More often than not, when a celebrity passes away, most tend to focus on the scandal: drug addiction, alcohol abuse, personal legal issues, etc. These all take precedence over the person lost; but when Prince passed away this wasn’t the case.

Once I heard about the death of Prince, I was waiting for the juicy scandal best served hot and ready, but something a little different and unexpected happened. There was no scandal.

There was no page six news. He lived a somewhat average life. He was the common average man. He experienced great loss with the passing of his child. He experienced great heartbreak. He also experienced great joy. He was a role model to us all, more than he was a victim to the headlines.

Prince Nelson provided us all with music that made us not only want to dance, but also made us feel like someone understand the average person’s feelings. Songs like “Purple Rain” and “1999” made us all want to dance our lives away. Lines like, “Life is just a party, and parties weren’t meant to last” are lines that bring up just how fragile life truly is.

The awards and achievements that Prince received and earned, shows that hard work not only pays off, but can be truly inspiring. He took every curveball in his life and made it work to his benefit. It is extremely inspiring to see a music legend not having to rely on the numbness of drugs and alcohol to get through life. He created his own escape; he relied on the magic of music, and not the temporary happiness found in Tequila and hash. There are more ways than one that Prince is a true icon.

Sadly, Prince is now playing his music alongside Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and countless other musical legends. His is a life that will be missed and cherished. Music heaven is now a better place, and our world just got a little bit more empty. Today, let us all throw our raspberry berets into the heavens and dance one last time to the loving man that changed music and our lives forever.