He was a legend, a virtuoso, one of the true gods of music. But he was also at times, anyway a person in the world like anyone else.
He liked to send goofy Internet memes to his friends. He made really good scrambled eggs. He rode his bike a lot, went to the hardware store, called old friends late at night. Chris Heath spoke with band members, fellow artists, and Paisley Park veterans about the life and times of Prince Rogers Nelsonβthe real Prince, the man so few people got to know before he was gone. He always smelled like lavender. And you knew when he was there because you'd turn around and go, "Holy shit, I smell Prince.
Kandace Springs singer; befriended by Prince via Twitter after he discovered her cover of a Sam Smith song online in : He smelled like lavender. Dude, I'm not even kidding you.
Maya Washington photographer; befriended by Prince after he discovered her online in : Before you meet him, you have the idea of him being this thing: He's untouchable, he's a unicorn, he's a meta-planet. But, that aside, he is a unicorn.
Morris Hayes keyboard player; Prince's longest-serving band member, β : I remember taking him to the hardware store in my camping van. He wanted to go buy a lock. And he's like, "I told you. I would wake up alone: Where'd he go? And his housekeeper said, "He's in the studio.
