Being based in Glasgow, Scotland, Prince fans aren't as widely prevalent, especially since the mid 90s, and despite there being loads, I'm sure many from my city have the same experience as me - in their social circle, they're known as The Prince Fan.

I've had a load of messages yesterday, with people I know, some amazingly well, some barely, instantly thinking of me when they heard the news. I was pretty vocal about the magic I could feel in Prince's music and desperate to share it with as many people as I could.

Despite that, I always felt a good bit jealous of those who seen Purple Rain and felt the sheer weight of that as an adult in that era. Those who had access to millions of shows in Paisley Park, those who were around for nights forever living in legend, those who had access to rare and unreleased music forever and were so, so passionate on here about the impact Prince had on their lives. For all that Prince meant to me, and defined a lot of who I am, the sheer weight of influence he had on so many of you makes my experiences pale by comparison.

I've cried. Loads. A 36 year old man who knows it's somewhat irrational to feel this way is struggling to come to terms with any of this. I still don't fully believe it if I'm honest.

If that's how I'm feeling, I have no idea how so many of you are able to cope with this one, and I hope you find the support and love from wherever you can throughout. I know to many it will seem pathetic, or the ever growing "grief police" will tell you how you should be feeling, but I think I get it, and I hate that anyone has to feel this way.

Prince was supposed to outlive me. He pretty much promised he would.

I don't post often on here, but I do see so many names that obviously have entire lives influenced by the music and life of Prince. I really, really hope you're all doing as well as you can.

Hope you're doing well too..and thanks for the kind words. I tried getting on here yesterday and couldn't due to the heavy traffic (which was to be expected). Like everyone else I'm speechless, sad, in shock..but at the same time I'm celebrating the man who brought so much joy into my life. I never thought that I would be typing this so soon..I feel like I lost a close friend or a family member. We're all going to cope in different ways and being able to speak here is healing..I know I'm not alone in how I feel..I'm sure everyone here received calls from family or friends nonstop yesterday and heard; "I was thinking of you when I heard the news"..I heard from some folks I haven't spoken to in a while so it was nice..Thanks again for this and peace and strength to everyone on the org.

weirdly enough, the first person i though about was Kcool. i mean, we poke fun at him/her
from time to time and all but clearly their devotion/adoration runs very deep. so that was
the first person i though about and hoped would be ok/managing the situation. i tried to
send them an orgnote but it didn't go through - i guess because the site is still dealing with
the heavy traffic, or Kcool blocked me either way, i hope you're ok Kcool.

and for that matter, a big to everyone on here.

i'm off to listen to his post 9/11 ahdioshow. i think that might be fitting for today.

Love back to you...

Not coping here and don't want to. Still numb, in shock and crying.

I saw Prince still rocking until 80 at least.This is just so unfair.

I just want to know what happened first so maybe I can sleep tonight.

IstenSzek said:

i'm off to listen to his post 9/11 ahdioshow. i think that might be fitting for today.

This is an excellent idea. Thanks.

I found it very comforting to discuss it with fellow fans today on FB. We share a similar grief.

to y'all

IstenSzek said:

weirdly enough, the first person i though about was Kcool. i mean, we poke fun at him/her
from time to time and all but clearly their devotion/adoration runs very deep. so that was
the first person i though about and hoped would be ok/managing the situation. i tried to
send them an orgnote but it didn't go through - i guess because the site is still dealing with
the heavy traffic, or Kcool blocked me either way, i hope you're ok Kcool.

and for that matter, a big to everyone on here.

i'm off to listen to his post 9/11 ahdioshow. i think that might be fitting for today.

I sent him an orgnote earlier. The first person I thought of was myself, really, but it was not long before I though of Kcool. I really hope he is coping.

Because of the rainbow over Paisley. Wow. God is real but why did he take our Prince so early?

Part swimming in every news story I can find, part complete and utter denial.

Thanks for your post, I feel the same way. Haven't even been able to cry about this, think I'm still in shock. I'm very grateful to have the Org as a place for us to gather and express these feelings, especially for those of us that live a solitary Prince-fan life!

nonames said:

IstenSzek said:

weirdly enough, the first person i though about was Kcool. i mean, we poke fun at him/her
from time to time and all but clearly their devotion/adoration runs very deep. so that was
the first person i though about and hoped would be ok/managing the situation. i tried to
send them an orgnote but it didn't go through - i guess because the site is still dealing with
the heavy traffic, or Kcool blocked me either way, i hope you're ok Kcool.

and for that matter, a big to everyone on here.

i'm off to listen to his post 9/11 ahdioshow. i think that might be fitting for today.

I sent him an orgnote earlier. The first person I thought of was myself, really, but it was not long before I though of Kcool. I really hope he is coping.

cool! very thoughtful and kind!

It's definitely hit me hard. I haven't really listened to much Prince since the Planet Earth album, but with this being so sudden, it's brought me back, and listening to some of the stuff I really enjoyed with fresh ears makes me realize all over again how brilliant he truly was.

It's hard, he was a huge musical influence on me, and I can say without hyperbole that without his influence, I wouldn't be able to be doing what I'm doing as a producer these days. Such a sad thing tho....

Where is Carrie MPLS?

Where are you Nancy?

IstenSzek said:

nonames said:

I sent him an orgnote earlier. The first person I thought of was myself, really, but it was not long before I though of Kcool. I really hope he is coping.

cool! very thoughtful and kind!

