nursev said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Well he wasn't so young any longer. Older people look... different, no matter how sad, this happens to everyone. I agree with you though, there is definitely a noticeable weary look that wasn't there before.

You have a point about the aging process, but 57 is not old Poor Prince just went through something bad...that makes me sad.

Every body ages at a different pace. Some 57 year olds look like they are in their 60's others 40's. He had been aging beautifully, but this came with lightening speed almost. Something just wasn't right. I just wish we knew for our own heartache to stop. I think it's the not knowing the reason for the opiods that is what is prolonging the black hole in our hearts.

Why do people assume that you can't be very ill and still be happy? And smiling happily in a situation even if you are miserable inside? Or perhaps feeling good right now because of the situation you're in that enables you to forget about reality for a while?

Believe me, it is possible. Not even extraordinary in any way. My chosen father was like that last time I saw him before he died. He had terminal lung cancer. He was happy because we were together and having an interesting conversation, laughing etc. But of course he was still feeling the disease inside him.

You guys would totally have deemed him capable of living another twenty years from the way he looked. He was gone after ten days.

Prince looked totally adorable in this picture. Of course he did. He was Prince. I'm very happy to see him smiling so happily. It's comforting to know that he was able to do that. But if you can't see the signs that things weren't going well with him, then I really don't know what to say anymore. It actually makes me sad as it does explain why nothing substantial was done to keep him alive. People didn't (want to?) recognise the severity of the situation. Even though the signs were there in plain view. So sad.

I don't see how not revealing what was going on does in any way protect him. Not when we know how he died. I just don't get it. And I fear we'll keep battling with this lack of knowledge. I don't even need to know what was wrong. Just that something was. I realise we don't have a right to know, but the discussion will continue till we do, I have no doubt.

Bunsterdk said:

Why do people assume that you can't be very ill and still be happy? And smiling happily in a situation even if you are miserable inside? Or perhaps feeling good right now because of the situation you're in that enables you to forget about reality for a while? Believe me, it is possible. Not even extraordinary in any way. My chosen father was like that last time I saw him before he died. He had terminal lung cancer. He was happy because we were together and having an interesting conversation, laughing etc. But of course he was still feeling the disease inside him. You guys would totally have deemed him capable of living another twenty years from the way he looked. He was gone after ten days. Prince looked totally adorable in this picture. Of course he did. He was Prince. I'm very happy to see him smiling so happily. It's comforting to know that he was able to do that. But if you can't see the signs that things weren't going well with him, then I really don't know what to say anymore. It actually makes me sad as it does explain why nothing substantial was done to keep him alive. People didn't (want to?) recognise the severity of the situation. Even though the signs were there in plain view. So sad. I don't see how not revealing what was going on does in any way protect him. Not when we know how he died. I just don't get it. And I fear we'll keep battling with this lack of knowledge. I don't even need to know what was wrong. Just that something was. I realise we don't have a right to know, but the discussion will continue till we do, I have no doubt.

THANK YOU!!! He is beautiful here, but obviously there are deeper issues than addiction. He's happy, and that smile. <3

His eyebrows looked drawn on, his eyes are sunken in. If he had cancer, why can't his family just say, "Prince had ----cancer. He didn't want his fans to know."

It boggles my mind.

Tresha68 said:

Well if he didn't want his fans to know why would his family go against his wishes?

rogifan said:

Tresha68 said:

THANK YOU!!! He is beautiful here, but obviously there are deeper issues than addiction. He's happy, and that smile. <3

His eyebrows looked drawn on, his eyes are sunken in. If he had cancer, why can't his family just say, "Prince had ----cancer. He didn't want his fans to know."

It boggles my mind.

Well if he didn't want his fans to know why would his family go against his wishes?

