“Stars” are People Too! Mourning Prince.

On April 21, 2016 an amazing music icon passed away.  I am referring to Prince Rogers Nelson, also known simply as Prince.  Prince’s life was extraordinary.  His childhood didn’t begin in an extraordinary way, but since his father was a pianist in a band and his mother was a jazz musician and singer, he was destined to entertain!

Performing was in his blood. Prince was a legendary producer, writer, and performer and was well known all over the world.   Conversely, his personal life was just that, personal.  Prince did, however, experience many of the things that you and I go through.  After being engaged briefly, Prince did marry in 1996.  Like many couples, they were excited to start their family.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.  Their child, a boy, was born with Pfeiffer Syndrome, which in this case led to the baby’s death after one week.  Prince and his wife were able to conceive again, but she was unable to carry the child to full term and regrettably suffered a miscarriage.

Because Prince was such a private person, not much was known about what was actually happening in his personal life.  However, he was still a person…HUMAN. Obviously, he and his wife were devastated over these losses.  They had planned for children, building a playroom, readying their home for a family.  Though Prince and his wife struggled to stay together, the emotional and physical stress finally took its toll on the couple, and they divorced.

If you have ever lost a child through miscarriage or any other tragedy, you can definitely understand this.  Being famous and legendary doesn’t give you a free pass from sorrow and heartbreak.  Of course, everyone handles it differently.  I have no personal knowledge of how Prince and his wife dealt with this horrible time in their lives, but I do believe that it affected them deeply and intensely.  No matter the age of the child that passes, the feelings are the same: devastation and desolation.  Pulling yourself back to reality is tough.  Imagine doing that in the public eye, not just in front of family and friends.  Prince was able to come out of this and keep his music alive, writing songs not just for himself but many other entertainers.  Did writing, composing, and producing music help him heal?   I believe so.

The loss of two children and a divorce in a relatively short period of time… how much can a person tolerate and still thrive?  Whether you are a “star” or a “normal person”, it still affects you in much the same way.  How you handle it is what matters.  Being famous does not keep you from struggling with the feelings of loss and despair. Joe the Garbage Truck Driver or Prince the Performer are both people and have the same feelings and many of the same experiences to deal with as humans!

Just because someone is famous, does not mean that they are not human. The same goes for anyone else.  Feelings are feelings and are dealt with by the person that is being affected, in their own way.  How does your circumstance compare with what Prince went through?  Pretty similar, huh? Remember, Stars are Just People too!