Parties Weren't Meant to Last

As a teen of the '80s, Prince played a major role in the soundtrack of my life.

I reminded a classmate today that it's so weird that 30 years ago we were about to graduate from high school and "party like it's 1999." And 1999 seemed so far away. So futuristic. Now, it seems so long ago.

Especially when the life of my "baby on the verge of adulthood" has spanned that entire time.

And now Prince and that party that wasn't meant to last are gone.

If you are around my age, you may have some similar Prince-related memories...

As a border town in Wisconsin listening to and watching media based in the Twin Cities, we all had some ownership of this rising star named Prince Rogers Nelson. Almost like, "Yep, we know him. He's from Minneapolis." So the more his stardom rose, the more we smiled, sang and danced with pride. He was ours.

Back in those days, because I am old enough to reference back in the day, we didn't have a disposable income. In fact, not much of an income at all. I had just enough babysitting money to get by. So many of us could not afford to buy records or cassette tapes. Instead we'd get our cassette recorder positioned by the radio speaker and try to record our favorite songs – like 1999 and Little Red Corvette – with the hopes Casey Kasem wouldn't talk over them during his Top 40 Countdown. (I hope the statute of limitations for pirating music has expired.)

When the Purple Rain movie and subsequent soundtrack came out in 1984, it was an amazing mix of tunes. Not only could I not afford to buy the album, but I was 16 at the time and couldn't even see the R-rated movie! Back in those days, it took many, many months before a movie came out on video – as in VHS. And you had to rent the VCR because only rich people had them! Needless to say, we may or may not have had a slumber party at my friend Amy's house to rent a VCR and watch Purple Rain before we were 17.

I never did get that whole album recorded on Sunday night countdowns. In time, I rectified that. When I got to college and was brainwashed by Columbia House to buy those 12 cassette tapes for 1 cent, the Purple Rain soundtrack was among the dozen! When technology advanced, I even burned a copy to CD. Oh crap. Is that pirating, too? Plus it's still in my "running mix" on my MP3 player.

Naturally, I had to swing home after work and grab that CD to listen to while I ran errands. Went to Shippy Shoes to buy new running shoes. Stopped at King Cone to have some ice cream with purple in it in Prince's honor (Blueberry "Yes, Please" Cake). Then to balance it, I went for a 3-mile in my new shoes. I just missed the rain storm but saw a rainbow in the home stretch.

I guess that's what it looks like When the Doves Cry.