benni said:

Militant said:

Actually I think we all knew him.

To know someone's art, is to know the artist.

When Prince had something to say, he said it through song.

If you truly listened, you knew him.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. But the one thing to keep in mind is that we only know people based upon our own perceptions of that person and the perception of the experiences with that person. Those perceptions of the person and the experiences are competely you. We can only know those things they share with us, and even that knowing of what they share with us is our own perception of it, therefore ourselves. Those we are closest to, we only know the bits and pieces they share with us, and those bits and pieces are colored by our own perception of what is shared. I cannot know what it is to be you. I cannot know every thought, every emotion, every sensation you experience, therefore I can never fully know you, only my perception of who I think you are. But I do know who it is to be me, perceiving you, and therefore I know who you are as myself. Does that make sense?

This is some funny shit right here!!!

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Totally agree

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98% of all dialogue we have is with ourselves

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What Prince was extremely adept at doing...was expressing that 98% internal dialogue through music/poetry

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That, I believe, is why we are here at the org

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Because Prince communicated beautifully...what we say to ourselves everyday.

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And what we say to ourselves everyday... manifests itself... in how we both percieve and present ourselves to the world

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Prince is the conduit of kindred spirits

[Edited 6/23/16 11:34am]

benni said:

Militant said:

Actually I think we all knew him.

To know someone's art, is to know the artist.

When Prince had something to say, he said it through song.

If you truly listened, you knew him.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. But the one thing to keep in mind is that we only know people based upon our own perceptions of that person and the perception of the experiences with that person. Those perceptions of the person and the experiences are competely you. We can only know those things they share with us, and even that knowing of what they share with us is our own perception of it, therefore ourselves. Those we are closest to, we only know the bits and pieces they share with us, and those bits and pieces are colored by our own perception of what is shared. I cannot know what it is to be you. I cannot know every thought, every emotion, every sensation you experience, therefore I can never fully know you, only my perception of who I think you are. But I do know who it is to be me, perceiving you, and therefore I know who you are as myself. Does that make sense?

so it all comes down to our perception of whats in the music..

Astasheiks said:

I think Prince thought it was funny to play games with people. For example the Thread that talks about his website developers saying he was on the org all the time.... I think when he took Damaris to the Warrior game courtside, he knew some of us we be on here wondering if he was dating her, friends or whatever, I think he liked the speculation. And all the other things that he did to seem mysterious but at the end of the day he wasn't Hidding nothing from God!!!

but... but... who was he supposed to go to the game with? His damn self?? I don't think he gave this place a single thought in relation to that - he liked bball (Thunder was his fave team), he loved the ladies, zero math to do in that equation. You do know Damaris is connected to the NBA world, yes? (she used to do little fashion report segments as far as I know) Makes total sense they'd attend a game together

Sheila E. said it best, "I don't think nobody really knew Prince"!!! heehee

I don't think Prince even knew himself.

avajane said:

Prince the person, no, Prince, the artist, yes and at the end of the day that's how it should be. He wrote his own lyrics and seemed to be honest about what he wrote, but he was so big on appearances that he will always remain a mystery and I think that's how he liked it. We get too caught up in artists we like and we want to know everything about their personal life, when we have no right to it, he gave us his music and that's all we should ask from an artist, if we even have a right to it at all.

Agreed. Trying to know someone, anyone, celebrity or otherwise, can only bring heartache and disappointment when that person does something inappropriate, or finally ascends to the next life. The best thing any of us can do is know his music. If I remember correctly, Prince himself said he wanted to be remembered for his music in an interview many moons ago. When he wasn't being Prince, he was a private individual who valued privacy. Remember the music and the memories those songs gave us, good and bad. That's his legacy and the part of "Prince" we can all say we truly know.

No. That's part of what kept me interested.

Connected said:

Krystalkisses said:

No I never personally knew him. The only times I saw him in person were at his concerts and Paisley Park. Yes I loved the Prince persona, whatever I knew about Prince I knew from reading about him, stories from people who have met him, his music, lyrics, ect.....so no I never thought I knew him in an intimate sense...more like I thought I understood him in what he was saying in his music...and honestly from biographies I thought he was a fascinating study in psychology really, I thought he was such a complex individual...

Now however I guess I am realizing how little I did actually know...to be honest I wasn't following Prince's work for the last six or seven years....but his death really made me very sad as a fan...it brought me back to my childhood when I first developed a huge crush on him...he became a fantasy in my formative years and his unfortunate death "reminded" me how I felt about him as a young girl )(and in my 20s there was a period then too when I was a huge fan)...I don't know maybe men would find this hard to understand but that first huge crush as a girl feels kinda special. Maybe someone to project your romantic fantasies and feelings on at a crtitical time in development...I was just wondering if anyone else could relate that is all.

