These Celebrities Paid Tribute to Prince in a Way We Can All Appreciate
By Claire Downs
In the weeks following Prince's death (April 21st) celebrities from around the globe have paid tribute to the artist who so clearly touched their lives. From Bruce Springsteen to Mariah Carey to the Dixie Chicks, the internet has been flush with an outpouring of love and honor of the deep impact Prince had on performers across different genres and mediums.
In all the tears and media mayhem, some truly touching moments have been lost in the shuffle. So, we've collected the coolest ways celebrities have paid tribute to Prince following his passing.
Helen Mirren's New Tattoo
In case you forgot how cool Dame Helen Mirren is, the Oscar-Winner appeared at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 30th sporting a temporary Prince tattoo and a head-to-toe purple outfit. “I admire great artists and he was a great artist,” she told The Washington Post of the late music legend, adding that she had etched the faux ink symbol on herself earlier that day.
Bruce Springsteen
Who knew that The Boss and The Purple One had so much in common? Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band opened their Barclays Center concert with an awesome cover of "Purple Rain."
Beyoncé's Formation Tour
Fresh off of the success of Lemonade, Beyoncé made sure to honor an artist that has so clearly influenced her work since the early stages of her solo career. She changed costumes backstage while "Purple Rain" blasted into the stadium.
While researching this article, we also found a great Grammy performance from 2004 where Yoncé and Prince duetted "Purple Rain" and a "Crazy in Love"/"Let's Get Crazy"
The Dixie Chicks Cover "Nothing Compares 2 U"
The Dixie Chicks are busy on their DCX MMXVI world tour, but that didn't stop them from covering "Nothing Compares 2 U" in Denmark on April 22nd.
Mariah's Emotional Dedication
Mariah Carey took time from her April 21st Paris concert to dedicate her song "One Sweet Day" to Prince, saying "He was there when I really needed somebody."
Paul McCartney's Hometown Tribute
Paul McCartney's tour landed him in Minneapolis on May 5th, and the Beatle made sure to pay his respects to the singer's hometown with his version of "Let's Go Crazy."
D'Angelo And Maya Rudolph
Backed by Prince cover band, Princess (Maya Rudloph and Gretchen Lieberum) D'Angelo took the Tonight Show stage to cover the lesser-known yet heartbreaking "Sometimes It Snows In April."
The Cast of 'Hamilton' Goes Crazy
Led by Lin-Manuel Miranda the Broadway cast of 'Hamilton' used their encore to dance joyously to "Let's Go Crazy" following their April 21st performance.
Elton John Pays Respects
Elton John paused his "Million Dollar Piano" show at Caesar's Palace in Vegas to remember the late singer. A projector showed images of Prince while John played his own song, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues."
SNL Brings Back 'The Prince Show'
The April 23rd episode of Saturday Night Live was dedicated to Prince, and featured an emotional monologue from Jimmy Fallon, flashback performances on the show by the singer, and a reboot of the early 2000s sketch, The Prince Show. Featuring Fred Armisen as Prince, Maya Rudolph as Beyoncé, and Shia LeBoeuf as himself.
Jennifer Hudson and the Cast of 'The Color Purple'
The most powerful tribute to Prince was definitely Jennifer Hudson's "Purple Rain" following her Broadway performance of "The Color Purple." Instead of doing bows, the cast, led by Hudson's emotional speech about "keeping the music alive" guided the audience in singing "Purple Rain." There's a reason this video has over two million views!