I agree with you about family/friends keeping his wishes. But, sometimes I think "isn't it worse for people to think he was addicted to drugs if it wasn't just that?" I mean, at the end of the day, it's none of our biz. But, we all loved him and the whole world loved him - but at the same time do you let people think "whatever" they want if it hurts someone's character? (Not saying the RX issue hurt his character, b/c it certainly did not affect it for me - he was one of the most wonderful humans to ever live). Like, if the family was able to say - look, he was terminally ill and not just abusing drugs... so back off.

Regardless, it's P's business and b/c he was always so private I hope that people continue to respect his privacy - but as a fan, I selfishly want to know more. Internal Struggle.

PCEANDBWLD said:

I agree, and can definitely co-sign the internal struggle. If I knew anything that wasn't public knowledge, no-one would get a peep out of me either. It's not easy.

PCEANDBWLD said:

rogifan said:

Tresha68 said: Well if he didn't want his fans to know why would his family go against his wishes?

I agree with you about family/friends keeping his wishes. But, sometimes I think "isn't it worse for people to think he was addicted to drugs if it wasn't just that?" I mean, at the end of the day, it's none of our biz. But, we all loved him and the whole world loved him - but at the same time do you let people think "whatever" they want if it hurts someone's character? (Not saying the RX issue hurt his character, b/c it certainly did not affect it for me - he was one of the most wonderful humans to ever live). Like, if the family was able to say - look, he was terminally ill and not just abusing drugs... so back off.

Regardless, it's P's business and b/c he was always so private I hope that people continue to respect his privacy - but as a fan, I selfishly want to know more. Internal Struggle.

I agree with your post and feel the same way. I guess the family is trying to empathize with what Prince would have wanted them to devulge about his health. Since he was so private and didn't talk to the press about anything very personal they are just trying to honor that? I don't know...in life he didn't seem to care about setting the record straight about anything in his personal life, even if that meant people would make negative assumptions of him. Maybe not saying anything is just their way of honoring him. But yes as a fan I wish I understood more, I hate how defensive I feel when people who didn't know much about him think of him as a typical, drug abusing rock star. I hate that I don't even have the evidence to believe otherwise, eventhough my intuition says there was probably way more to the story. I simply don't know what to believe.

klick2me said:

Please forgive me but I'm speaking from experience; perhaps he is under the influence and his eyes tell the story. Again, forgive me.

It is hard for me to give a good interpretation of the picture because I know the story of what happened afterward (e.g. he died soon afterward, he was addicted to painkillers, and so on), so I am going to project that knowledge onto what I see in the picture.

The two things that strike me most about the picture are (a) the pinpoint (constricted) pupils and (b) how good his skin looks. I realize he is wearing heavy makeup, but he aged really well. Somehow in reading about Prince since he died, I came across information that using opiates causes pinpoint pupils. And since coming across this information about the pinpoint pupils, I have made a point to look at some pictures of him and I have noticed that a lot of the later photos of him (past 10 years) have the pinpoint pupils, for example, the photo where he is wearing the blue suit jacket with the black collar and white polka dots.

Overall, knowing what I know now that he has died, I would say the photo reflects where he was in his life...experiencing a lot of pain.

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).

Even if it is not an official photo, he clearly posed for the photo. Also, the photo is very high-quality. It doesn't look like it was taken with a cell phone camera.

PCEANDBWLD said:

I think his wishes matter more than what some people might think. Plus the people that want to believe he was just a typical rock and roll junkie will probably believe that no matter what.

rogifan said:

True. I'm actively working on not caring what people think. It would be the Prince thing to do. For me personally, I have the information I need to move on. I'll get there. Eventually.

Why are some fans so intent on pushing this cancer theory, despite the fact there is no evidence to support it, but rather evidence to disprove it? Why the need for the melodrama, and making the situation even sadder than it already is? It's interesting that no one dares to entertain the AIDS stories, though. Is that what this is about? Making Prince's death more palatable to you and your own prejudices?

Kara said:

What evidence have you seen to disprove the cancer theory? Other than the notion that you can't smile, have fun etc if you have a cancer diagnosis. Try following Driving Miss Norma on Facebook.

