get off my dress: PURPLE REIGN

picture it kittens...it's the wintertime...in the year of 1982...

i was in a trance when i 1st heard HIM make his way across the airwaves on our family radio before i had any clue who he was or what he looked like...that sat askew atop our frigid air box...think'n to myself...1999 is like so very very far far away...but i'm buy'n whatever this guy's sell'n!

i was dreamin' when i wrote this
so sue me if i go 2 fast
but life is just a party...and parties weren't meant 2 last
war is all around us...my mind says prepare 2 fight
so if i gotta die i'm gonna listen 2 my body tonight

i was on my plead'n knee's begg'n Joan Crawford the follow'n christmas...

for thee entire cassette tape...so i could bask in and mimic his sexual prowess in the mirror...i mean come on...i was 12 and finally got to witness all the "CONTROVERSY" that winter on Mtv fer the 1st time at my neighbor Tom Babler's house...just as i was learn'n to turn on all those tingly sensations that were runn'n thru-out my fresh nubile body like lighten'n bolts

well christmas would come...but instead of fulfill'n my pathetically whiny pleas that fateful morn'n...as i was open'n my one PRESENT that i hoped was about to come true...i was instead presented with the Fred Mann orchestra performs the hits to Prince's 1999 cassette...with the original Woolworth's price tag barely cling'n on fer dear life after Joan had managed to scratch off the mountain of discount stickers on top of it...as if it were some sorta lottery card...though our heritage is irish...she might as well have been jewish that xmas...needless to say...i was not a happy camper that holiday season...that is all

by 1984...i was hooked on HIM like a hooker to heroin

and to make matters even worse...i couldn't believe when i found out...

that i was actually related to someone who would always be a pseudo celeb in my eyes...that was attached to one of the biggest musical films ever made in the 80's...that bein' my very own spunky outspoken doggie luv'n cuz Shelly...when she got to make an appearance in the open'n scene of "PURPLE RAIN"...(and she couldn't even sneak me in...HMMMF!...ummm insert laugh here kittens...i was only 13 at the time)...i was beyond excited fer her...but my envy was as thick as the rain forest

i was fortunate enough to finally get to see the "PARTYMAN" live twice in Minneapolis in the 90's...once with my sis-n-laws Kris & Jodie and then again with my good red headed irish tamale Karen

flash forward to 8:30 am last week thursday...

though last nites pizza was still try'na settle in my stomach...i woke to thee most unsettle'n news that morn'n...and my teenage angst years were heartbroken

so of course..me and my good red headed irish tamale Karen...

decided to pay tribute to the lil Purple Paisley man himself...who chooses to sit alone..."UNDER THE CHERY MOON"...it's the "SIGN OF THE TIMES"...lovesexy and all that jazz...our teenage angst wept in a glass of purple rain in uptown...that unfortunately just tasted more like grape windex...but to mr. bartender's credit...if we it had our way...one of us would've really tried to be with child 9 months later...MEEEOCH!

Minneapolis was in mourn'n...as was the rest of the world that sad day...

but by nite fall...everyone came together to rejoice and honor the man that said "I WOULD DIE 4 U" in droves were it all began...at First Avenue...with a free 3 day tribute dance party til 7 am...to honor the man with the "LITTLE RED CORVETTE"...it truly was a completely surreal experience that i was glad i got to experience with my sis-n-laws Kris and Kim along with my friends Poonani, Karen, Renee, Jen, Malcolm, Fredrick and his kitten Miss Monette and 1000's of other fans til the wee hours of the morn'n

his presence was not only honored in Minneapolis.,..

but also...around the world

but PRINCE was sooo much more than just a musician...

from my newly acquired hometown of Minneapolis in 1990...he was a ROCK GOD that single handedly created the Minneapolis sound for the X generation...that i secretly worshiped at least once a month durin' my many road trip car concerts where ever i went...his music and his image helped define not only many of my personality traits...but also helped out many other musical artists thru-out his extraordinaringly mind-blow'n career...that many might not be aware of...

though he wrote the haunt'n ballad that Miss O'Connor had made famous...

with "NOTHING COMPARES 2 U"

he also wrote the break up rock ballad...

"WHEN YOU WERE MINE"

for CYNDI LAUPER

the reason you never wanted sunday to end...

"MANIC MONDAY"

for the BANGLES

the best work-out reason to get away with shawls on a tread mill

"STAND BACK"

co-written for STEVIE NICKS

the drum beat'n fabulousness

"GLAMOROUS LIFE"

for SHEILA E.

and though originally written in 1979...he handed over

"I FEEL FOR YOU"

for CHAKA KHAN

of course we all remember his cohabitation with one Miss EASTON on...

"U GOT THE LOOK"...but did you also know...PRINCE wanted to "take you somewhere you've never been" inside Sheena's "SUGAR WALLS"

and with his "RASBERRY BERET" hitt'n it in heavy rotation on Mtv...

and even hard in the charts...he couldn't just stop there...cuz he also collaborated on a duet with the QUEEN on her come'n into her new cocoon album "LIKE A PRAYER" with "LOVE STORY"

there was even talk years ago about a possible world tour with the QUEEN and PRINCE

of course there will be the proverbial flood of "PURPLE RAIN" tears that'll

be flow'n 4 years 2 come...PRINCE has inspired millions with his music...along with the many humanitarian efforts he performed thru-out his career that he didn't feel the need to broadcast to the world and will always be known as the GOD of eclectic sexually infused R&B funky popp'n rock-n-roll fer me and millions of others...but what can ya do?...i say 2 tears in a bucket...mutha fuck it!..."LET'S GO CRAZY" and punch a higher floor