But a progressive he was NOT. He was a 7th day adventist, switched to Jehovah's Witness, and was a registered Republican.

As opposed to "Purple Rain", which was 'Am I straight or gay?" Most people can relate much more easily to that.

He even stopped playing staples like "Little Red Corvette", "Darling Nikki", and "Sexy MF".

The performance was his 80"s and 90's hits. Only a couple of newer tracks.

When he converted to JW in the early 00's, a LOT of songs were gone.

Glad he turned it around and embraced his best stuff.

of Fame. That was on nasty set he started off with. Amazing.

non-stop primary coverage.

but he was a progressive and supported BLM and many other progressive causes.

In my world all religion is BS so if I use your definition of a progressive there are very few

Absence of war, you and me
Maybe we can finally say
Enough is enough, it's time for love
It's time to hear
It's time to hear the guitar play, guitar play
Baltimore, ever more

If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace

Are we gonna see another bloody day?
We're tired of the cryin' and people dyin'
Let's take all the guns away

If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace
If there ain't no justice then there ain't no peace

when he played in Baltimore last year after the Freddie Gray murder and cover-up.

What a great line!

At least in 1990.

There are different kinds of conservatives, and some are also progressive.
Virtually all liberals these days are progressive.

Don't be confused by the fact that a group on the far left that needs a name is trying to appropriate this word for themselves alone. It's a big, important concept, far too big for any one group to deny to the rest of humanity. (And, they really should not want to.)

Progressive actions can be local, organizational (such as church), state, and federal, and the political issue is what is the appropriate scope of progressive action. Many conservatives feel (have been taught) that government should not be used to solve social problems or interfere with "natural" economic systems. But not all, by any means, and in some periods in the past Republican progressivism was common and in one era even a dominating ideology.

Check U.S. Progressive Era and New Deal.

Donated money to the Boschwitz campaign.

What on earth was he thinking of? Maybe he liked him. Or maybe he objected to Wellstone's opposition to gay marriage. Nevertheless, progressives do vote as they wish, like everyone else, and I'm commenting on the current common but very mistaken notion that only a group to the left of liberals can be progressive.

Note that even those anti-government knuckledraggers who angrily demanded the government "keep their hands off my Social Security" are progressive on that one issue, and likely others they haven't figured out because their know their label is "Republican," and progressives are those other guys.

Prince was guided primarily by the Bible with regard to social issues, as he stated many times in interviews throughout his career.

in the end, hopefully his religion was a comfort.

selected spheres, which is exactly how most progressives do it.

The essence of progressivism is ACTION. It's not a label, it doesn't have its own special colors or logos that one recognize it by, it is identified by any group taking large-scale action to advance the wellbeing of the group and often those beyond.

Anti-progressives insist it is the responsibility of individuals to help themselves. They feel that when larger groups act to create favorable conditions for individuals, they are weakening society and encouraging dependence.

See post 20 below

And of course he switched around, he switched everything around. Everything including his music, his look, persona, etc. It makes sense he'd switch his affiliated identities around as well- and there's not a damn thing wrong with that. He was never just one thing for very long. Except a genius.

I'd be surprised if he was even registered to vote.

as soon as that article came out supposedly quoting him.

I had remembered seeing the link I posted a long time ago, and remember hearing that he was Republican as far back as the late 90s. I never saw any refutations, but if there are that's a good thing. Prince has always been a musical inspiration to me. One of my all-time favorites.

'Nuff said.

They are strictly non-political for very specific reasons. They don't vote, for example. At all. The reasons basically boil down to "be in the world (obey the laws) but do not be of the world (entangled in the devil's trickery).

As values go, there are Jehovah's Witnesses that are both.

But the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have strongly conservative views on same-sex sexual expression, same-sex marriage, abortion, recreational use of marijuana and tobacco, and certain medical procedures.

Don't confuse declining to participate in elections and politics with being liberal on social issues.