If you step outside your own prejudices for a little while and read what is actually written here, not many if any are specific about what we think was wrong. We only say that we see clear signs that something was.

I have no problem with the aids diagnosis. I don't think that's what was wrong with him, but cancer or aids are the same to me. I was young and wild in my youth and am almost the same age as Prince. I have taken the test too. Negative fortunately, but that doesn't make me any better than the wonderful people I knew who died from this disease. Aids is a disease, nothing more and nothing less. You could get it from other things than sex actually, but there is hardly a Prince fan not ready to acknowledge that our guy was rather busy in that department in his early days.

My argument against aids would be that he would have been dead long ago if it had been aids. He had stopped his wild life around the time it stopped being a death sentence, and he would have gone the same way as Freddy Mercury long ago if he had been infected at that time. But I don't know and it doesn't matter now.

I'm just being realistic and facing the clear signs that something was really wrong with him the last year or so and especially near the end. If that makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry.
[Edited 7/14/16 3:02am]
[Edited 7/14/16 4:56am]

Kara said:

Why are some fans so intent on pushing this cancer theory, despite the fact there is no evidence to support it, but rather evidence to disprove it? Why the need for the melodrama, and making the situation even sadder than it already is? It's interesting that no one dares to entertain the AIDS stories, though. Is that what this is about? Making Prince's death more palatable to you and your own prejudices?

Personnally, if he did have HIV or even AIDS, it would just be very sad - just like any other things that could have happened to him would, not "less palatable". Please step out of your own judgement box and unfounded negative assumptions. These categorisation of illnesses are the kind of behaviour that can lead anyone to isolate themselves and hide their wounds/weaknesses from others without seeking any help by fear of judgement. These type of mindsets could even be the core root and reason of what has happened to him.

[Edited 7/14/16 3:47am]

CherryMoon57 said:

[Edited 7/14/16 3:46am]

Kara said:

Why are some fans so intent on pushing this cancer theory, despite the fact there is no evidence to support it, but rather evidence to disprove it? Why the need for the melodrama, and making the situation even sadder than it already is? It's interesting that no one dares to entertain the AIDS stories, though. Is that what this is about? Making Prince's death more palatable to you and your own prejudices?

I have not discounted Aids i.e. Kaposi Sarcoma. AIDS is not a homosexual or an intervenous drug users disease.

AND, if you truly look with honest eyes, you will see he was suffering a physical ailment. If you look with honest eyes you will see that it looks as though his eyebrows are penciled in and the lack of facial hair as well as the undyed and thinning hair under his hat. Why are these statements melodrama or demeaning? His smile lights up the photo and that is the FIRST thing I see. But, I am not one to live in rose colored glasses.

There is also a very good explanation for the pinpoint pupils, some people suffer from miosis. If I were stopped at any given time for a traffic violation, I would appear high from my pupils. It isn't until a breath test or blood test that it would be obvious I wasn't.

Whether he died from an overdose (which he did) or complications of a terminal illness (which I believe) he was still a musical God. However, he was JUST an man.

If this thread bothers you, why enter into the dialog?

Kara said:

Seems like there's more people pushing AIDS than cancer even though there's no credible AIDS theory either. It's almost as if some people want him to have died from AIDS or something....

So I've natually been listening to Prince nonstop lately and also have been re-examining lyrics. If you listen to the lyrics of "Breakdown" and think of it in the sense that he could have been talking about a "disease" breaking his body down, slowly but surely, the song takes on a whole new meaning. Really, there isn't much in the song that doesnt make sense if you look at it this way. Not saying he had a disease or even what the disease might have been, but to me, once I look at it this way, I can't hear it any other way. Yes, it could still be about a relationship, etc, but it makes more sense to me that he is talking about his body being broken down. Also there a so much emotion in his voice towards the end (although tht is not uncommon for Prince, so...)

