25 Years Ago: When Prince was King

"There are many kings -- King Henry VIII, King Solomon, King Tut, King James, King Kong and the three kings. But there is only one Prince."--Alicia Keys

Prince’s Purple Rain, turns 25 this summer. In the summer and fall of 1984, Prince was King. “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” were everywhere. The title track was also quite popular. And then of course there was “Darling Nikki,” a celebration of sex and seduction that spurred Tipper Gore to form the Parents Resource Music Center. So the farcical hearings, the parental advisory stickers, all of that goes back to a single track on Purple Rain. If that’s not cultural importance, what is?
Today, Prince reportedly needs a double hip replacement surgery. He is said to be in chronic pain, and using a diamond encrusted walking stick and lotsa pain killers rather than submit to surgery. Prince is a practicing Jehovah's Witness and does not believe in the use of blood transfusions that a surgical procedure might necessitate.
The 25th Anniversary of the album Purple Rain was June 25th, the same day MJ died and the news got caught up in the sensationalism of this event. Diehard Prince fans remember and the movie debuted in July 1984.