[guest post] It’s been a rough few days. I feel like I’ve been suspended in a purple daze or haze (take your pick). You see, the other morning, I was sent reeling into a state of shock and disbelief, seemingly, at this point, with no return ticket. Frantically, I channel-surfed, on a mission to find a reporter or news anchor who somehow hadn’t fallen prey to some cruel Internet hoax. They all were saying the same thing…
”Prince has died.”
Noooo, not my favorite entertainer of all time, His Royal Badness! Fire the Fact Checkers, for they all must be on some twisted, delayed April Fool’s Joke! Why didn’t I think of it first? Surely, someone would be on Periscope, live-streaming any breaking news. Notifications were popping up all over the place. I can’t remember if I screamed first or burst into tears, but I do recall a lot of wailing and a flood of tears. This was becoming all too familiar. This time, last year, my family and I were celebrating my younger sister and only female sibling, Kerri’s life in a memorial service of which we hoped she would have been proud. We also were individually and collectively trying to come to grips of continuing through our life journeys without a very important person part of it. The same shocking sentiments echoed then…How? And “Gone too soon!” as Kerri passed away on April 13, 2015 a week before what would have been her 43rd birthday.
As the day turned into evening, and eventually the night wore on, in the midst of crying jags, listening to and watching tributes, answering calls and responding to texts from “caring family and friends” with “I know this is rough, Are you OK?” etc., I’d break down again, then remember something funny, and in all the reminiscing, I began to realize that there were a few parallels between Kerri and Prince. You may think “What could they possibly have in common?” I’m glad you asked.
They both were 5’2”, yet they never let the adjective, “short” define anything about them except vertical alignment. They both adored those sky-high boots (and sometimes pumps for Kerri too) and walked like a “BOSS”, commanding any room they entered without trying.
They both were very creative, and forward-thinkers is an understatement. Prince could play a minimum of 27 instruments and left a body of work that people only speculate about. It is being reported that he had an underground vault of unreleased tracks that could take us well into another century. Kerri, took a societal label of being a “teenage mother”, turned it on it’s ear and created an empowerment platform for young women and the youth. She possessed both an entrepreneurial spirit and a servant’s heart. She had a catering company and also envisioned having a food truck business long before they came on the scene in metro Atlanta. She was a culinary wunderkind, creating down-home, Southern-style concession treats that weren’t fast food.
They both were incredibly private. It’s no secret that Prince was extremely private. In fact, for many years, he did not grant interviews. The repetitive statement to curious fans was that he was very private and shy. Eventually, like a beautiful, and precious seedling, years later, Prince seemed to open up some, began granting interviews, making surprise appearances, and eventually started to engage in social media under unassuming handles, i.e., not his stage or given name. He once even replied to an often-repeated question about relocating from MN to CA, something to the effect that he would remain there in MN because “the cold kept the bad people (paparazzi) out!” Kerri was far from shy and never met a stranger. She had an effervescent, welcoming and endearing personality. She was always “the life of the party” and it has been such a noticeable void at family gatherings because her physical presence is sorely missed. I have come to say she lived and loved out loud, but endured privately.
They both were strongly grounded in their faith. Prince became a devout Jehovah’s Witness around 2001. In an interview with Tavis Smiley, Prince stated that he would be participating in the field service (door knocking) and that people would be shocked when they opened their door and saw him there to witness to them. Kerri was anointed and definitely on the fast-track on her faith assignment. Born into a family of Baptists, Kerri announced at age two that she wanted to be baptized. Initially, mama and daddy were hesitant because they didn’t believe she could truly comprehend what baptism meant, nor the responsibilities that came with it. Our pastor reminded them of the scripture in Matthew 19:14 “But Jesus said, Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” KJV. They relented and approved. Kerri would be an active church member and Christian servant, never missing an opportunity to share some part of her faith or minister to others daily.
So, here we are. My heart is still broken. Many hearts are broken. Families and fans are in mourning. Kerri was also a Prince fan. It was kind of inevitable. We all have questions as they both left us thinking and wondering that they left us way too soon. Since Prince is a little shy, I’m sure Kerri (AKA Ms. Congeniality) will make him feel right at home. I hope she remembers to ask him to do a little riff of “Kiss” for Mama.
Happy Birthday, Kerri and Rest Well, Prince!
Karen Y. Kirkland
Rashaad King 