Just humor me for a sec and read:

BREAKDOWN:

Listen to me closely as the story unfolds (the story has been unfolding as of late, and the disease may have been unfolding through the years)
This could be the saddest story even been told (and yes, it is the saddest story...maybe he's trying to tell us that) Saddest story that he's ever told because it's his life and a song about his life ending.
I used to want the house with the biggest pool
I've been missing out I just feel like a fool (he realizes that life is getting shorter and wishes he would have done more to live the life he wanted while he still could)

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down (to me he is talking about the disease breaking him down...littery, like breaking down cells in his body or whatever)
Keep breaking me down, down, down

I used to throw the party every New Year's Eve
First one intoxicated, last one to leave
Waking up in places that you would never believe
Give me back the time, you can keep the memories (asking to give him back that time he wasted because maybe he knows time is what he needs most now)

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down

Every book I've read said that I would meet somebody like you (i dont know if he's talking about medical books he's read or if he's talking about the bible? and maybe he is refering to meeting God? not positve on this one)
Whenever I was sorry, so sorry for the things I used to do (maybe confessing sins at the end of life and going with God?)
A journal full of numbers that I used to go through
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) all behind me now, all because of you (Could be just talking about how his life is shortened and all the chasing woman and superficial things are behind him and dont matter any more..as in use the time you have left for things that matter most) OR HE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT A JOURNAL OF NUMBERS (AS IN HIS SONGBOOKS) AND THAT HIS SONGS ARE NUMBERED NOW BECAUSE HIS LIFE IS ENDING) To me YOU refers to the disease or ailment.

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down

You keep breaking me, you keep breaking me down
I don't wanna walk out (dont wanna walk out of life? of this world yet?)
Don't wanna go down, down, down (as in being taken "down" by a disease)

See there's a door that you can walk through (door to the otherside, as in Heaven or the afterword)
Where there used to be a wall (there is a wall until you pass over)
I don't care, it's cool as long as you catch me baby
(Catch me when I fall) If there's ever a fall (asking God to catch him when he leaves the earth)
Closer to the breakdown, the closer we get (the closer we get to Heaven?)

So that is my interperation to that song. Who the hell knows if it's close or not. Just a very interested take on the song after his death. What do you guys think?

[Edited 7/14/16 7:25am]

[Edited 7/14/16 7:32am]

[Edited 7/14/16 7:32am]

Bunsterdk said:

This is the same argument I have against P being a long time user of painkillers. He most likely would have been dead long before now if he was. Certainly if he was using Fentanyl. Also changes in appearance were really only noticible in the last year or so. Maybe even starting in 2014 though I think he looked damn fine on the Aresenio Hall show. I personally think the big afro made him look older. I'd be curious to see what he looked like if someone photoshopped a 2010 or 2011 hair style on his 2015 face/body.

thequeenofthekings said:

So I've natually been listening to Prince nonstop lately and also have been re-examining lyrics. If you listen to the lyrics of "Breakdown" and think of it in the sense that he could have been talking about a "disease" breaking his body down, slowly but surely, the song takes on a whole new meaning. Really, there isn't much in the song that doesnt make sense if you look at it this way. Not saying he had a disease or even what the disease might have been, but to me, once I look at it this way, I can't hear it any other way. Yes, it could still be about a relationship, etc, but it makes more sense to me that he is talking about his body being broken down. Also there a so much emotion in his voice towards the end (although tht is not uncommon for Prince, so...)

