Where where you when …
The phrase that brings us together in the collective good, bad, sad of life. The tragic and triumphant.
Today I sadly sit in the living room of the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood as Today rightly chronicles the times of Prince.
Another pop music legend left us yesterday, dying oh-too-soon at the age of 57. One year younger than me, a man with songs and images and moves forever etched in my memories. When Doves Cry indeed. When I left the store for my dinner break yesterday and saw two text messages on my phone, from my dear wife Karen and my in-process-food-and-film book writing partner Liz alerting me of Prince’s passing, the breath escaped my chest.
Two days in a row, I had lost a significant piece of my formative adult years.
The city of Syracuse had been rocked the day prior by the passing of Dwayne “Pearl” Washington. A half-decade younger at 52, he was a national star back in his day, too, a stout fellow of stature and heart who came to the Orange from Brooklyn after an intense recruiting battle and lifted the basketball program and the Big East Conference to the national spotlight. More than 30,000 people began coming to the Carrier Dome at a time to see Washington’s dazzling play at guard, and battles against St. John’s — New York City fellows like Walter Berry and Chris Mullin — and Georgetown’s giant Patrick Ewing.
It was a love affair that never ended, not even after Pearl left after his junior season to enter the NBA draft and was picked in the first round by the New Jersey Nets. It mattered not that his pro career never matched his college exploits. He lived in Brooklyn and sometimes Syracuse but was always a presence in his college town. When it was announced he had surgery for a brain tumor months ago, a whole city held its breath and prayed in its own way for his health. Then everybody sadly followed the increasingly dire reports, and the current team members wore warmup shirts emblazoned with his name, Pearl, on the front in this season that ended with a surprise march to the Final Four. Yes, indeed, true love to the end.
I was lucky enough to witness both of these men in their prime, in the Carrier Dome.
As assistant sports editor of the big daily, in January 1984 I wrote a periodic sports column for The Post-Standard. Sometimes I got to sit court side to see Pearl Washington do his thing. One of those times was his freshman game when he hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to beat Boston College, causing the crowd to spill over press row — indeed, using P-S reporter David Elfin, me and the rest of us covering the game as so many hurdling blocks — and onto the court for a joyous celebration.
In March 1985 I went with a bunch of my friends from the newsroom to Prince’s Saturday night concert in the dome. I remember wearing a shiny black-and-white striped shirt that I bought special for the occasion, nothing like I ever wore otherwise, and a black fedora, too. My friends stared at me. I felt good, right for funk.
I appreciated his music thereafter, his place in the pop music world, his unique creativity.
Yeah, I was there. I’ll never forget that. Thank you, Pearl and Prince. Prince and Pearl. RIP.
Here’s what I wrote when Washington sank that buzzer-beater, thanks to a re-publication on Syracuse.com for a 2012 series called ‘Cuse Classics. It also includes the photo of Pearl above taken in 1984 by Post-Standard photographer Dick Blume.
Here’s the link to the photo of Prince.
Here’s the link to a Syracuse Herald American story by Bob Neidt about the 1985 Prince concert.
What are your favorite memories about Prince’s music? What do you recall Pearl or the glory formative years of the Big East? What were you like in 1984-85, if you’re of this generation?
Great blogpost
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Thank you, Anthony.
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The thing that made Prince remarkable was that he not only wrote songs but was an accomplished musician – he could play with the best of them – and the elaborate sets/performances were the icing on the cake – he didn’t need that to be great as so many do now to mask they are not as talented as others.
Nice post in tribute to two greats
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He was the whole real deal, indeed, Mouse. Well said. And thanks for the kind words.
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oh and cool [pic of you!!!!
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Oh, you and I should have known each other our youth, Y. I saw your “in the day” photo. 🙂
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ha!! xxooo and I feel like we should have known each other two – especially being so close geographically for a while – I have some catching up to do on your blog so I will be back later – 🙂
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Hey Marky Mark – nice post and great flashback. A great artist has left his mark on the world for sure. ttys
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Thanks for pitching in, Y! We’ll miss our Prince. ❤
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🙂
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P.S. For those who have never seen a photo of “Doc” in his younger days, he was … well, cool. Eat your heart out, Millenials. You have Kim. We have Prince. We win!
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We win, Doc, over the K’s, any day. And thanks for the plug about my younger days. You were pretty cool your ownself, as I think back to our road trips and home games …
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Doc,
Your stuff holds up so well. Classic, really. And nice photo, although it would have been better if I was in the background (Sorry, Dave) and it was at the Prince concert (which I think I sat next to you at in the Dome). Fun times, always.
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So many classic times for us, right? We burned it both ends, to our hearts’ content.
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Mark, you looked awesome! Those were great times! 💖
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I had it and flaunted it, Colleen. Thank you. ❤
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Didn’t we all? I did a ping back to you last Monday for my Beddian birthday. A year after you I am 58 born in 1958! Finally! LOL! Hope all is well with you. I am nearing the end of my book. Only 3 chapters left! 😃
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Happy Birthday to you, my dear friend. And what great news on the book! 🙂
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I just keep plugging along. I expect editing with take an eternity! LOL! Take care Mark. I try to stop in when I find your posts on Facebook. ❤
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You are the best, Colleen. ❤
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This death was even more of shock to me than most, Mark. I remember the movie Purple Rain, and the effect some of those songs had on me, especially When Doves Cry. He was a unique talent, brilliant musician, and always, an enigma, even in death. 💘
Great photo. Rocking that look ! ☺
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These two passings kicked out my underpinnings, Van. Yes, Prince was always, always an enigma. But so very creative.
Thanks for your kind words. Oh, the much-hair days!
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I’m not much on getting sucked down celebrity rabbit holes, but this Prince thing has done a number on me. (As it has all of Minnesota.) Found a quote that perfectly explained my devastation at losing a man I knew only through his music and one film: “Thinking about how we mourn artists we’ve never met. We don’t cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves.” Yep.
Let’s Go Crazy has always been my favorite Prince song and I’ve especially enjoyed sharing it with my youngest as she has bundles of “crazy” energy. Fun to share a song about purple bananas and the like. But his elevator line and final “Take Me Away” are just freaky considering that he’s gone now. It’s like he knew where we was heading when he wrote that song. ??? Though I am obviously overthinking this. Telling you, Mark, Minnesotans are having a hard time dealing with this.
I am sorry also for your basketball loss. So many greats are passing. But you are lucky with your memories and can I tell you how much I love the photo of you and your friend. A fedora indeed 🙂 Classy!
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Mourn like crazy, Liz, the best way you know how. Thank you for all of this, my dear friend.
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Yes, so sad.
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For the musicians world today, I’m sure, Marissa. Sorry for your loss, my friend. ❤
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Man, I love that article you wrote about Pearl.
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Thanks, Mike. Back in the day for many of us, my friend.
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Lost too many to drugs Terp! RIP whether an accident, illness, gone too soon. I was in diapers ’84/85-but I do know Prince songs from the Oldies Station. Gatorette.
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Thanks, Gatorette. I have not heard drugs mentioned about Prince, FYI, just illness that cropped up earlier this week.
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Well…Time will tell since the autopsy is today- if I read correctly. Like many they dabble and get into trouble unfortunately for too many. Just sayin”…Gatorette
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Nice memories, Mark. This year has seen so many of our heroes leave us, and it’s not even the end of April. So I thought you might find this piece, published on the BBC website this morning, particularly interesting: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36108133
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It does make me wonder who else may leave us, Bruce. And thank you for the link, my friend.
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Cool Mark.
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It was a great thing to see these people in their prime, Paul, indeed.
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