Iconic musician Prince died yesterday in his native Minnesota, leaving behind a massive collection of musical hits, and an indelible impact on pop culture through music, fashion, filmmaking and entrepreneurship. He was 57.
While mourned by millions of students and graduates of historically black colleges and universities, several institutions are posting thoughtful tributes and reflections on Prince’s lasting impact on HBCU marching band repertoire.
Among the most lasting — Prince’s performance with the Florida A&M University Marching 100 at the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami.
From the Tallahassee Democrat, which reports on how the band connected with the hitmaker.
FAMU’s Marching 100 was requested by Prince to perform at the show. Sarjeant, who handles the musical arrangements for the Marching 100, said he spoke with Prince via phone to discuss the show. The two collaborated until the arrangement was — in Prince’s words — perfect.
“He was just like a regular person,” said (Lindsey) Sarjeant, a professor of music. “We talked, one musician to another. We talked about the instruments and how many people marched in the band. Talking to him was like talking to another musician. We sent the arrangement back and forth twice. Then he sent his recording crew down (to Tallahassee) and we did a lot of pre-production.”
