There was only one Prince
Why I love Prince
The year was 2004 and I had tickets to see Prince at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Being a long time Prince fan I was counting the days minutes and seconds to the event. I had a purple outfit that I was planning to show off but hadn’t tried it on in a long time. After putting it on, I realized that I looked more like a deranged Barney rather than a cool, devoted Prince fan. So much for the pantsuit….
We arrived at the Staples Center and the place was decked out in purple. Everywhere you looked was a different shade and size of purple.( I was actually kind of sorry I didn’t wear my purple pantsuit even though I did resemble Barney.)
The moment arrived and already my heart was pounding. Prince entered the stage, stepped up to the microphone and had full command of the audience. The place went crazy. He was everything I expected and more….dazzling, sexy and magical.
Then, about the third song in something happened that changed the course of my life. Saxophonist Candy Dulfer got on stage and played the saxophone. She didn’t just play, she wailed… She was so passionate in her playing that I was mesmerized. I said to myself…”self, you cannot leave this earth unless you learn how to play the saxophone.”
The next day I started making calls to music schools trying to find a teacher. It seemed like the first question they would always ask is “are you in a marching band?” I do like to walk fast but being in my 50’s at the time my marching days were well behind me.
After a few weeks of searching I finally found my teacher, Chad Canter. He had the patience of a saint and lo and behold I actually was learning songs. Now, the saxophone is not an easy instrument to learn and especially difficult at my age. I took lessons for about 2 years and enjoyed every minute.
People always ask “so are you good?” My answer is this….yes, I’m good because it’s something I have fun doing and It makes me happy. Realistically if I played on the street for money I would probably have to pay people to listen so I’m not going on tour anytime soon. Should Kenny G be worried? No. But I’m good enough for me and that’s what counts. I guess what I’m saying is this. Don’t be afraid of doing something because of your age or fear that you won’t be good enough. Just do it and be good enough for you.
The concert has been over for many years. Thank you Prince for inspiring me. You are a true legend and I’m so proud to have the band” Prince Again” honor you in an amazing tribute concert. Now, if I could only remember where I parked my car!
Keep on ‘rockin’
