A few Minnesota senators wore purple ties, jackets and dresses as a colorful show of Prince pride on Thursday for a vote to rename a stretch of Chanhassen's Hwy. 5 the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.
After the vote, Prince friend Mark Webster stood in the Capitol hallway with Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia and a sponsor of the bill to rename the road in her district. Webster, who lives in Richfield, was pivotal in kick-starting the memorial idea for the artist who died in April 2016.
While quoting a few Prince lyrics, such as "Dearly beloved" and "Let's go crazy," Coleman said it was also "hard not to feel a sense of sadness for all the music and art left unfinished" because of the musician's sudden death at 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
Coleman said she's proud that they were able to persuade the Minnesota Department of Transportation to deviate from the usual palette and create a purple sign for Prince.
"We don't let society tell us how it's supposed to be," she said, quoting Prince's song "Uptown."
Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, a fellow musician and North Sider, knew and worked with Prince for years. He allegedly once hung up on the artist but would neither confirm nor deny it despite extensive ribbing from colleagues.
The Senate voted 55-5 for the legislation. The no votes came from Republicans who did not explain their decisions, including Sen. Eric Lucero of Dayton, who wore a deep purple velvet jacket to vote red.
The House already passed the bill, and now it goes to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature. Supporters say they will plan a public ceremony for the sign's installation.
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