RIP Prince: Tributes pour in from stars, President Obama
Prince was more than a “once in a lifetime artist,” Justin Timberlake wrote Thursday. “He was a once in forever artist.”
Timberlake was among the many stars of music, film, fashion, sports and public life, including President Obama, who expressed shock and heartbreak Thursday over news that the music legend died Thursday in his Minnesota home and studio at age 57.
Celebrities flooded social media with both their grief, and their tributes, which came in many ways. Some quoted Prince’s most famous and transcendent lyrics, while others shared memories of him as a man, artist and inspiration.
“Today, the world lost a creative icon,” Obama shared on Facebook as he was traveling in Saudi Arabia.
Boy George called today “the worst ever,” Missy Elliott expressed heartbreak, and Sheila E. said, “There are no words.”
Oprah Winfrey said she was listening to Prince’s music, and Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted, “Only now do we know what it sounds like When Doves Cry — the absence of music from loss of The Artist.”
James Franco expressed regret for never telling Prince that he loved him, while Chelsea Clinton and Reese Witherspoon thanked him for his music.
Both Spike Lee and Timberlake offered personal memories. Lee called Prince “my brother” and “a funny cat,” and Timberlake wrote that it can be risky to meet one’s idols because they can let you down.
But that wasn’t the case with Prince: “Some of Prince performs at SXSW on March 16, 2013, in Austin, Texas. my greatest, funniest, and most prolific encounters and conversations about music came from the moments that I spent with him. It would be silly to say that he has inspired our music. ... He’s somewhere within every song I’ve ever written.”
As with Timberlake, some of the highest praise came from other musicians. Another music legend, Mick Jagger, called Prince “revolutionary.” Gene Simmons dubbed him a “giant,” Mariah Carey wrote of his “genius,” and Katy Perry lamented that “the world has lost a lot of magic.” Friend Chaka Khan simply tweeted, “I loved him. I loved him.”
Prince’s loss was deeply felt by greats in other fields, such as Donatella Versace, who said, “Nobody has married music and fashion as Prince did.”
Finally, two of Prince’s home-state sports teams weighed in. The Minnesota Vikings tweeted: “We’ve lost a legend way too soon.”
And the Twins posted this poignant line: “Fitting that it’s raining in Minneapolis today.”