Just humor me for a sec and read:

BREAKDOWN:

Listen to me closely as the story unfolds (the story has been unfolding as of late, and the disease may have been unfolding through the years)
This could be the saddest story even been told (and yes, it is the saddest story...maybe he's trying to tell us that) Saddest story that he's ever told because it's his life and a song about his life ending.
I used to want the house with the biggest pool
I've been missing out I just feel like a fool (he realizes that life is getting shorter and wishes he would have done more to live the life he wanted while he still could)

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down (to me he is talking about the disease breaking him down...littery, like breaking down cells in his body or whatever)
Keep breaking me down, down, down

I used to throw the party every New Year's Eve
First one intoxicated, last one to leave
Waking up in places that you would never believe
Give me back the time, you can keep the memories (asking to give him back that time he wasted because maybe he knows time is what he needs most now)

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down

Every book I've read said that I would meet somebody like you (i dont know if he's talking about medical books he's read or if he's talking about the bible? and maybe he is refering to meeting God? not positve on this one)
Whenever I was sorry, so sorry for the things I used to do (maybe confessing sins at the end of life and going with God?)
A journal full of numbers that I used to go through
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) all behind me now, all because of you (Could be just talking about how his life is shortened and all the chasing woman and superficial things are behind him and dont matter any more..as in use the time you have left for things that matter most) OR HE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT A JOURNAL OF NUMBERS (AS IN HIS SONGBOOKS) AND THAT HIS SONGS ARE NUMBERED NOW BECAUSE HIS LIFE IS ENDING) To me YOU refers to the disease or ailment.

Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down
Keep breaking me down, down, down

You keep breaking me, you keep breaking me down
I don't wanna walk out (dont wanna walk out of life? of this world yet?)
Don't wanna go down, down, down (as in being taken "down" by a disease)

See there's a door that you can walk through (door to the otherside, as in Heaven or the afterword)
Where there used to be a wall (there is a wall until you pass over)
I don't care, it's cool as long as you catch me baby
(Catch me when I fall) If there's ever a fall (asking God to catch him when he leaves the earth)
Closer to the breakdown, the closer we get (the closer we get to Heaven?)

So that is my interperation to that song. Who the hell knows if it's close or not. Just a very interested take on the song after his death. What do you guys think?

[Edited 7/14/16 7:25am]

[Edited 7/14/16 7:32am]

[Edited 7/14/16 7:32am]

This is SO interesting........... he always said he didn't do interviews b/c his music said it all....... so maybe. This might have been therapy for him too, if it were true. Either way, great song. I've also thought about the song June... although, I haven't gotten to HNR yet b/c I"m making my way through his albums and enjoying them in order and it's taking a while to get back up to the newer stuff.

StereoSushi said:

Thank you Thank you. Thank you. Photoshop plays a huge part in the way Prince looked in photos at 57 years old, let alone the heavy make up etc. If you watch the end of the Judith Hill documentary on Youtube where he's locked outside you'll see how much he has aged. People are in denial if they think that a "photo" shows how much the man stayed youthful. Thank you thank you thank you.

Yes, this is absolutely true. There are a few photos out there with no touch ups done and they do show how he really looks without makeup...still handsome, but looking more realistic in the face....you know, like the rest of us. Here he is in May 2014 at 55 in all his natural beauty:

Picture is here: http://www.hollywood.com/...-59859664/

[Edited 7/14/16 8:10am]

rogifan said:

Bunsterdk said:

My argument against aids would be that he would have been dead long ago if it had been aids. He had stopped his wild life around the time it stopped being a death sentence, and he would have gone the same way as Freddy Mercury long ago if he had been infected at that time. But I don't know and it doesn't matter now.

This is the same argument I have against P being a long time user of painkillers. He most likely would have been dead long before now if he was. Certainly if he was using Fentanyl. Also changes in appearance were really only noticible in the last year or so. Maybe even starting in 2014 though I think he looked damn fine on the Aresenio Hall show. I personally think the big afro made him look older. I'd be curious to see what he looked like if someone photoshopped a 2010 or 2011 hair style on his 2015 face/body.

I agree with the fro making him look older (although it might have just been his health deteriorating as well). Ask and you shall recieve...haha (graphic designer and at work)....I might get fired.

Hair from the 80's

Hair from 2000's

No alterations except color adjusted the pinky hue out...

I dont think I uploaded the photos right. See if you can click on the links instead. I uploaded to Google Photo...hmm

Hair from the 80's - LINK

Hair from 2000's - LINK

No alterations except col...... - LINK

[Edited 7/14/16 8:38am]

No luck with the links....get an error msg on all three.