I totally get this

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Reflecting on our reunion...it amazes me, the impact he had on how we see the world through this "purple filter"...and that we "get it" when others don't

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Thanks.

Yes I know what you mean about being a fan of Prince and any affinity you felt towards other people who just got it.

From a fan standpoint, I personally never felt like I knew him while he was alive, he always had a sense of mystery and intrique around him. But I think I liked that fact, that he spoke in code and for years didn't speak to the media and was really in control of things. I feel in his passing I am starting to find out things I didn't know and it's actually making me appreciate him more and I feel sad like damn, we were lucky to have him for this long but wish he was still here on earth. He was so unique and this place is a definately not the same without him!

Krystalkisses said:

panpac777 said:

I definitely feel the same thing. I'm trusting what I know. Cause everything else was planned.

Yeah. It was planned that Prince would die 17 years before the average lifespan of a black American.

Militant said:

Actually I think we all knew him.

To know someone's art, is to know the artist.

When Prince had something to say, he said it through song.

If you truly listened, you knew him.

agreed 100%

32 years a fan... Been listening incessantly throughout those years, dissecting lyrics and always interested in other people's interpretations... Read everything I could get my hands on (and continue to); interviews, bios, articles, etc... Study everything about his performance style...

Never once felt like I knew him in the slightest. Without a personal, face-to-face relationship - no one can know anyone. Regardless of how many albums one owns or the number of concerts one has attended. To suggest otherwise is wishful thinking at best (and, depending on the individual, flat-out delusional).

[Edited 6/30/16 8:00am]

i completely understand what the original post meant. Especially the feeling of embarrassment in myself for forming an imaginary friend who I felt I had almost hung out with because of the hours upon hours of interviews, songs, lyrics, performances, photos, stories, bios, bootlegs rehearsals, and in some cases, proximity to him or direct contact with people on his team; all for over 30 years. This goes down to the movies on his shelf, the outsider music he referenced or mentioned, the way he dealt with blunders or bad times, and the seeming lean clean discipline with which he kept his physique. But suddenly comes the slap in the hardest way, that no, you did not truly know him or what was going on in his mind and life. But, I feel did get an inkling of this after the tragedy of his and Mayte's first child and the fact that he did not acknowledge it as real in any way in interviews or the Jam of the Year tour after.

On a positive note, with all the charity stories and acts of love and goodwill, I've also seen that he had a good and honestly loving energy to him that I didn't know the true extent of. Also, he really was a true romantic, romanticizing reality, and I really think that is cool. In fact, I think it is pure gold, that romantic idealism.

ufoclub said:

i completely understand what the original post meant. Especially the feeling of embarrassment in myself for forming an imaginary friend who I felt I had almost hung out with because of the hours upon hours of interviews, songs, lyrics, performances, photos, stories, bios, bootlegs rehearsals, and in some cases, proximity to him or direct contact with people on his team; all for over 30 years. This goes down to the movies on his shelf, the outsider music he referenced or mentioned, the way he dealt with blunders or bad times, and the seeming lean clean discipline with which he kept his physique. But suddenly comes the slap in the hardest way, that no, you did not truly know him or what was going on in his mind and life. But, I feel did get an inkling of this after the tragedy of his and Mayte's first child and the fact that he did not acknowledge it as real in any way in interviews or the Jam of the Year tour after.

On a positive note, with all the charity stories and acts of love and goodwill, I've also seen that he had a good and honestly loving energy to him that I didn't know the true extent of. Also, he really was a true romantic, romanticizing reality, and I really think that is cool. In fact, I think it is pure gold, that romantic idealism.

Right on to what you said! Thanks for sharing that.

I've missed life since then. I do the minimum to get through and basically haunt the computer devouring everything about him. I could do a thesis on Prince Rogers Nelson. I almost feel like I'm in his skin. I wish the pain would let up a bit.

AnnaStesia10 said:

From a fan standpoint, I personally never felt like I knew him while he was alive, he always had a sense of mystery and intrique around him. But I think I liked that fact, that he spoke in code and for years didn't speak to the media and was really in control of things. I feel in his passing I am starting to find out things I didn't know and it's actually making me appreciate him more and I feel sad like damn, we were lucky to have him for this long but wish he was still here on earth. He was so unique and this place is a definately not the same without him!

