Prince’s loss is felt most in his home town

musician visited the store. Prince was recovering from an apparent overdose and struggling with a painkiller addiction, but Meyerring said he didn’t look sick.

“He looked like Prince – he looked freaking cool. He looked like a rock star, he looked like a 57-yearold rock star,” he recalled.

Prince bought six CDs, among them some by Stevie Wonder and Carlos Santana, and sent a thankyou via Twitter. The tweet now features prominently on T-shirts and mugs sold by Electric Fetus as souvenirs.

The store’s Prince section has, over the past year, evolved into something of a shrine, with purple flowers laid next to the albums that launched worldwide classics including Kiss, Purple Rain, and 1999.

Meyerring offers a wide selection of Prince souvenirs and an array of articles in purple, the singer’s favourite colour. Of the shop’s five best-selling CDs, four are by Prince.

In October, Paisley Park reopened as a museum, managed by the same company that handles Elvis’s Graceland in Memphis, offering guided tours of the property for about $40 (R530).

Visitors enter a world of Prince’s unique personal life and style: Photos and memorabilia, blacklight, candles, plush carpet and purple upholstery, as well as modern music and video production studios.

Prince’s private residence is not part of the tour, but an occasional glimmer of his private life comes through: A framed photo of his father, a table tennis set in his recording studio, a scented candle on the video-editing table.

“He was a quiet guy. We never talked – we spoke with our minds,” said Julius, who worked security for Prince for years and now keeps watch on the museum.

But “he ran the entire show,” he added. Even so, Prince remained an enigma, even to those who saw him daily. “He was a mystery to everybody. Don’t nobody know him,” Julius said.

Paisley Park, Electric Fetus and the First Avenue nightclub, where Prince was a long-time regular, have planned a number of events to commemorate the anniversary of Prince’s death.

Minnesota’s historical society is planning an exhibit of the singer’s costumes, and tour operator Randy Luedtke says his Prince-themed tours are sold out.

Fans around the world mourned Prince’s unexpected death, but the loss is felt most in his home town, said Meyerring.

“His shoes will never be filled,” he said. “He is definitely a local legend. This will always be his home. We will always still have that.” – DPA