I´ve sent him an orgnote too. I know he gets mocked and ridiculed very often around here, and he posts weird stuff sometimes, but I appreciate his positivity and how honest he is in his admiration for the stars that he likes. Like Bart, he brings balance to this place, in his own unique way.

listening to final show...

Love you all.

It's the "oooh hooo hooo hoooo" bits in Purple Rain performances that have been getting to me as I've watched various live performances online - the one from Arsenio, the Super Bowl, and even that tribute from the cast of The Color Purple. I guess that's because those are the bits that speak to the real connection between him and his audience, and in which you hear and see people enthusiastically singing the love back to him in appreciation; or, in the case of the tribute, represent the forging, for a brief moment, a bond between those left behind, as they come together to affirm how much his music meant to them.

I guess that speaks to the fact that his music meant a great deal to me in my life, and makes me think of how I feel sad that he's passed away and I'll never get to see him perform again or hear what he's been working on lately. I've continued to enjoy doing that a quarter century on from having first become a fan, and generally found something to like on each new release - though, after a certain point, I'd come to realise, quite simply, that I was in it for the long haul, and it had become as much about checking in with someone who had become part of the texture of my life as checking out a new release.

So, in that sense, I suppose the sadness is wrapped up with a sense that this confims that that part of my life when I was getting into Prince and being opened up to a whole world of music in the process has passed and gone, as have so many of the other elements that made up the texture of life at that time - such as some family relationships, friends, and, of course, the youthful absence of any real sense of life's finitude. All those things are available now only in memory - though, of course, there are many other joys of life still to be savoured and new ones still to come, and much more music to be grooved to, including all those records he left us.

So, I'm generally enjoying listening to his music and watching performances today, even when it's emotional to do so. I feel a little bit proud that I was there and I bore witness to this musical talent that people and presidents are now affirming. RIP, Prince, my all-time musical hero, and thanks for all that great music.

[Edited 4/22/16 12:35pm]

Watching the non-stop MTV video's for hours now...and just untill Baby I'm a star tears started to poor...he's shining, fireworks from head till toe..the point where is carreer took that major lift and he's so young, alive and kicking, that strong body, that amazingly creative mind. Seeing the crowd go wild makes me even sadder...we will never be that crowd again ever. So blessed he was in our lives.

No one and nothing compares to him. It breaks my heart to think he was alone in that Paisley elevator dying...But having lived the lives of at least 10 people he must have been 570 years old. He's our inspiration, he took us on a incredible journey, a parade we all hoped never ended...

roos said:

Watching the non-stop MTV video's for hours now...and just untill Baby I'm a star tears started to poor...he's shining, fireworks from head till toe..the point where is carreer took that major lift and he's so young, alive and kicking, that strong body, that amazingly creative mind. Seeing the crowd go wild makes me even sadder...we will never be that crowd again ever. So blessed he was in our lives.

No one and nothing compares to him. It breaks my heart to think he was alone in that Paisley elevator dying...But having lived the lives of at least 10 people he must have been 570 years old. He's our inspiration, he took us on a incredible journey, a parade we all hoped never ended...

I first felt numb/in shock, but now I can't stop crying. (I can't bear to see his picture or hear his voice at the moment - it makes it worse, knowing he's gone forever...) I cry for me because I miss him so much already. And I cry for him, because it also breaks my heart thinking about the way he died : no one should die alone...

I'm not coping. I'm having a hard time accepting it. I haven't screamed like that since my mom passed. I didn't sleep and can't bring myself to listen to his music. I can barely get through the news reports. I must have gotten fifty calls and texts of condolences yesterday. It's like when my sibling passed last month.

Still crying off and on.

For now all I can do is take it one day at a time. I am glad that we have each other though.....who else really understands?

This is playing on continuous loop in my head.

Every time you go away
You take a piece of me with you
Every time you go away
You take a piece of me with you

just that chorus, over and over

or it's Prince's cover of Creep, which I watched yesterday.


One radio station here since yesterday has played nothing except Prince music and will continue all weekend, it makes me smile while I listen, yet I can't seem to play my own Prince music, don't know why.


I've read the levels of grief, seems I'm going through at least the first 4 all at the same time. But I'll admit today, I'm not waiting for the punchline like I was yesterday. I kept waiting, expecting it was all a joke.

[Edited 4/22/16 14:54pm]

babynoz said:

I'm not coping. I'm having a hard time accepting it. I haven't screamed like that since my mom passed. I didn't sleep and can't bring myself to listen to his music. I can barely get through the news reports. I must have gotten fifty calls and texts of condolences yesterday. It's like when my sibling passed last month.

Still crying off and on.

For now all I can do is take it one day at a time. I am glad that we have each other though.....who else really understands?

I feel the same way, as if a close family member passed away. My dad died a few years ago and again, this time, I'm having trouble sleeping, I can't eat. And what's worse, back then I found comfort in Prince : knowing there would always be new music, another concert to go to in the future, knowing he would always be there and his music, performances would bring some joy to my life again. It actually helped me to move on eventually. But now there's no comfort : I can't bear to listen to his music and I really feel I have nothing to look forward to anymore. I have no clue as to how to fill the void he's leaving. And I can't really turn to the people around me for comfort although quite a few texted me and called me after they had heard the news. I'm really grieving but I don't think they'd understand. That's why I'm glad you're all here to talk to