My dad and Prince

Today’s Daily Record carries the new Prince album. I wonder what my dad would have thought of that. Every day he read his Record back to front over breakfast. But Prince? He was never my dad’s cup of tea.

I’d drink to Prince any time. My obsession stems from ’88 when my best friend Steve loaned me Lovesexy. I got home, put the record on and my dad picked up the album sleeve. ‘Whit in the name – ?’ Facing him was Prince, naked as the day he was born, reclining on a giant flower.

Soon my room was covered in Prince posters, which worried my dad. When I played Prince’s music, I’d this to deal with: ‘See Prince?’ ‘Aye dad.’ ‘If Prince wiz playin in oor back gairden …’ ‘Aye?’ ‘A widna go.’

Dr. Hook was more dad’s thing. He couldn’t get his head round Prince. And he enjoyed winding me up. ‘See Prince?’ ‘Aye dad.’ ‘If Prince wiz playin in oor toilet …’ ‘Aye?’ ‘An a really needed te go …’ ‘Mm-hmm.’ ‘A widna go.’

At the age of 17, I jumped on a train to Manchester for my first Prince concert, dragging my brother with me. Dad wasn’t impressed. ‘Hoo wiz the concert?’ ‘Brilliant, dad.’ ‘Nae as good as Dr. Hook, eh?’

When I was 18, I spent the summer in Minneapolis – Prince’s hometown – working for a catering company, selling ice cream at the zoo. One night I was drafted in to sell hot dogs at Prince’s nightclub. I never got to serve the wee man – never even saw him – but I did sit on the Purple Rain motorbike. Not that my dad thought it a big deal.

A few years ago – 2002, Hammersmith Apollo –  I ended up on stage with Prince, playing the tambourine while he tore through Alphabet Street. I remember smiling at my wife in the front row and thinking ‘this can’t be happening’. I told my dad about it. He switched the subject to Rangers.

I wish my dad was here today for a million reasons. But I’d like to have been able to call him this morning and see that he’d got his Daily Record and ask what he thought of the new Prince album. I can just imagine his response.

It’s this sort of thing that helps me cope with the fact he passed away almost three years ago. It allows me to feel that he never really went away. I hope my dad knew that though Prince was my musical hero, he was my real hero.

Today I’m going to read The Daily Record back to front. And listen to the new Prince album.