purplepoppy said:

Maybe this thread should be titled What do you think Prince was actually like without being mean.

Some posters sound like bad media writers, sensationalistic.

He preached love & compassion & gave his all. How many "stars" invite multitudes of folks to their home for music and pancakes? Uh, one and he has left us.

LBrent said:

purplepoppy said:

Maybe this thread should be titled What do you think Prince was actually like without being mean.

Some posters sound like bad media writers, sensationalistic.

He preached love & compassion & gave his all. How many "stars" invite multitudes of folks to their home for music and pancakes? Uh, one and he has left us.

People can be SO Ungrateful....

Maybe thats why he had to leave us so soon....

AnonymousFan said:

QueenofCardboard said:

.

Some people are so socially phobic that they find superficial conversation far more difficult and scary than intimate conversations and sex.

They skip the superficial conversation part, go straight to the intimate conversation, then to the sex, if the sex is good and orgasm is reached oxytocin is released in ones body.

Oxytocin is one of the hormone that causes pair bonding.

This breaks the ice and establishes enough trust to then have more relaxed interaction on a superficial level.

It is the opposite of things getting weird after sex.

Thing start out weird before sex and become normal and comfortable after sex.

Such a pattern requires that the person be very sensitive to the chemistry of others.

.

Also the more sex one has, the more sex one wants because the oxytocin released when one has an orgasm, stimulates the production of testosterone, which in tern lead to more sexual activity, hence more oxytocin, hence more testosterone and so on in a self perpetuating cycle resulting in an increasingly strong sex drive.

.

And studies have shown that performers such as actors, dancers, musicians and athletes have much much higher level of testosterone than average people with average jobs. (sometimes twice as high or even higher)

.

[Edited 9/24/16 20:42pm]

I think this is a decent analysis. His sex drive always bothered(s) me; he was just so unfaithful and hypocritical in his dealings with women, that it's becoming increasingly difficult to see him as a good guy.

[Edited 9/24/16 22:04pm]

Well basically he was a man, after all. And sex is life, after all. I think that was the message he was trying to get out before the ascendance in prominence of his spirituality trip. All people have a complex drive that requires a certain balance to maintain. Whether he was good or bad depends on how you were done by him. I don't know that he left people feeling entirely done over--my impression as a spectator removed.

Vannormal said:

jayseajay said:

Generous.

Kind.

Controlling.

Insecure.

Arrogant.

Sarcastic.

Goofy.

Sensitive.

Emotional.

Repressive.

Expressive.

Sensual.

Obsessive.

Intense.

Jealous.

Shy.

Hyperactive.

Perceptive.

Strong sense of justice.

Traumatized.

Fluid.

Spiritual.

Dogmatic.

Intelligent.

Playful.

Disciplined.

Generous. - propably yes, from what we hear.

Kind. - sure to most of the people and us fans

Controlling. - abso-fucking-lutely

Insecure. - sometimes yes

Arrogant. - no, 'cause arrogance implies insecureness...

Sarcastic. - no

Goofy. - depends when.

Sensitive. - Yes

Emotional. - pretty sure yes

Repressive. - Yes

Expressive. - not very sure about that, onstage, yes.

Sensual. - could be

Obsessive. - Yes

Intense. - musically, yes

Jealous. - probably, yes

Shy. - Yes

Hyperactive. - Yes

Perceptive. - could be

Strong sense of justice. - depends

Traumatized. - we'll never know for sure

Fluid. - don't think so

Spiritual. - Unfortunately yes

Dogmatic. - not sure at all

Intelligent. - sometimes

Playful. - oh yeah

Disciplined. - certainly yes

Vannormal is the judge.

Bodhitheblackdog said:

The ironies are beyond tragic: the 'great businessman' who left no will, the man totally opposed to drugs who died of an overdose, the fashion icon found in backwards clothes, the 'international lover' who died alone, the privacy freak whose every secret will now be picked apart for 100 years, the 'honest' soul who misled/lied to people , the man who railed against bootleg music who purchased bootleg pills, the man of great dignity whose amazing life ended in a most undignified way, the keeper of the sacred vault who, in the end, cared so little for its contents that he couldn't be bothered to arrange for its care and conservatorship.

