Brooklyn was awash in purple Saturday as hundreds of Prince fans took to the streets to celebrate the late musician.
The event, affectionately called the Prince Born Day Purple People Party, came three days before what would have been the singer’s 58th birthday. Spike Lee and Sway served as hosts.
The party kicked off with a live marching band. Lee served as band leader, carrying a golden guitar in the shape of Prince’s symbol.
The band made its way to Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration, where purple-clad fans joined in the festivities, set to the soundtrack of such Prince hits as “Alphabet Street” and “Erotic City.”
There were also live guitar performances and dance-off competitions.
Earlier this week, an autopsy revealed Prince died of an opioid overdose. His body was discovered at his Paisley Park, Minnesota compound on April 21.
Lee, a friend of the late singer’s, threw an impromptu block party on April 22, but today’s festivities were planned far more in advance.
Lee also took a moment to mark the passing of Muhammad Ali on social media, posting an undated and uncredited photo of Prince and Ali together. It depicts the boxer dwarfing the musician and playfully patting his head.
http://www.instagram.com/p/BGOy_tVSqge/
Lee served as a contributor for the 1996 Ali documentary “When We Were Kings.”
Watch the kick-off to today’s festivities below.