I could never take the place of your man

I arrived home to the news that Prince had died after a short illness.

The only other musician I could compare to Bowie would be Prince. He was that good, maybe even better, but better whisper that.

I first saw a photo of him in Record Mirror in about 1980 or 81; he was almost naked and wearing leather briefs. Of course. I remembered him, and so when he had a hot with 1999 the first time I npticed it, but mainly for the fact it wasn't really dance music.

Within 18 months he was one of the biggest stars on the planet, what with a hit album, hit singles and a huge hit film. And the hits and genius just kept producing wonderful music for him, his backing band, his girlfriends, girlfriends bands, other people he knew and others he didn't.

Like all geniuses, he had little quality control; he thought all he did should be relased, and the sheer amount of what he put out was mindblowing, and it seemed to accelerate as the 80s went into the 90s. He recorded The Black Album, scrapped that and recorded Lovesexy in its place; an altogether more upbeat and likable record.

I saw Prince three times; the first time was the best; and I mean really the best, on the Lovesexy tour at Wembley Arena. I had a seat seven rows from the front, and his stagecraft and musicianship was world class. Nothing, no act or band has come close to that night. Not even Prince.

After that, he got into dance music, became more rhythm based, and I stopped buying his stuff. Once again there was so much of it, and the quality just wasn't there. Last time I saw him was in 1991 at Earls Court where he turned it into a massive echo chamber, with the bass bouncing off the walls. It wasn't good.

But then when he had set such high standards, his second best was often head and shoulders better than anyone else's.

He wrote the songs, words and lyrics, played almost all the instruments, arranged and produced them too. The designed the stage clothes and choreographed the shows too. He was everything.

The world will be a much darker place, but in heaven he and Bowie will be jamming.