tbag said:

Honestly, to me he looks "pill high" in this pic. I've seen this look in people that abuse pills/painkillers. I call it "zombie eyes" - kinda spaced out, walking dead look.

Exactly. You can see it in this pic. I've been saying it for years, but the mods would always lock a thread down, if you said Prince was abusing drugs, so I had to talk around it sometimes. SNL was another example. His mood and his general vibe was that of something, trying to prove they've got it all together and really they don't. I thought at the time, it was possibly cocaine. I wanted to scream it in 72pt font back then but I knew it would just derail the thread and everyone would lecture me about how Prince doesn't do drugs, yada yada. I think, a mod offered to ban me over it once, but sadly, I was closer to correct than I would have liked.

Miles said:

From that photo of Prince, I was reminded of some images of the ancient Egyptian Pharoah Akhenaten.

No agenda other than interesting observation here:-). I've thought before that Prince looks/ looked a bit like the images of this guy, who was probably Tutankhamun's dad.

They both even wore eyeshadow!!

OH MY GOD. TUTANKAMUN'S DAD LOOKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OLD AND SAD IN THIS PHOTO. HE MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN SUFFERING. I BLAME MAYTE AND DAMARIS AND SHEILA AND VANITY AND APOLLONIA AND SUSANNAH AND JILL AND ANNA AND CARMEN AND NONA. LOOK AT WHAT THOSE WOMEN DID TO TUTANKHAMUN!!!! REST IN PEACE OMFG TUTANKHAMUN WTFBBQ!!!!111111!!!

Bunsterdk said:

morningsong said:

Everything about him looks good, his hair was perfect, his skin flawless, his makeup done well, but his normally bright expression eyes which he has always used well, aren't well, and I think it's intentional as if he's not even trying to mask his feelings.

That's the impression I get as well. Like he's letting us see a vulnerability that we have hitherto not seen. Or not often anyway. He is very, very beautiful, especially his eyes. But the sadness/vulnerability is immense.

I think he was beautiful in his 20's and so very beautiful at 57. He is showing a vulnerability in this photo but to me there is always a vulnerability about him. His photos on his first release, Prince-For You, and also for Prince show the same softness and vulnerability at an early age. IMO that is a big part (other than his music) that caputures people's heart. I don't recall any photos of him looking harsh. The lighting in this photo is also very high and is hitting his forehead causing shadows with his eyelashes. He is also looking straight on so we are seeing most of his eye lids. Some of his photos are with his head tipped down and his eyes looking up so we don't see his lids making him look more alert. When I look at this photo I see a beautiful man with no pretension and just is, whatever the situation. I do see a sadness and I always see a sadness or vulnerability in him. We know he had health problems and I am so very very sorry. So I imagine that is reflected as well. There will never be another.

laytonian said:

That's not an official photo. It was taken by an audience member.

It's horrible, because of the strange lighting at that concert (colorful balls bouncing around everything).

It looks professional to me.

rap said:

suomynona said:

donnyenglish said:

Kara said:

suomynona said:

Bunsterdk said:

Kara said:

Bunsterdk said:

That's not the picture we're talking about here surely? I'm getting the picture of him holding his necklace. He's not even wearing the same clothes. [Edited 7/1/16 2:22am]

No, not the piano pic that Donny, the thread-starter originally posted, which is the probable last official pic. Rap posted the link to the Justine Walpole pic and asked if that was the last pic. Donny and I are saying it's not, as it was taken in February and posted on Prince's instagram. The links Rap and I posted are indeed the same picture (look at the background), but only the last picture that particular photographer, Justine Walpole, took, not the last one ever.

With that said, he looks much different in the February photo than the "last" photo. He simply looks very weak in that "last" photo, which should be no surprise to us now in retrospect given what he was going through. Perhaps things started to take a turn for him in early April when he had to cancel the Atlanta show. Everything seemed to be ok until after the Toronto show when he had that affluenza tweet. I suppose he was trying his hardest to go cold turkey, which made him sick, and just needed some damn help. Makes me so sad.

In hindsight we could be here all day saying how this picture and that video seems odd. I've done it myself. Just the other day I noticed that even his dance moves looked different from 2014 onwards. There's some live footage on YT where you can see a bald spot on the top of his head. All of a sudden that walking cane is everywhere too.

Truth is we were all caught off guard and simply did not expect to loose him this soon.

MMJas said:

In hindsight we could be here all day saying how this picture and that video seems odd. I've done it myself. Just the other day I noticed that even his dance moves looked different from 2014 onwards. There's some live footage on YT where you can see a bald spot on the top of his head. All of a sudden that walking cane is everywhere too.

Truth is we were all caught off guard and simply did not expect to loose him this soon.

