Yahoo – AFP, Joy Powell, April 21, 2017
Minneapolis (AFP) - Prince's purple-clad fans converged on Minnesota Friday for a celebration of the pop legend one year after his sudden death, but discord over commercialization of his legacy clouded the anniversary.
The first anniversary of the death of Prince is marked amid discord over the commercialization of his legacy (AFP Photo/Adam Bettcher) |
Minneapolis (AFP) - Prince's purple-clad fans converged on Minnesota Friday for a celebration of the pop legend one year after his sudden death, but discord over commercialization of his legacy clouded the anniversary.
The
musician's Paisley Park estate -- once mythically hermetic but opened to paid
tours since his death -- was the center of festivities with concerts and panel
talks, while a dance party for the "Purple Rain" star is planned for
Saturday in downtown Minneapolis.
Bridges,
stadiums and other landmarks in Minneapolis and adjacent St. Paul were being
lit up purple for two nights in tribute to Prince, who had happily stayed in
his hometown despite his international fame.
"Prince
and his phenomenal talents led an era of music and showcased Minnesota to the
world," Governor Mark Dayton said in a declaration making April 21
"Prince Day."
George
Clinton, the 75-year-old whose popularization of funk music in the 1970s helped
pave the way for Prince, opened the ticketed "Celebration" at Paisley
Park on Thursday.
But
Prince's commercial legacy remains mired in controversy. He died at age 57 from
an accidental overdose of powerful painkillers and left no will or children.
Dozens
quickly came forward to claim they were heirs.
Marring the
anniversary of his death, a judge ordered a temporary halt on a six-song EP of
Prince entitled "Deliverance" that was due for release Friday, with
only the title track out.
George
Boxill, a sound engineer who worked with Prince on the songs from 2006 to 2008,
had arranged the release on an independent label.
He said he
was respecting the wishes of the star who long battled the music industry and
that most proceeds would go to the estate.
But the
estate objected, accusing Boxill of seeking to profit and saying that he did
not have the right to sell the music on his own.
Prince's
music saw a massive increase in sales after his death
with 2.23 million albums
sold in 2016 (AFP Photo)
|
Still a
chart-topper
Prince's
music saw a massive increase in sales after his death. Nielsen Music, the
tracking service behind the benchmark Billboard chart, said he sold more than
any other artist in 2016 when all albums are counted.
Prince sold
2.23 million albums last year in the United States, just above English
balladeer Adele -- whose blockbuster album "25" came out in late 2015
-- at 2.21 million, Nielsen Music said.
Prince had
sought ways to release music on his own and famously changed his name to an
unpronounceable symbol and wrote "slave" on his cheek in the 1990s to
protest the conditions set by his label Warner.
Since his
death, his estate -- led by his siblings -- has teamed up with Warner, which
will reissue 1984's "Purple Rain," along with an accompanying album
of unreleased music, for Prince's birthday in June.
Prince's
music also returned to major streaming services in February. The pop star had
put his music out only on rap mogul Jay Z's Tidal, through which he released
his last two albums.
Stevie
Wonder and Chaka Khan perform at a tribute concert
for Prince that the music
legend's sister and half-brother say
was poorly handled (AFP Photo/Adam
Bettcher)
|
Sudden
death
An outward
model of health who did not drink, Prince advocated a vegetarian diet and
admonished band members who used drugs. But he also secretly battled an
addiction to painkillers following a hip surgery.
He had
sought help from a California specialist days before his death. Court documents
unsealed this week showed that investigators found bottles of pills prescribed
to his friends at Paisley Park.
A tribute
concert to Prince took place in October in the 20,000-seat XCel Energy Center
in St. Paul with his friend Stevie Wonder and dancer ex-wife Mayte Garcia among
the performers.
Prince's
sister Tyka Nelson and half-brother Omarr Baker later complained in court that
an original administrator assigned to run the estate handled the tribute poorly
and that it was meant to be a much larger affair.
Prince's
estate and the professional administrators say they need to monetize his legacy
just to stay afloat and handle tax bills.
Prince was
one of a number of prominent musicians to die in 2016, including George
Michael, Leonard Cohen and David Bowie -- whose "Heroes" Prince
covered in a final concert.
A timeline of Prince's musical journey as fans converge to celebrate the pop legend one year after his sudden death https://t.co/S6pxV8iUYD pic.twitter.com/hQmlA665sE— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 21, 2017
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