The public response to the death of Prince on and after April 21 has felt far more personal than the many other celebrity deaths in recent months. One reason suggests that with the late icon's music not readily available on online platforms like YouTube and Spotify, many of the reflections and tributes have forced mourners to include detailed personal anecdotes; for example, where with David Bowie's death it was easy to post, say, the "Modern Love" video to one's social media, the dearth of Prince links floating around the internet allowed fans get a bit more personal.
With that in mind, we reached out to several of the participants of Thursday night's Prince tribute at Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge. Billed as We Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man: A Tribute To Prince, the night is designed celebrate the music and message of Prince through his songs. The house band features many familiar names of the Boston music scene -- Chris Anzalone (drums), Jack Pombriant (bass), Joshua Pickering (rhythm guitar), Magen Tracy (keys), and Catherine Capozzi (lead guitar) -- and the guest vocalist lineup looks like a recent Boston Music Awards nominee list: Andrea Gillis, Parlour Bells' Glenn di Benedetto, Future Starlets ringleader Gene Dante, Petty Morals' Tai Heatley, and Erica Mantone of the Boston Rock Opera.
In keeping the remembrances to Prince personal and unique, here's what a few of the players had to say about the man who inspired them.