, “What U give U get back tenfold.”
In Their Words: The Prince They Knew
Prince himself was poetic, provocative, and profound:
“Cool means being able to hang with yourself… If there’s nobody you’re afraid of? Then you’re cool.”
“Our consciousness is programmed…Try to create. Start by creating your day.”
Fellow artists revered him:
- Van Jones: “He wasn’t red, and he wasn’t blue. He was purple.”
- Nelson George (music journalist): “Prince humped the bassist’s leg, kissed the keyboardist… Whatever was going on in frigid Minnesota was definitely freaky.”
The Eternal Rain: Why He Still Matters
Prince’s 2016 departure left a silence only his music fills. Yet his legacy thrives:
- Artistic Fearlessness: He fought Warner Bros. for creative freedom, infamously writing “slave” on his face and changing his name to a symbol
- Inclusion as Gospel: His bands, audiences, and beliefs celebrated unity. As Jones noted, “Nobody went to a Prince concert and said, ‘I don’t belong here.’”
On this day, we don’t just say “Happy Birthday.” We say thank you. For the guitar solos that cracked the sky, the kindness hidden in plain sight, and the courage to be defiantly, beautifully you. As Prince himself might whisper: “Don’t cry. He’s coming. Don’t die.”
“I wish U heaven. I wish U purple rain.”
— Prince, “I Wish U Heaven”
Prince of my favorite artists and musicians since I was a kid. I have every movie (except the Second Coming…still looking) and even got to see Prince live in concert on his Musicology tour as a high school graduation gift to myself. This man had style, the art of beautiful noise, and broke barriers in the music industry as he fought for his masters and royalties. Though he left us in 2016, his artistic presence lives on.
Enjoy one of his best performances from his best one of his best movies and albums… “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” from the Sign o’ the Times album and movie. Real music, real energy, real band, REALLY REAL!!!
What’s your favorite Prince memory? Share how his purple threads still weave through your life below. 💜