Purple city: A tribute to Prince

Purple city: Minneapolis mourns Prince

Prince was an international superstar, a prolific recording artist, a virtuoso on multiple instruments, an actor, a trend-setter, a rule-breaker. And to the city of Minneapolis, he was ours.

Words by RITA FARMER

He told Oprah in an interview in 1996: “I will always live in Minneapolis...it’s so cold it keeps the bad people out.” He loved this city and, this weekend, residents came out in droves to show just how much we loved him back.

The moment news of his death spread, people flocked to honor Prince at First Avenue, the club which was famously featured in his 1984 movie, Purple Rain. The club and nearby intersection became a memorial for Prince for the rest of the weekend with impromptu concerts, all nightdance parties, and a shrine next to Prince’s star on the wall.

Local photographer Jayme Halbritter arrived at First Avenue the afternoon of Prince’s death to document the crowds and he didn’t leave until the next day. Jayme describes the scene: “I have never experienced such a phenomenon, the outpouring of people, the flood of stories and memories, the way the city reacted. It was amazing...heartfelt, and so real...sad at times, but mostly celebratory, and such a testament to the incredible impact that Prince had on people.”

From public outdoor screenings of Purple Rain that drew thousands of people, to the bells at Minneapolis City Hall playing Prince songs, to spontaneous murals and works of public art in his honor, to Prince’s signature color purple being displayed absolutely everywhere, residents of Minneapolis came together in a way I don’t recall ever seeing in my lifetime. Growing up in North Minneapolis, there was a sense among people in my neighborhood that they could do anything because they were from the same place as Prince. The world lost a music legend last week, but Minneapolis lost its hero. May he rest in peace. May he rest in power.