The Good Men Project shares many visions with what Prince stood for: compassion, empathy, inclusion, understanding, creativity, and love.
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From Editor Rob Watson:
“Prince burst on the scene in gold lame pants, high heels, gorgeous hair and make-up. He was svelte, agile, and talented. He was everything that those watching would call “gay.” But he wasn’t gay. He was the ultimate straight guy. He was so straight that he could dive into every color of the rainbow and emerge being himself. He made it ok for me to embrace myself. My purple was gay, his purple was not… but what he taught was that when it rained purple, we were united, wet and dancing…together.”
Apollo Theater NYC #PrinceRIP pic.twitter.com/N808q9jnr7
— Jean Casarez (@JeanCasarezCNN) April 22, 2016
From editor Jeremy McKeen:
“I remember at a young age, when I was just discovering good music for myself—the cover of his Lovesexy album at the local record store: I didn’t know what to make of a naked man displayed like most albums displayed women. I didn’t know what to make of his falsetto, dancing, and later on, his ambiguous, androgynous symbol when he gave up his name and became TAFKAP. But I did know that he had what artists have, which is an unapologetic genius. With that genius came a challenge to the stereotypes and motifs that nobody was used to, at least since David Bowie. He was a genius songwriter and a hero to any artist or entertainer who dared to be original.”
From editor Kent Sanders:
“Everyone knows that Prince was a musical genius. But what’s even more intriguing to me is the fact that he had an enormous amount of unreleased music—“the vault,” so to speak. Prince wasn’t just about fame or making money. He was all about making music and the creative process. His life represents the value of making art for its own sake. Of course, there is value in sharing your art and even (or maybe especially) making a living from it. But more important, art exists for its own sake. In the words of Hans Rookmaaker’s famous book, “art needs no justification.” Prince has always inspired me as an artist, and will continue to do so through his musical legacy.”
From editor Hilary Lauren: ” In the haze of a second marriage, I was whisked away to a Prince concert. Growing up, we didn’t have money for those kinds of niceties, so never had I seen the Purple One, a phenom whose music had helped to shape the memories of my life. We went out to dinner and feasted like fat ducks and then over to the concert. My now ex, hilariously drunk by this time, had scooted off to find souvenirs. And so I was alone when Prince grabbed a chair and put it in the middle of the stage. He sat down with his acoustic guitar, one spotlight highlighting such a curious and seductive man. Then he sang, just his voice, pure, ringing out over the transfixed audience. I was rapt, leaning forward on my tiptoes to impress the moment into my heart. It remains one of my best experiences and I am grateful I listened to him solo because all of my attention lasered into his supernatural genius. ~Heartbroken Minnesotan”
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Photo: JA