What does the color purple mean to Prince?

The Prince estate announced Monday the creation of a new shade of purple inspired by the late music icon's custom-made purple Yamaha piano. 

Created by the Pantone Color Institute, the global color authority, the custom color is intended to represent and honor Prince, who died in April 2016 at age 57 of an opioid overdose.

The new hue, represented in color charts by Prince's famous “Love Symbol #2” icon, was inspired by his purple piano, which was scheduled to go on tour with the performer before his death.

The color pays tribute to Prince’s mark on music, art, fashion and culture, according to a press release from the Prince estate, established after his death to untangle his affairs, market his music and distribute his wealth to his six sibling heirs. 

“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be. This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever,” said Troy Carter, the entertainment advisor to Prince’s estate, in a statement.

Courtesy of Pantone Color Institute.

Purple has been irrevocably associated with Prince at least since 1984 when he released the film Purple Rain, winning the Oscar for “Best Original Song Score” for his song of the same name. He spent his remaining decades with a tight grip on the color, wearing purple clothes and strumming on purple guitars. When he passed suddenly of an accidental overdose at the age of 57, the world quite literally lit up with purple tributes.

“We are honored to have worked on the development of Love Symbol #2, a distinctive new purple shade created in memory of Prince, ‘the purple one,’” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “A musical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince’s distinctive style. Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol #2 enables Prince’s unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and maintain the same iconic status as the man himself.”

In a fitting and unusual tribute, the Prince Estate, alongside Pantone Color Institute, announced today the creation of a standardized custom color to represent and Prince.

The color, of course, is a shade of purple.

“Love Symbol #2” was inspired by his custom-made Yamaha purple piano, which was originally scheduled to go on tour with the artist before his death from an accidental drug overdose on April 21, 2016. From the 1984 film “Purple Rain” to multiple lyric references, wardrobe and vehicle choices and more, Prince has long been associated with the color. The announcement comes just weeks after the release of a deluxe edition of the “Purple Rain” album including previously unreleased tracks and a long out-of-print DVD of a 1985 concert.

“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be. This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever,” said Troy Carter, Entertainment Advisor to Prince’s Estate.

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute said: “We are honored to have worked on the development of Love Symbol #2, a distinctive new purple shade created in memory of Prince, ‘the purple one.’ A musical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince’s distinctive style. Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol #2 enables Prince’s unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and maintain the same iconic status as the man himself.”

The Estate is in conversation with various partners about collaboration on products that incorporate the custom color.

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