Do I love the music and performances: more than words can express. Did I 'know' the man'...who really did?

A moutain of ironies, but honestly, i'm not surprised.

Besides a great performer and songwriter etc he was just a man, who struggled with the utmost normal things in life. Though, somehow he gave us the impression to be a bit above that (i think).

But you hit the nail right on with your remarks. I totally agree with you.

-

I just find it very tragic that we will never find out who he really was, and what he was suppose to write in his memoires.

-

...and by the way, was't he capable of reading the information leaflets on medicines/painkillers ?

Come on.

[Edited 10/2/16 2:52am]

We would have to know what the man's emotions and thoughts were in any given case know his real understanding of the world and, of course, many of us on the .org only know the tales he related that may or may not have been candid, and snippets of news from associates. Those tales present us with clues to puzzle over and motivate threads like this. It's interesting.
>
Observing another's life from a removed perspective occurs through filters that alter our real knowledge. You would have to be in his presence over a long period of time, perhaps months or years through unguarded moments, observing his actions--creating and relating to his creative and business associates (bandmembers, managers, artistic directors, proteges, engineers, attorneys, etc.), nuclear family and spouses, and the people he called his friends--to understand his true personality. I don't know if there is anyone who has offered such access in the normal course of their own life, so I think it's going to take many interviews on Prince with the aforementioned types to get more real knowledge of the man. I've been following his career, with admiration I should say, for a good part of my life so I'd like to have a closer look.
>
Judgements aside, I'm inspired to rehash some general knowns:
>
Prince came from a childhood of illness and what we understand to be a fracticious family life, experincing challenges with both parents. He greatly enjoyed the company of women and appreciated many aspects of their companionship. He posessed an extraordinary talent to learn to play several musical instruments and was extraordinarily driven to create music.
>
He became a musician by trade and developed talents as a capable songwriter and creative vocalist and put all of these abilities together to produce volumes of recordings as a one-man endeavor. He sought and shrewdly applied the talents of others to help develop business relationships within the recording industry; developed his understanding of the business; and worked very hard to exploit possibilities for trade. He designed an artist persona that he promoted in many ways while remaining personally intensely private and elusive, being shy with the public throughout the majority of his career; despite this trait, he sought discourse with his fanbase. He developed relationships with many musicians to create with, exploit, develop talent, and present live music with a band as a bandleader, lead instrumentalist and vocalist. He demanded discipline and absolute control within his work environment, and discouraged substance abuse among his employees. He offered songs and musicianship to other artists he admired.
>
He invested in his community, remaining a lifelong Minneapolis area resident and conducting quiet philanthopy among local and national charities. He built with his earings a recording studio/soundstage complex. He was driven by artistry, creating more recorded music, video, and songs than he had the ability to present to the public in a practical commercial manner. He kept long hours on the job and blended some personal interactions with the work, and by accounts could be highly humorous, devoted to those whose talent he helped cultivate, and be cuttingly exclusive in his dealings with some.
>
He found the inspiration to marry twice and spilt, divorcing his first wife and being divorced by his second, demonstrating difficulty in choosing a mate resiliant enough to compliment him, sustain intimacy with, or remain in good graces with for an extended time. He was a devout Christian throughout adulthood and ultimately embraced Jehovah Witness' teachings, often letting spirituality guide his life as a faith-based endeavour given by his broadcast of these beliefs on stage, record and later career dealings. He became a vegitarian to varing degree. He became recalcitrant with the Warner Brothers Corporation and the industry that helped build his career after observing the contract that he and other artists would be shepherded into by the management system, through misunderstanding, or by poor judgement. He became a strong advocate for artists rights pertaining to retaining publishing ownership and negotiating fair partnerships with the entertainment industry.
>
During his touring career he presented a physically dynamic stage show. He suffered injuries that may have been impairing and experienced pain in the process, perhaps--by my thought admittedly--enough to lead him into using pain medications. He ultimately became addicted to those powerful substances to the point where he perished from an overdose on the eve of seeking a professional medical intervention.
>
He certainly did much with his life and was not your typical individual. He put much on his his table of tasks. I'm sure there are other points that I miss here as well. Fill in the gaps of real knowledge with what you surmise and you nurture your own idea of what Prince was like on whole. I'm not judging the man--I'm wating to hear from the myriad people who had a relationship with him to share their observations and get some real insight on his life.

