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Led by Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the full Minnesota delegation in Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have introduced bipartisan legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Prince Rogers Nelson.
The bill honors Prince for his “legacy of musical achievement and… indelible mark on Minnesota and American culture.”
“Like so many, I grew up with Prince’s music. I was always proud to say he was from Minnesota,” said Klobuchar. “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. With this legislation, we honor his memory and contributions as a composer, performer, and music innovator. Purple reigns in Minnesota today and every day because of him.”
Prince died in 2016 at the age of 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, after a musical career that included landmark albums like Purple Rain and Sign O’ the Times and included him being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The gold medal legislation highlights those achievements, and also notes that Prince was “widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation, his innovative music incorporated elements of rock, R&B, funk, hip-hop, new wave, synth-pop, and jazz.”
“Prince is a Minnesota icon,” said Omar. “I remember when I first came to America being captivated by Prince’s music and impact on the culture. He showed that it was okay 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. Places like First Avenue, Uptown are landmarks because of Prince. I am proud to introduce this resolution to give Prince the recognition he deserves.”
Following introduction, legislation bestowing a Congressional Gold Medal must be co-sponsored by two-thirds of the membership of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in order to be awarded.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States Congress. Only 163 have been awarded since 1776, the first going to George Washington.
