Minnesotans celebrated the life of Prince by remembering the iconic movie “Purple Rain” eight years after he died.

“Conan O’Brien just said it on The Tonight Show. ‘He’s 13 human beings all put into one,’” Sam Cooke, a Prince fan, said.

A singer, songwriter and musical genius: Prince’s legacy is easy to remember but describing his impact is a challenge.

“I can’t even put into words the scope of what he means to music,” said Nadine Rivers-Johnson, Purple Genealogy event organizer.

Prince Rogers Nelson died on April 21, 2016 after a fentanyl overdose that rocked the music industry and the nation.

“Bridges and the Eiffel Tower, all things were purple all around the world when we lost him,” Cooke said.

Right here in Minnesota, people come together every year to remember Prince’s historic career that ended too soon.

“He was about lace. He was about ruffles. So I wanted to give you lace and ruffle realness and then of course we have purple,” Rivers-Johnson said.

Minnesotans celebrated the 40th anniversary of the iconic movie and soundtrack “Purple Rain” at the Women’s Club of Minneapolis.

Special guest speakers who were involved in the making of the movie discussed their experiences on set.

“He was so darling and he was so just the nicest guy in the world,” John Command, Prince’s choreographer, said.

As Prince’s choreographer for “Purple Rain,” Command got a front-row seat to the musician’s dedication to his craft.

“He was just kind of different, interesting and fun and a little bit pushing the envelope a little bit with the outfits and the hair and stuff,” Command said. “He was also shy.”

Through the purple costumes and timeless music, Prince’s history remains present eight years later.

“His spirit’s still strong and we keep playing his music,” Cooke said.
 
“This man left behind a love of music and a work ethic and dedication to the craft of music,” Rivers-Johnson said.

All proceeds from the event will fund a mural preserving the legacy of Prince at the High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul.

Purple Genealogy, which organized the event, is a philanthropic organization created to advance the legacy of Prince through sponsoring events that raise money for local charities.