Germanegro said:

We would have to know what the man's emotions and thoughts were in any given case know his real understanding of the world and, of course, many of us on the .org only know the tales he related that may or may not have been candid, and snippets of news from associates. Those tales present us with clues to puzzle over and motivate threads like this. It's interesting.
>
Observing another's life from a removed perspective occurs through filters that alter our real knowledge. You would have to be in his presence over a long period of time, perhaps months or years through unguarded moments, observing his actions--creating and relating to his creative and business associates (bandmembers, managers, artistic directors, proteges, engineers, attorneys, etc.), nuclear family and spouses, and the people he called his friends--to understand his true personality. I don't know if there is anyone who has offered such access in the normal course of their own life, so I think it's going to take many interviews on Prince with the aforementioned types to get more real knowledge of the man. I've been following his career, with admiration I should say, for a good part of my life so I'd like to have a closer look.
>
Judgements aside, I'm inspired to rehash some general knowns:
>
Prince came from a childhood of illness and what we understand to be a fracticious family life, experincing challenges with both parents. He greatly enjoyed the company of women and appreciated many aspects of their companionship. He posessed an extraordinary talent to learn to play several musical instruments and was extraordinarily driven to create music.
>
He became a musician by trade and developed talents as a capable songwriter and creative vocalist and put all of these abilities together to produce volumes of recordings as a one-man endeavor. He sought and shrewdly applied the talents of others to help develop business relationships within the recording industry; developed his understanding of the business; and worked very hard to exploit possibilities for trade. He designed an artist persona that he promoted in many ways while remaining personally intensely private and elusive, being shy with the public throughout the majority of his career; despite this trait, he sought discourse with his fanbase. He developed relationships with many musicians to create with, exploit, develop talent, and present live music with a band as a bandleader, lead instrumentalist and vocalist. He demanded discipline and absolute control within his work environment, and discouraged substance abuse among his employees. He offered songs and musicianship to other artists he admired.
>
He invested in his community, remaining a lifelong Minneapolis area resident and conducting quiet philanthopy among local and national charities. He built with his earings a recording studio/soundstage complex. He was driven by artistry, creating more recorded music, video, and songs than he had the ability to present to the public in a practical commercial manner. He kept long hours on the job and blended some personal interactions with the work, and by accounts could be highly humorous, devoted to those whose talent he helped cultivate, and be cuttingly exclusive in his dealings with some.
>
He found the inspiration to marry twice and spilt, divorcing his first wife and being divorced by his second, demonstrating difficulty in choosing a mate resiliant enough to compliment him, sustain intimacy with, or remain in good graces with for an extended time. He was a devout Christian throughout adulthood and ultimately embraced Jehovah Witness' teachings, often letting spirituality guide his life as a faith-based endeavour given by his broadcast of these beliefs on stage, record and later career dealings. He became a vegitarian to varing degree. He became recalcitrant with the Warner Brothers Corporation and the industry that helped build his career after observing the contract that he and other artists would be shepherded into by the management system, through misunderstanding, or by poor judgement. He became a strong advocate for artists rights pertaining to retaining publishing ownership and negotiating fair partnerships with the entertainment industry.
>
During his touring career he presented a physically dynamic stage show. He suffered injuries that may have been impairing and experienced pain in the process, perhaps--by my thought admittedly--enough to lead him into using pain medications. He ultimately became addicted to those powerful substances to the point where he perished from an overdose on the eve of seeking a professional medical intervention.
>
He certainly did much with his life and was not your typical individual. He put much on his his table of tasks. I'm sure there are other points that I miss here as well. Fill in the gaps of real knowledge with what you surmise and you nurture your own idea of what Prince was like on whole. I'm not judging the man--I'm wating to hear from the myriad people who had a relationship with him to share their observations and get some real insight on his life.