I agree with the fro making him look older (although it might have just been his health deteriorating as well). Ask and you shall recieve...haha (graphic designer and at work)....I might get fired.

Hair from the 80's

Hair from 2000's

No alterations except color adjusted the pinky hue out...

I dont think I uploaded the photos right. See if you can click on the links instead. I uploaded to Google Photo...hmm

Hair from the 80's - LINK

Hair from 2000's - LINK

No alterations except col...... - LINK

[Edited 7/14/16 8:38am]

Mumio said:

No luck with the links....get an error msg on all three.

I agree with the fro making him look older (although it might have just been his health deteriorating as well). Ask and you shall recieve...haha (graphic designer and at work)....I might get fired.

Hair from the 80's

Hair from 2000's

No alterations except color adjusted the pinky hue out...

I dont think I uploaded the photos right. See if you can click on the links instead. I uploaded to Google Photo...hmm

Hair from the 80's - LINK

Hair from 2000's - LINK

No alterations except col...... - LINK

[Edited 7/14/16 8:38am]

Shoot. I'm stumped on what I'm doing wrong. I've never posted a pic on here. Maybe if I email them to someone they could post?

thequeenofthekings said:

Mumio said:

No luck with the links....get an error msg on all three.

Shoot. I'm stumped on what I'm doing wrong. I've never posted a pic on here. Maybe if I email them to someone they could post?

Try clicking on the pic, choose copy (image) then paste it here? This is how I post pictures in the massive pic thread so it should work for you too.

[Edited 7/14/16 8:57am]

Mumio said:

thequeenofthekings said:

Shoot. I'm stumped on what I'm doing wrong. I've never posted a pic on here. Maybe if I email them to someone they could post?

Try clicking on the pic, choose copy (image) then paste it here? This is how I post pictures in the massive pic thread so it should work for you too.

[Edited 7/14/16 8:57am]

https://goo.gl/photos/Kepz6UFu4FbaBnTr8

Try the link above. And the way you said to do it didnt work for me. Nothing pasted. Hope this works

thequeenofthekings said:

That worked for me at least. The middle one actually makes it stand out more to me. Not his physical appearance, but the look in his eyes. Back when he had that hairdo, he had really sad eyes in many photos, but this is just much worse than any of them.

Wow.. Hopefully someone gave him the hug he so clearly needed that day.

Bunsterdk said:

thequeenofthekings said:

https://goo.gl/photos/Kepz6UFu4FbaBnTr8

Try the link above. And the way you said to do it didnt work for me. Nothing pasted. Hope this works

That worked for me at least. The middle one actually makes it stand out more to me. Not his physical appearance, but the look in his eyes. Back when he had that hairdo, he had really sad eyes in many photos, but this is just much worse than any of them. Wow.. Hopefully someone gave him the hug he so clearly needed that day.

His eyes for sure look tired. His eyes were always so bright in the past. But tired eyes are part of getting old. The pink hue did not help! the one that I reduced the pink for sure helped a little. But still his eyes look empty. The original pic I can just imagine his chest going up and down and breathing heavily as if it was a struggle. But we could analize this pic till the cows come home . LOL Sometimes the lighting is just bad or a person is tired, so what do I know?

thequeenofthekings said:

Mumio said:

Try clicking on the pic, choose copy (image) then paste it here? This is how I post pictures in the massive pic thread so it should work for you too.

[Edited 7/14/16 8:57am]

https://goo.gl/photos/Kepz6UFu4FbaBnTr8

Try the link above. And the way you said to do it didnt work for me. Nothing pasted. Hope this works

Yes, this link worked...thanks for putting up those pics.

There was a lot being said with those eyes no matter the hairstyle. The eyes are the windows to the soul.....

[Edited 7/14/16 9:37am]

Mumio said:

I'm really wondering by now who took the picture. That might explain it. Or not.