Fans celebrate Prince's life and legacy at festive LA vigil

LOS ANGELES >> Devoted Prince fans moued, danced and paid their respects to the music icon during a festive vigil Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Dressed in Prince T-shirts, they came by the dozens to Leimert Park Plaza for a vigil organized by radio station KJLH 102.3 and community activist Najee Ali.

The event got off to a somber start. But the mood quickly changed when musician Sheriff Drumman rounded the coer at Veon Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard pounding along to “Purple Rain” on a drum set mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. The music brought the crowd to everyone to their feet as they danced in the street along 43rd Place.

Harriet Evans, 56, of Los Angeles said she’d loved Prince’s music since he burst onto the music scene in the late-1970s.

“God bless him and his family. the whole world is mouing behind him,” she said.

Evans recalled seeing Prince in concert at The Roxy in West Hollywood in the 1980s.

“He was crawling on the floor. I said, ‘Lord, have mercy,’” Evans said with a smile.

“He could play any instrument,” she added. Among her favorite Prince songs, Evans listed “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain” and “Darling Nikki.”

“I still party like it’s 1999,” she said.

Musician and artist Keeth Beavers, who enjoys creating portraits of music icons, displayed a chalk and pastel portrait of Prince he created in 2003.

“I am the musician I am today because of him, Earth Wind & Fire, the Isley Brothers,” he said.

Beavers said he couldn’t pick a favorite Prince song.

“There’s too many,” he said. “He made more than 30 albums. I probably own all of them,” Beavers said.

Kait Diaz, 24, and Macie Beett, 25, both of Hollywood, said they’ve been lifelong Prince fans since they were first introduced to his music by their parents.

Diaz saw Prince in concert in Sacramento a few years back.

“It was amazing. He’s someone I definitely thought everyone should see,” Diaz said.

Diaz cited “Get Off” as her favorite Prince song, while Beett said she is most fond of “The Beautiful Ones.”

After hearing the news about Prince’s death and the plaed vigil, they decided, “We just want to pay our tribute.”

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