Well said, I like your factual approach to answering the OPs question. As fans, due to our distant observation and interaction with him, the facts are the only thing we can go by.

Vannormal said:

Bodhitheblackdog said:

The ironies are beyond tragic: the 'great businessman' who left no will, the man totally opposed to drugs who died of an overdose, the fashion icon found in backwards clothes, the 'international lover' who died alone, the privacy freak whose every secret will now be picked apart for 100 years, the 'honest' soul who misled/lied to people , the man who railed against bootleg music who purchased bootleg pills, the man of great dignity whose amazing life ended in a most undignified way, the keeper of the sacred vault who, in the end, cared so little for its contents that he couldn't be bothered to arrange for its care and conservatorship.

Do I love the music and performances: more than words can express. Did I 'know' the man'...who really did?

A moutain of ironies, but honestly, i'm not surprised.

Besides a great performer and songwriter etc he was just a man, who struggled with the utmost normal things in life. Though, somehow he gave us the impression to be a bit above that (i think).

But you hit the nail right on with your remarks. I totally agree with you.

-

I just find it very tragic that we will never find out who he really was, and what he was suppose to write in his memoires.

-

...and by the way, was't he capable of reading the information leaflets on medicines/painkillers ?

Come on.

[Edited 10/2/16 2:52am]

.

That was one of the main points made in the article.

If he had read the information leaflets supplied by the pharmacy, it would have given him bad information about;

how to take this medicine,

how dangerous it was,

how strong it was,

how long it lasted

and how addictive it was.

.

Please stop blaming the victim and read the article.

.

Purdue Pharmispuedical Oxycontin http://www.latimes.com/pr...tin-part1/

.

[Edited 10/2/16 17:33pm]

QueenofCardboard said:

Vannormal said:

A moutain of ironies, but honestly, i'm not surprised.

Besides a great performer and songwriter etc he was just a man, who struggled with the utmost normal things in life. Though, somehow he gave us the impression to be a bit above that (i think).

But you hit the nail right on with your remarks. I totally agree with you.

-

I just find it very tragic that we will never find out who he really was, and what he was suppose to write in his memoires.

-

...and by the way, was't he capable of reading the information leaflets on medicines/painkillers ?

Come on.

[Edited 10/2/16 2:52am]

.

That was one of the main points made in the article.

If he had read the information leaflets supplied by the pharmacy, it would have given him bad information about;

how to take this medicine,

how dangerous it was,

how strong it was,

how long it lasted

and how addictive it was.

.

Please stop blaming the victim and read the article.

.

Purdue Pharmispuedical Oxycontin http://www.latimes.com/pr...tin-part1/

.

[Edited 10/2/16 17:33pm]

Well, I read this terrible and long boring article.

Nothing new.

Dozens, if not hundreds of articles against the capitalist medical world to be found everywhere.

And unfortunately they all have a great amount of truth in them.

But again, nothing new on earth concerning that.

And nothing interesting concerning Prince I think.

Everyone in the world has his own responsibility whenit comes to medication.

First of all, only take medicine when a doctor tells you to do so.

Never ever decide on your own what's best for you.

ONLY get medicines through legal ways.

Do exactly what a doctor tells you to do, and stick to the prescriptions.

Only decide together with your doctor if something needs to be changed, whatever...

Tell some trustful people, your family or your closest friends that you take medication.

Like that you're not alone when it gets out of hand.

It's as simply as that.

The victim is otherwise to blame. But all depends of the complexity of the situation of course.

And most of all... be honest about it to yourself (and others).

Vannormal said:

And most of all... be honest about it to yourself (and others).

.

Thanks for reading the article.

.

Last night PBS covered the same story about how the manufacturers of Oxycontin started the opiod epidemic.

.

So you don't feel sorry for all those people with chronic pain that got addicted to Oxycontin, and ended up dead as a result?