JW's are some of the biggest hypocrites around. The make all kind of claims that they are not "wordily", yet when it comes to money, they make all kinds of exceptions. The more money you have, and of course donate to them, they more you can get away with. From the top down to the local congregations, money is a huge factor in how you are treated, and how much you can get away with.

I agree with you, most JW's could never dress like he did, or even listen to his kind of music, without fear of being caught and having to face the local elders. Of course if you are an elder, a wife of an elder, or child, you also get away with a lot more than most JW's do.

They are non political.

Prince otoh, did whatever the fuck he wanted, I'd wager.

The ones I've told to hit the road were as far right as you can almost get. They seemed to show up during election years.

This one blew my brains

and damn he played 27 instruments - that is genius

He was funny, weird and he owned the shakti-funk personally. Last year I heard the first hour of his concert from Baltimore and he was in amazing form.

Damn I would have loved to see him live

Joy Reid really knows her Prince stuff - I'm impressed

an after hours club date at which he was truly profound and odd. The best. Song after song, instrument after instrument, his vocals of great range musically and emotionally. He was the full ticket. And short as fuck. He had this album that got bootlegged to the point that he released it called the Black Album that I was really crazy for, strange and dark and theatrical cuts.....
Can't believe it.

Seriously he was talented beyond belief.


Music does that to us - he was a genius

made me think of a song- 2NU4WC.
I wound up playing some of the songs on it over and over
Saw him twice . Unforgettable energy

Ironically shorter than myself that isn't much taller, but Prince was a giant when it came to art, culture and music.

It's not the size of a person, it's the size of the shadow they cast.

I liked couple of his songs, but I never paid to see him in concert or bought any of his music.

Just wasn't that big of a fan.

That One Time Michael Jackson Told James Brown to Invite Prince On Stage

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/04/21/prince_michael_jackson_and_james_brown_on_stage_together_video.html

Thanks for posting that.

:thubmsup:

Sid

He was on something in that video. It was so funny he tried to twirl around a column and it fell over. Haha

Under the Cherry Moon was the album (soundtrack from the film of the same name) that had the great misfortune to follow Purple Rain as Prince's second movie. Nothing could recapture the glory of Purple Rain, and that movie and album are overlooked (with the exception of the track "Kiss"...)

The track in my head is appropriately "Sometimes it Snows in April", a slow, plaintive ballad and one of his lesser known tracks, but like almost everything he did, there are parts of it that stay with you and become part of you.

The world lost far more than an icon or an singer today, we lost one of the rare people who transcend media and become artists in the way that Beethoven or DaVinci or Bach did in the past. His genius as a musician and wildly prodigious catalog of unreleased tracks, albums and projects is left behind to history, but I will miss his magnetic persona, his incredible showmanship and his introspective nature and willingness to share all of that through his music and performances.

A significant part of my transition from childhood to teenager to adult was soundtracked by Prince from 1982-1995 and that part of me mourns deeply today.

Rest In Peace Prince Rogers Nelson.
You will be missed by me and millions of others as long as we live, breath, cry and love.

for a long time but Doves Cry, Party Like It's 1999, and Little Red Corvette have been the rotating favorites by Prince.

I wonder if it was in the "Cherry Moon" movie that has the version of Kiss that I remember... perhaps a video clip? where he and a female artist danced around during the song where she was totally shredding it with open-handed strumming. Never forgot that but can't find it anywhere online... so far.

When doves cry.

the queen's 90th birthday - oh the irony

Prince is part of our local news right now

Irony indeed.

various news sites yesterday and today.

who knew him, including managers, on NPR and they are all crying while trying to talk. NPR is carrying it as their lead story... what a surprise!!

He MADE the Minneapolis Sound. I lived in the GL area when he first hit the scene, I fell in love and never looked back.

Prince was a genius and he gave generously to progressive causes without a lot of noise

They must be more pissed now since they weren't invited
https://www.rt.com/usa/267418-obama-prince-concert-white-house/?
<snip>
President Barack Obama and his family held a “private party” at the White House over the weekend reportedly featuring 500 guests and musicians like Prince and Stevie Wonder, but the lack of previous disclosure has sparked questions about transparency.

