Dear Prince:

Let me start this "letter" off by stating that I'm fully aware you will never read it. This is just a personal rant merely disguised as a fan letter.

I've been heart-broken for two days over the whole New Yorker article ordeal and what you allegedly had to say to reporter Claire Hoffman:

Recently, Prince hosted an executive who works for Philip Anschutz, the Christian businessman whose company owns the Staples Center. “We started talking red and blue,” Prince said. “People with money—money like that—are not affected by the stock market, and they’re not freaking out over anything. They’re just watching. So here’s how it is: you’ve got the Republicans, and basically they want to live according to this.” He pointed to a Bible. “But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here, but it doesn’t. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you’ve got blue, you’ve got the Democrats, and they’re, like, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right.”

When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ "

I've been a loyal die-hard fan since the age of 12 (I'm 36!). As a young gay man I chose to idolize you and your music over more obvious icons of my community (the Judys, Lizas and Madonnas) because while tragic against-all-odds heroines are such fun, your music spoke to me of self-expression, inclusion and LIBERATION! Your music was filled with beautiful wild abandon and your lyrics painted pictures I could get lost in. I couldn't even tell you how many of my pieces I've painted to your amazing music.

Your camp has reached out to the likes of Huffington Post and Perez Hilton to "set the record straight" that you were grossly misquoted by Ms. Hoffman and the New Yorker. Of course there are no recordings of what transpired because you have your other-worldly rules about reporters bringing along recording devices to interviews. Up until now, we just accepted (and dismissed) this as part of your "crazy but artsy" charm.
Well, this dedicated fan doesn't want to hear from your camp. If indeed you've been misquoted (and I desperately hope you were!), I want to get the real story from your lips.
Given the current social/political climate and the recent anti-gay initiatives...this might be a time when you might want to make an exception and put all of your no-longer-cute cryptic and mysterious bullshit aside for just 2 minutes of actual tv face-time. This is just a tad bigger than erroneous speculations on your hip surgery...it would be the responsible thing to do.

There is no doubt that your music has changed since you became a Jehovah's Witness. As a creative man in a creative field, however, I hoped that you might possess the capacity of being religious while remaining a thinking human being (not a brainwashed follower).

I guess I can take some comfort in the fact that even if the outcome of this Controversy isn't good for fans like me, I'll still have 3 pre-religious zombie decades worth of wonderfully funky/filthy and mind-blowingly beautiful music to look back on and enjoy. That is still more than most artists will ever offer.

Bummed but Hopeful...

John

FURTHER PROOF THAT RELIGION RUINS EVERYTHING!

(Ok, stupid disillusioned fan rant over!)

Dear Prince: (Part 2)