Hosted by the lovely Maya Rudolph, “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince” aired on CBS Tuesday night on the fourth anniversary of his death at 8PM EST. The special, recorded in late January, was jam-packed with a string of all-star performers covering hits from Prince’s beloved catalog, including Common, Earth, Wind & Fire, John Legend, Usher, Miguel and more.
Before the first set, DJ D-Nice hosted the official pre-show via his official Instagram account as apart of his new #ClubQuarantine series. Then, the celebration kicked off with a rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy” by H.E.R and Gary Clark Jr., eventually joined on stage by Sheila E.
Special guests included FKA Twigs, Naomi Campell and Misty Copeland, all in attendance to honor the legacy of the man most known for “Purple Rain”. He also changed the music industry forever in 1993 when he announced that he would no longer go by the name Prince, but rather by a “love symbol” that mashed the masculine and feminine gender symbols. The move was a rebellious act against his record label at the time (Warner Bros.) as he famously compared his contractual obligations to slavery. When asked to explain the symbols’ essence, he simply said “it is an unpronounceable symbol whose meaning has not been identified.”
Prince Rogers Nelson died on April 21st at the age of 57 in Chanhassen, Minnesota after being found unresponsive in an elevator. The manner of death was ruled an accident.
The prolific musician and songwriter was nominated for a Grammy 38 times and received 7 awards total throughout his groundbreaking career.