“Sometimes it snows in April,

Sometimes I feel so bad

Sometimes I wish that life were never ending

All good things, they say, never last.” – Prince

I sensed something was terribly wrong when my phone started ringing and buzzing with texts. I quickly glanced down and saw the word “Prince.” My heart sank. I prayed that it was hoax. His songs started playing on the radio:  Kiss. Little Red Corvette. Raspberry Beret. A death has been reported in Paisley Park. I turned the radio off.  By the time I walked in my front door, I was crying.

I have loved Prince for almost 30 years.

His music is like a personal soundtrack to special moments in my life.  Certain songs remind me of a moment or connection.  Certain lyrics always make me chuckle.

As a teenager listening to “Take Me With You,” I daydreamed that one day someone would sing that to me “I don’t care where we go, I don’t care what we do. I don’t care pretty baby, just take me with you.”  I remember my best friend Michelle telling me there was a secret message recorded backwards at the end of “Darling Nikki” and it completely freaked me out when she showed me.  Hear it here.

In college, my roommate Marina absolutely LOVED Prince. On Friday nights, Prince would be singing, “Hot Thang, barely 21. Hot Thang, looking for big fun,”as we got dressed to go out. Marina spent a whole semester learning Cat Glover’s rap at the end of “Alphabet Street.” Marina followed him to any nearby city he would perform.  She once brought him purple roses.

In my 30s, when my son became obsessed with Batman (the Michael Keaton one), he would dance around the room to “Partyman” and “Batdance.”  A couple of years later, I had tears in my eyes when my daughter tapped danced to “Musicology” in her first (and last) dance recital.

The “Welcome to America” tour almost put a strain on my marriage as I kept buying tickets every time a new show was announced.  First, I bought 2 tickets for Marina and me.  Then another night was added so I HAD to take my husband.  When Prince added that third night, I knew I had to go with my sister and cousin, both true funk soldiers.  Best concerts ever.  Prince performed in Madison Square Garden like it was a little club.  Everyone was singing and dancing in the aisles.

Last year when I trained for those 5K races, I trained to Prince’s new stuff, “Funknroll” and “Goldstandard.”  I became obsessed with adding new Prince pictures to my Prince Board on Pinterest.

Just this morning, Elena and I singing, “Starfish and Coffee” while getting ready for school. I was begging her to name her daughter “Cynthia Rose,” just so I can sing that song to her.  Who knew that in a couple of hours my Prince would be gone?

Rest in Peace, Prince.

I wish you heaven.

Nothing Compares 2 U.

Love is too weak to define, just what you mean to me.