The party took place Saturday night, according to the New York Post’s Page Six, and while little is officially known about the shindig, questions from persistent reporters ultimately prodded the White House into confirming the event – and clarifying that the Obamas paid for it themselves.

it was such a good secret and they never got their 'free' passes. Must hurt even more today

to post us the best radio station for us to listen to the music and tributes

Lovely

He was a special person who had an artistic vision that will influence music for many years - hell, it already has.

and do Karaoke. You guessed it, I did "Kiss" with the hip gyrations.

It was fun, and just looking at all the beautiful ladies looking at a 5'4 blond chick grinding those tunes out vocally was awesome.

I won't pretend they fainted over me, but I didn't go home alone.

You all just got a glimpse into mine.

I was sort of ambivalent about Prince...liked some of his music, didn't like others.

Ask any musician.

The guy fucking blew my mind.

He could play anything from bagpipes to a Zamboni making funny sounds.

He rocked my generation certainly

..to be very religious.

BS

I just thought it was interesting.

I just keep religion out of it. He gave to several good causes and he fought for the rights of artistes like himself. And critical for me he supported matters related to race

He was known for his big heart.

I knew when I saw him on SNL a couple of weeks back that we has ill. He didn't look vibrant and he looked ashen.

That said, He was an amazing musician, songwriter and a person that followed the beat of his own drum with out giving a damn what anyone thought of him.

Brilliant musician.

go here.

Knew a girl named Knikki I could say she was a sex fiend, met her in a hotel masturbating with a magazine ...

Nikki wasn't there. Looked all over, all I found was a phone number on the stair. It said "thank you for a funky time- call me up whenever you wanna grind."

That said he was a genius and a progressive.

Based on some of the posts on DU, I am left wonder if anyone can be a progressive.

When he wrote "SLAVE!" on his face, he changed music for all recording artist after 1993

Prince abandoned his name, and millions for the principle of OWNING his songs. To get out of a $100million dollar contract with Warner Brothers, Prince flooded the contract with albums, wrote Slave on his face, and REFUSED to be called Prince until he controlled his Masters. He was mocked, ridiculed and written off as "eccentric" - Prince was a genuine activist and paid for it in spades.

End Result: He got back his music catalog - became a legend and one of the musical genius of our time

He took on the establishment and freed himself and others.

rewriting the rules and thus forcing change for the betterment of all artists, and music lovers, transferring power to them, isn't progressive, what would be?

from anyone. He also provided way more money for important causes or issues and is very progressive on matters race. What he didn't do was seek publicity for most of them. He helped Spike Lee fund Malcolm X.
Is providing money for music in schools progressive - certainly it is to me. He supported BLM - Trayvon Martin's folks.

a bit of a paradigm shift away from the usual "us" and "others." I'm thinking that no matter who the "us" is, Prince was always "other" in so many ways.

“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.” Theodore Roosevelt -- Another "other" and partial package who'd never fit DU-P's label. Lol.

He supported Rudy Boschwitz against Paul Wellstone.

I don't even give a shit if I get a hide for saying so.

Lord, pissing on the grave of a musical legend before he's even in the ground.

What is the matter with you?

I won't stop you.

The op called him a progressive. He was a Republican. That does not speak to his personal character or his talent.

isn't even a little bit ironic and extremely flattering at the same time.

Tell me more.

According to my infected son: "Man was not meant to rule over himself", so some activist.

I can only guess what that means because he's not supposed to consort with me and he didn't elaborate.

Maybe not a tea-bagger Republican - but conservative enough.

Let's not canonize him in death regarding being progressive as he was not. He was a brilliant musician so we should focus on that aspect and not recreate him as something he was not.

It's a disservice to call this guy a progressive when there are real true great progressives.

They don't vote, they don't salute the flag, they are not on jury duty and they do not go to war.

We need more people like him. He is probably the poster child for the "Highly Sensitive Person" category, and as a HSP myself I can relate to him that way.

RIP!

Prince was a nut.