.

You think that if they had just not lied to themselves they'd still be alive.

.

Because the way I see it, if the pharmaceutical company had not lied to their doctors, they'd still be alive.

.

Germanegro said:

I think he was a human being like all of us.

He was who he was and I fully accepted him for who he was without question.

In all things that he may have dealt with in his personal life,

first and foremost, he was a musician!

He lived, breathed, ate, and thought about music.

That is what he did and that was mostly what he was.

He was a composer of his time. He wrote, produced, and performed his songs.

He used a number of great, talented wonderful people who carried out what he wanted his performance to look like!

And they ALL did a SPECTACULAR JOB!

Thanks for the memories!

[Edited 10/10/16 17:26pm]

An angel who apparently smelled great

Asenath0607 said:

Germanegro said:

We would have to know what the man's emotions and thoughts were in any given case know his real understanding of the world and, of course, many of us on the .org only know the tales he related that may or may not have been candid, and snippets of news from associates. Those tales present us with clues to puzzle over and motivate threads like this. It's interesting.
>
Observing another's life from a removed perspective occurs through filters that alter our real knowledge. You would have to be in his presence over a long period of time, perhaps months or years through unguarded moments, observing his actions--creating and relating to his creative and business associates (bandmembers, managers, artistic directors, proteges, engineers, attorneys, etc.), nuclear family and spouses, and the people he called his friends--to understand his true personality. I don't know if there is anyone who has offered such access in the normal course of their own life, so I think it's going to take many interviews on Prince with the aforementioned types to get more real knowledge of the man. I've been following his career, with admiration I should say, for a good part of my life so I'd like to have a closer look.
>
Judgements aside, I'm inspired to rehash some general knowns:
>
Prince came from a childhood of illness and what we understand to be a fracticious family life, experincing challenges with both parents. He greatly enjoyed the company of women and appreciated many aspects of their companionship. He posessed an extraordinary talent to learn to play several musical instruments and was extraordinarily driven to create music.
>
He became a musician by trade and developed talents as a capable songwriter and creative vocalist and put all of these abilities together to produce volumes of recordings as a one-man endeavor. He sought and shrewdly applied the talents of others to help develop business relationships within the recording industry; developed his understanding of the business; and worked very hard to exploit possibilities for trade. He designed an artist persona that he promoted in many ways while remaining personally intensely private and elusive, being shy with the public throughout the majority of his career; despite this trait, he sought discourse with his fanbase. He developed relationships with many musicians to create with, exploit, develop talent, and present live music with a band as a bandleader, lead instrumentalist and vocalist. He demanded discipline and absolute control within his work environment, and discouraged substance abuse among his employees. He offered songs and musicianship to other artists he admired.
>
He invested in his community, remaining a lifelong Minneapolis area resident and conducting quiet philanthopy among local and national charities. He built with his earings a recording studio/soundstage complex. He was driven by artistry, creating more recorded music, video, and songs than he had the ability to present to the public in a practical commercial manner. He kept long hours on the job and blended some personal interactions with the work, and by accounts could be highly humorous, devoted to those whose talent he helped cultivate, and be cuttingly exclusive in his dealings with some.
>
He found the inspiration to marry twice and spilt, divorcing his first wife and being divorced by his second, demonstrating difficulty in choosing a mate resiliant enough to compliment him, sustain intimacy with, or remain in good graces with for an extended time. He was a devout Christian throughout adulthood and ultimately embraced Jehovah Witness' teachings, often letting spirituality guide his life as a faith-based endeavour given by his broadcast of these beliefs on stage, record and later career dealings. He became a vegitarian to varing degree. He became recalcitrant with the Warner Brothers Corporation and the industry that helped build his career after observing the contract that he and other artists would be shepherded into by the management system, through misunderstanding, or by poor judgement. He became a strong advocate for artists rights pertaining to retaining publishing ownership and negotiating fair partnerships with the entertainment industry.
>
During his touring career he presented a physically dynamic stage show. He suffered injuries that may have been impairing and experienced pain in the process, perhaps--by my thought admittedly--enough to lead him into using pain medications. He ultimately became addicted to those powerful substances to the point where he perished from an overdose on the eve of seeking a professional medical intervention.
>
He certainly did much with his life and was not your typical individual. He put much on his his table of tasks. I'm sure there are other points that I miss here as well. Fill in the gaps of real knowledge with what you surmise and you nurture your own idea of what Prince was like on whole. I'm not judging the man--I'm wating to hear from the myriad people who had a relationship with him to share their observations and get some real insight on his life.

