By Amanda Wicks
Since news broke on April 21st that Prince passed away, the number of musical tributes honoring his legacy continue to grow. From classic rockers to contemporary artists, many are sharing exactly what the iconic musician meant to them and how he influenced their own music. Pearl Jam played “Purple Rain” during their show in Columbia, South Carolina the very night of Prince’s death, but not before Eddie Vedder spoke from the heart.
Related: 10 Covers that Show Prince’s Far-Reaching Influence
“The shocking news of the day was losing an incredible musician,” Vedder said. “All of us on this stage can tell you: That guy loved music so damn much. He never stopped playing, never stopped writing, never stopped recording, never stopped creating.”
The crowd cheered loudly while Vedder continued, “He was dripping with songs. They’d go into the shower after he took a shower and there’d be three songs laying there. And of course, I’m talking about Prince. All of us up here were incredibly fortunate to see him a number of times over the years. Some of us got to meet him a bit. He was an intense cat. If there was anyone I thought would be playing when he was 80 or 85, it was gonna be Prince. Today was a real shock.”
“People know him from the ways he looked, and the different ways he looked, and different things he said – a lot of incredible things to remember him by. But I gotta tell you, and you just saw some great guitar playing. Prince was probably the greatest guitar player we’ve ever seen,” Vedder said, echoing similar comments from many other musicians.
Watch the band’s rendition of “Purple Rain” below:
