Jaymz Looks Back on the Day Prince Died

Prince died on April 21, 2016 at his Paisley Park home and studio in Chanhassen, MN. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I grew up in Minnesota, we all loved Prince. My brother actually did an internship at Paisley Park.... It was a surreal moment when I heard the news.

My phone rang about an hour after I heard the initial report. NBC News was on the other line. They needed an extra camera person to assist with the live reports from the Twin Cities. It took me about an hour to pack up and I was on the road.

I've worked with NBC Universal the last fifteen years as a freelance camera operator and producer. My "part time" job with them has taken me to some very interesting places. This particular story was hard. Even though I never knew Prince personally, it hit very close to home.

My assignment was to camp out in front of the First Avenue music club. This is the venue featured in the movie "Purple Rain." As you can see by the picture I posted above, fans lined the sidewalk with flowers and pictures of the late artist. He was loved by so many people.

According to abcnewsradio.com, the official Prince tribute concert is tonight (October 13th) and has been officially dubbed as "Prince Day". The gathering takes place in the late music icon's home state of Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It is reported to feature a lineup of performers including Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Doug E Fresh, Chaka Khan, Christina Aguilera, Luke James and Purple Rain co-stars Morris Day and the Time, all to honor Prince's musical legacy.

[ABC news radio]