Minnesota to Honor Pop Superstar Prince
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Members of the Minnesota Congressional delegation will introduce a resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to late pop superstar, Prince. The medal is one of the US’ highest civilian honors that have been awarded since 1776.
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Prince was a singer, songwriter, arranger, and instrumentalist who made his way to fame in the late 1970s.
Minnesota’s Congressional delegation will introduce on Monday a resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to late pop superstar Prince, as per The Associated Press.
The medal is one of the US’ highest civilian honors that was awarded since 1776 to former recipients such as George Washington, Rosa Parks, the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
The full Minnesota delegation in Congress has introduced a bipartisan resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Prince Rogers Nelson. The resolution honors Prince for his "legacy of musical achievement and... indelible mark on Minnesota and American culture." pic.twitter.com/X8vOe23Viv
— Prince (@prince) October 25, 2021
In a statement, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, who represents Minnesota in the Congress, expressed that “The world is a whole lot cooler because Prince was in it — he touched our hearts, opened our minds, and made us want to dance.”
Along with Klobuchar, the resolution is led by Democrat Minneapolis Representative Ilhan Omar. Omar described Prince as "a Minnesota icon.” “He showed that it was OK to be a short, Black kid from Minneapolis and still change the world. He not only changed the arc of music history; he put Minneapolis on the map,” she said in a statement.
Born Prince Rogers Nelson, the artist died on April 21, 2016, of a drug overdose at age 57 in his house in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
He was a singer, songwriter, arranger, and instrumentalist who made his way to fame in the late 1970s.
The delegation's legislation mentions that the artist is “widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.”
The late singer has 7 Grammy Awards, 6 American Music Awards, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe. He is also on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
On Twitter, the Prince Estate called on all Prince fans to contact their local representatives and senators to support the resolution.
The Prince Estate is encouraging all of Prince’s American fans (and fams) to contact their local representatives and senators and encourage them to support this monumental commendation of Prince’s talent, cultural impact, and historical legacy.
— Prince (@prince) October 25, 2021
Before it can be signed into law by the US President and awarded, the Congressional Gold Medals require the co-sponsorship of at least two-thirds of the members of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