You summed up exactlly how I feel. I love his music but I am so addicted to any interviews and the stories others can share about their experience with him. I find I am very addicted to the interviews where he confesses he feels comfortable with the person and you hear him crack jokes or he reveals something about himself that you do not get when watching his videos or live performances(never got to see him live and I am kicking myself so hard for that)

[Edited 7/11/16 1:48am]

mimi1956 said:

I've missed life since then. I do the minimum to get through and basically haunt the computer devouring everything about him. I could do a thesis on Prince Rogers Nelson. I almost feel like I'm in his skin. I wish the pain would let up a bit.

Sorry about this post, it was supposed to be in the Has anyone missed work since..., somehow I clicked on this, don't know how I did that. Now I don't even see that thread. I think I'm losing it.

CROWNS1 said:

I don't think Prince even knew himself.

I agree with this.

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I think Prince knew aspects of himself and never deviated from that or changed, such as his work ethic or his devotion to music - but I think the reason behind his so constantly and consistently changing his look, his interests (or at least some of his interests) and his seeming trouble with relatioships is that there was as a large part of himself he didn't know or understand. He was continually searching. Searching for what exactly, who knows? He likely didn't even know.

Of course we didn't know him! I can't imagine what it must be like being 1 person and the whole world thinks they know you and want a piece of you. You create music-a lot of music-and it’s pretty much up for interpretation. Everyone has an opinion. You can't go anywhere without someone snapping your picture, writing something, making crap up, strangers wanting to touch you. It must have been pretty weird sometimes! I'm sure he had lots of fair weather lovers, friends and fans. It had to suck sometimes and I'm sure it was frightening as well. Prince Rogers Nelson was a human being like everyone else. But Prince the international star was something even bigger, huge, gigantic; bigger than he was. People lied to him, people took advantage, some people could care less what he was feeling or if he was happy or healthy, just as long as he was making money. On one hand he could have whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, he made music the way he wanted to and he had to fight hard for that freedom, and I'm sure he didn't have many friends when he was going through that! There is a price to fame; a real evil side to it, that destroys your very soul. We have seen it before. It's like making a deal with the devil. I'm sure life was extremely hard for him. He talked about his struggles all the time, but he also talked about how much he loved sharing what he had and he wanted us to be inspired. He said it was his purpose, and it was. No one understood him, and we never will. But his steadfast faith in God got him through and I admire and respect him for that. I do love him, I love what he means to me and I love his music, his mystery, his sex appeal, the fact that I think he and I would have made a good couple (ha) The idea that I know him and he understands me is magical, but that's all in my head. What makes it cool is he understood that as well, and he was okay with it. I think he knew US better than we knew him!

[Edited 7/2/16 20:19pm]

[Edited 7/2/16 20:20pm]

[Edited 7/2/16 20:42pm]

ldmendes said:

Of course we didn't know him! I can't imagine what it must be like being 1 person and the whole world thinks they know you and want a piece of you. You create music-a lot of music-and it’s pretty much up for interpretation. Everyone has an opinion. You can't go anywhere without someone snapping your picture, writing something, making crap up, strangers wanting to touch you. It must have been pretty weird sometimes! I'm sure he had lots of fair weather lovers, friends and fans. It had to suck sometimes and I'm sure it was frightening as well. Prince Rogers Nelson was a human being like everyone else. But Prince the international star was something even bigger, huge, gigantic; bigger than he was. People lied to him, people took advantage, some people could care less what he was feeling or if he was happy or healthy, just as long as he was making money. On one hand he could have whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, he made music the way he wanted to and he had to fight hard for that freedom, and I'm sure he didn't have many friends when he was going through that! There is a price to fame; a real evil side to it, that destroys your very soul. We have seen it before. It's like making a deal with the devil. I'm sure life was extremely hard for him. He talked about his struggles all the time, but he also talked about how much he loved sharing what he had and he wanted us to be inspired. He said it was his purpose, and it was. No one understood him, and we never will. But his steadfast faith in God got him through and I admire and respect him for that. I do love him, I love what he means to me and I love his music, his mystery, his sex appeal, the fact that I think he and I would have made a good couple (ha) The idea that I know him and he understands me is magical, but that's all in my head. What makes it cool is he understood that as well, and he was okay with it. I think he knew US better than we knew him!

[Edited 7/2/16 20:19pm]

[Edited 7/2/16 20:20pm]

[Edited 7/2/16 20:42pm]

thi would make a great t-shirt

CROWNS1 said:

ldmendes said: