Today marks a sad chapter in music history, as the beloved R&B singer Prince passed away earlier today. As we continue to grieve over the loss of a legend, we turn to the healing power of music and explore a number of tributes performed by artists we love.
Among those performers is the band Phish, who have covered Prince many times in their 30+ year career. Any casual fan has certainly heard stories of the band’s wild drummer Jon Fishman, who struts on stage wearing a purple dress and playing solos on a vacuum cleaner. When Fishman does take the front stage, he always graces fans with a sing-a-long song.
Throughout the many Fishman-selected ballads, including Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Pink Floyd’s “Bike,” one stands alone. “Purple Rain.” The Prince cover has been performed by Phish a grand total of 32 times, debuting in 1993 and making its most recent appearance at Jones Beach in 2012. In honor of Prince, let’s enjoy footage of Fishman’s grand performance from that show:
Interestingly, Phish has played just one other Prince song in their career. On the last day of the year 1998, Phish graced the Madison Square Garden audience with a cover of “1999.” The exciting song was all too appropriate for the New Year’s celebration, kicking off a memorable performance from the Burlington four.
Enjoy that 12/31/98 performance below, as shared by Phish, below:
RIP Prince. We’ll miss you.