Agreed. I guess I am stating the obvious. He appeared to be sick in the photo taken days before his death and days after a near death experience and after several weeks of being sick. What else would we expect? I think the thing to focus on is that he LIVED in those final weeks despite his condition. Performing some of the best concerts in his career, recording, enjoying the company of his friends, parties at Paisley, hanging out in Minneapolis, etc. Prince would not have had it any other way. I'm so proud of our Prince.

[Edited 7/1/16 10:14am]

rogifan said:

steakfinger said:

If you saw the picture when it first came out (pre-death), then why didn't you say anything then? Why didn't ANYONE say he looked stoned or pill high when this picture first came out? It's because he doesn't. You and everyone else are imagining things with hindsight.

If only we knew/

we shoulda/coulda/been

been able to save you.

If I were [Prince associate]

I woulda known,

they shoulda known

not to [leave him alone]

It's their fault,

I can't [yell at him, see him in concert/?] anymore.

--so many of these threads.

In the picspam thread, I noticed he seemed... his age after 2014? My aunt's about his age. She'd look a lot like him in terms of aging with the same amount of makeup under the same lighting conditions.

Kara said:

suomynona said:

Miles said:

From that photo of Prince, I was reminded of some images of the ancient Egyptian Pharoah Akhenaten.

No agenda other than interesting observation here:-). I've thought before that Prince looks/ looked a bit like the images of this guy, who was probably Tutankhamun's dad.

They both even wore eyeshadow!!

OH MY GOD. TUTANKAMUN'S DAD LOOKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OLD AND SAD IN THIS PHOTO. HE MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN SUFFERING. I BLAME MAYTE AND DAMARIS AND SHEILA AND VANITY AND APOLLONIA AND SUSANNAH AND JILL AND ANNA AND CARMEN AND NONA. LOOK AT WHAT THOSE WOMEN DID TO TUTANKHAMUN!!!! REST IN PEACE OMFG TUTANKHAMUN WTFBBQ!!!!111111!!!

Stop it.

donnyenglish said:

Kara said:

suomynona said:

OH MY GOD. TUTANKAMUN'S DAD LOOKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OLD AND SAD IN THIS PHOTO. HE MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN SUFFERING. I BLAME MAYTE AND DAMARIS AND SHEILA AND VANITY AND APOLLONIA AND SUSANNAH AND JILL AND ANNA AND CARMEN AND NONA. LOOK AT WHAT THOSE WOMEN DID TO TUTANKHAMUN!!!! REST IN PEACE OMFG TUTANKHAMUN WTFBBQ!!!!111111!!!

Actually LMAO <pedant hat>

Akhenaten (possible illnesses)

Tutankhamen

The research showed that Tutankhamun also had "a slightly cleft palate"^[22] and possibly a mild case of scoliosis, a medical condition in which the spine deviates to the side from the normal position. Examination of Tutankhamun's body has also revealed deformations in his left foot, caused by necrosis of bone tissue. The affliction may have forced Tutankhamun to walk with the use of a cane, many of which were found in his tomb.^[23] In DNA tests of Tutankhamun's mummy, scientists found DNA from the mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria. This is currently the oldest known genetic proof of the disease. More than one strain of the malaria parasite was found, indicating that Tutankhamun contracted multiple malarial infections. According to National Geographic, "The malaria would have weakened Tutankhamun's immune system and interfered with the healing of his foot. These factors, combined with the fracture in his left thighbone, which scientists had discovered in 2005, may have ultimately been what killed the young king."^[23]

Egyptian pharoahs were sickly as hell and didn't have the benefits of modern medicine or anti-biotics or dentistry. They probably would've have blamed some some women, witches or gods. Remember they had the benefit of ancient photoshop, aka flattering sculptors. </pedant hat>

terrig said:

He looks a little teary, and he looks triumphant yet weary and resigned. There is also elegance and strength ... "Take a picture baby, I ain't got time to waste..."

When talent, destiny & opportunity line up - fcking WOW. just LOOK AT THE INSANE BEAUTY.

I think this is the best sum-up I've seen.

When I see this picture, I see a man that needs to lay down and REST. I also see a man that might need to go hide away and cry about whatever the heck it is is going on (in his case, possibly his pain, addiction, the death of his ex-love Vanity). I can agree with some other commenters about how his lips are parted. It's like he wants to say, "Help me." Or maybe I'm just delusional. I know that he parted his lips in several photos in the past, but the way they're parted in this photo is just different, I feel. Could be wrong. Now that I've said my piece, I'm gonna forget all about it and cherish one of the last media moments we had with Prince.

DELETE

[Edited 7/2/16 19:11pm]

This photo was also taken within the last two weeks before his death. The other photo definitely has some color issues, it could be the stage lighting. The piano was purple, not pink.

motherfunka said:

tbag said:

funksterr said:

This is a really good article from Justine on that last February shoot.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/from-teen-dreams-to-privileged-post-behind-princes-purple-curtain/news-story/5ffca1d4787918b237d02a57cb9b20bf

morningsong said: