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Minnesota lawmakers mourn Prince

by Devin Henry - 04/21/16 1:50 PM ET
by Devin Henry - 04/21/16 1:50 PM ET
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Members of the Minnesota congressional delegation on Thursday mourned the death of homegrown musician Prince. 
 
{mosads}“Heartbroken to hear Prince has died,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) tweeted. She quoted Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy,” adding: “Hope he’s found his world of never ending happiness/You can always see the sun, day or night.” 
 
“He had this fierce independence about his art and his belief that he owned his art,” Klobuchar said in a hallway interview Thursday afternoon. “He really transcended being just a superstar musician into someone who made a public statement that no one was going to own his music, including his name.”

She said Prince “came from nothing” and went on to be the pride of his home state.

“The fact that he stayed in Minnesota — he would go live in different places, but he always had his house in Minnesota,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar added in a statement: “He made ‘Purple Rain’ a household name, First Avenue a landmark, and brought international fame to Minnesota’s music scene. I was always so proud to say ‘Prince, he is from Minnesota.’ We grieve his loss today.”
 
 
Minnesota Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen tweeted that a Prince concert was the first he attended. 
 
“As talented as they come and a Minnesota treasure. He’ll be missed…”
 
“Prince got his start in a Minneapolis jazz band and went on to share his talent throughout Minnesota and the entire world,” Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said in a statement.
 
“His artistry, innovation, and unparalleled presence inspired — and will continue to inspire — millions of people. To say he’ll be missed is an understatement. My thoughts are with his loved ones.”
 
 
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said in a statement that his “heart is heavy” after hearing the news of Prince’s death.
 
“To the people of Minnesota, Prince was a hero,” Ellison said. “He inspired countless others around the world with his art. Prince showed us it was okay tons and out. He showed us that the best way to be cool was to be yourself. Prince wasn’t merely a pop star — to many of us, we has much, much more.”
 
 
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) tweeted his “shock,” adding that “growing up in the 80s, the music of Prince was a big deal.”
 
 
Minnesota state lawmakers paused for a moment of silence after hearing that Prince had died, a Twin Cities PBS recorder tweeted:
 
 
Prince was born in Minneapolis in 1958 and maintained a presence in the state his entire life. His recording studio — Paisley Park — was in Chanhassen, Minn., a Twin Cities suburb, where he was known to host concerts.
 
“Purple Rain,” a film in which Price starred, was based in Minnesota.   
 
Prince died at Paisley Park on Thursday morning, according to reports. 
 
“A world-famous artist and musical genius, Prince was a beloved Minnesotan who left an indelible mark on our music and culture,” Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) said in a statement. 
 
“Minnesotans will remember his dedication to our community, his generous philanthropy, and his passionate presence at Vikings games.”
 
“Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Prince,” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) tweeted. “He was a musical genius and a true Minnesotan legend.” 
 

– Updated at 2:45 p.m.

Tags Al Franken Amy Klobuchar

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