Throwback Thursday: Prince's 20 Best Quotes

It's hard to find words to say when anyone passes. But when the one who has passed is Prince. Words are almost impossible to find to describe the impact Prince has had on me, let alone for the millions upon millions of fans; fans that were otherwise divided over generations, ethnicities, religious beliefs, political stances, and continental divides. 

Prince's music broke barriers, and set records and empowered people to be the truest thing they could be; themselves. He wrote and produced (released and unreleased) an estimated five hundred to over a thousand songs, sold over 150 million records worldwide, had five number-one singles in the United States, fifteen worldwide #1 hits, and 8 worldwide number one albums. Prince was the most successful artist on the Billboard charts for 20 years straight, from 1980 to 2000, having 8 #1 R&B singles and 7 #1 Dance singles as top charters.

But Prince became more than just a musician, he was a prolific artist who talked culture, sexuality, politics, faith, and love in ways that will transcend even his own life.

Yeah, it's hard to find accurate words to describe Prince, who passed just hours ago. 

And so, I will allow his own words to speak for him. Here are 20 of the best things said by our dearly departed Prince.

"Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful."

"The new pushes the old out of the way and retains what it wants to."

"Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people."

"A real friend or mentor isn't on your payroll."

"Don't hate me because I'm fabulous."

"There are no accidents. And if there are, it's up to us to look at them as something else. And that bravery is what creates new flowers."

"There's always a rainbow at the end of every rain."

"When you don't talk down to your audience, then they can grow with you. I give them a lot of credit to be able to hang with me this long, because I've gone through a lot of changes, but they've allowed me to grow, and thus we can tackle some serious subjects and try to just be better human beings, all of us."

"Ownership, that's what you give your kids. That's your legacy."

"No child is bad from the beginning, they just imitate their atmosphere."

"Don't let your children watch television until they know how to read, or else all they'll know how to do is cuss, fight and breed."

"As long as I do not take myself too seriously I should not be too badly off."

"I don't really care so much what people say about me because it usually is a reflection of who they are."

"Compassion is an action word with no boundaries."

"There is something that happens when you get emancipated. You approach life differently. You eat differently. You respect yourself more. You respect the gift you have been given."

"But life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last."