Reads more like "what he did/accomplished", while I think the OP's intent was to examine/discuss the "who" of the man. I know we do not know because we didn't know him. I too would find it interesting to hear from those who had a relationship with him; but in my heart I believe that no one truly knew him; that people just knew the small pieces he choose to reveal/share.

But that happens with everyone not just Prince,we just show what we think or feel it's right to show to others.

[Edited 10/12/16 21:16pm]

Printastic!

Bodhitheblackdog said:

Bodhitheblackdog said:

The ironies are beyond tragic: the 'great businessman' who left no will, the man totally opposed to drugs who died of an overdose, the fashion icon found in backwards clothes, the 'international lover' who died alone, the privacy freak whose every secret will now be picked apart for 100 years, the 'honest' soul who misled/lied to people , the man who railed against bootleg music who purchased bootleg pills, the man of great dignity whose amazing life ended in a most undignified way, the keeper of the sacred vault who, in the end, cared so little for its contents that he couldn't be bothered to arrange for its care and conservatorship.

Do I love the music and performances: more than words can express. Did I 'know' the man'...who really did?

Interesting obervations.

trc1 said:

I think he was like ALL the versions he presented to us (in inteviews, videos, on stage, etc) and at least a dozen more. He was definitely meticulous, perhaps even a bit obsessive compulsive. High strung - meaning, he probably found it difficult to truly relax - which is unfortunate for someone who WORKED SO DAMN MUCH! In one of the magazines post April, a band member remembers back in the early days - when they were still sharing hotel rooms - that music on the radio would be BLASTING when he was trying to sleep. And one night the band member came in, and heading to sleep himself, turned off the radio. Having Prince utter - eyes still closed - don't EVER turn off the music - it's the only thing that keeps the monster at rest (I am paraphrasing from memory, sorry if it's not 100% on point). But this strikes me as a very good impression of what it was like for him. He had to literally DROWN OUT his muse, because it was working at all hours of the day/night. It's intriguing, and impressive but also, in some ways, unfortunate. Like I said, I get the impression he wasn't able to truly relax - at least in the earlier days. Or if he did, those moments were too few and far between. He also has eluded to this in interviews - when asked if he would take a vacation or a rest - saying he could never stop because he feels like that is putting a cap on his gift from God and could never do that. As a fan, I am grateful - for the endless music he has shared with the world. But on a person-to-person level, kind of heartbreaking. If he felt like he couldn't stop - that he worked himself around the clock some times, with minimal sleep, without seeking medical care etc because couldn't stop long enough to do that (the last 7 days of his life with us seem like a true representation of this and it's devastating).

jayseajay said:

Generous.

Kind.

Controlling.

Insecure.

Arrogant.

Sarcastic.

Goofy.

Sensitive.

Emotional.

Repressive.

Expressive.

Sensual.

Obsessive.

Intense.

Jealous.

Shy.

Hyperactive.

Perceptive.

Strong sense of justice.

Traumatized.

Fluid.

Spiritual.

Dogmatic.

Intelligent.

Playful.

Disciplined.

^^^this too

I found this QUote the other day...

I LIKE IT a LOT:

For all the laurels that are rightfully heaped on Prince, we should always remember that he dealt with inordinate pain. To me, that's one of the most important parts of his story. He endured a tragedy that would irreversibly diminish the spirit of most any man. And yet, despite that horrifically dark chapter in his life, he ascended as an uplifting spiritual force. To me, that psychological triumph is one of his greatest legacies. . Matt Carcieri Author, Prince: A Life in Music