He’s all Prince: Tri-City man turns home into shrine for singer

Editor’s note: The Tri-City Herald ran the following story about Ron Larson’s devotion to Prince in February 2006.

Larson is now 45 and lives in Pasco, working as the TRAC facility’s banquet and sales manager. His boss made him sit down before breaking the news of Prince’s death to him. He said he “went straight home,” listening to “When Doves Cry” on the way.

“It’s pretty devastating,” he said.

He also posted the following on his Facebook page:

“A piece of me died today... I cannot express the emotions that have swept through my head as well as my soul. Prince was my escape into happiness. His music became the soundtrack of my life at an early age. Most of you I’ve probably bored to death with my encyclopedic knowledge of him. Through my trials and tribulations the music was always there to pull me through. His music is nothing short of excitement and joy as well as meaningful. To see him live was unbelievable and that’s grossly understated. Even if your not a fan there’s at least one song that you liked. He pushed the envelope like no other and knew no boundaries as a musician. He was in his own little world and I followed along like a lot of his fans. I must say I laughed quite a bit listening to my son Zach sing falsetto in the back seat while blaring Prince on our adventures. He will be missed but the legacy of music he left behind will be a testament to his Genius.”

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Prince’s music is the soundtrack to Ron Larson’s life.

The Kennewick 35-year-old has been listening to the Minneapolis-based rocker since 1981.

Not a day has gone by during the past 25 years that Larson hasn’t listened to a Prince tune at home, driving in the car or while working at the Applebee’s restaurant, where he is an assistant manager.

He has more than 1,000 CDs of Prince’s music, including several duplicates of the artist’s 33 studio albums and many live recordings. He also has more than 700 cassettes of Prince’s music and more than 900 hours on video of Prince performing in concert or acting in one of his films.

Posters, album covers, promotional photographs, vinyl 45s and other Prince memorabilia wallpaper the living room in Larson’s one-bedroom Kennewick apartment. It’s daunting to take it all in and talk with Larson as hundreds, maybe thousands, of Prince’s brown eyes stare back at you.

On either of Larson’s arms are tattoos characterizing his favorite Prince song, When Doves Cry.

Larson estimates he’s invested more than $175,000 over the years in his collection.

But don’t call him a fan.

“A fan is short for fanatic, ” he said. “I consider myself a collector or enthusiast.”

And don’t accuse him of building a shrine to the pop star.

“I don’t consider him a god, ” he said. “I consider him a musical genius.”

Friends and family have gotten used to Larson’s passion for Prince.

“Everyone has their quirks. Everyone has their passions, ” said Jennifer Brown, a good friend and co-worker. “He just took it to the next level. ... I think it’s cool.”

“Daddy, why do you have so much Prince stuff?” asked Zachary, Larson’s 5-year old son.

Larson first got hooked on Prince’s sound during an October 1981 visit to a Portland record store. Controversy played over the store’s sound system.

“I stayed and listened to the whole album, and the rest is history, ” he said. “I’m known as the Prince guy.”

Why is Prince’s music so important to him? He said he and Prince shared similar, less-than-ideal childhoods. And when Larson struck out on his own at age 16, it was Prince’s music that gave him refuge and hope.

“When the elevator wants to bring you down, go crazy, punch a higher floor, ” he said, quoting from Prince’s single Go Crazy.

He embraces Prince’s ethos that everything be on his terms.

He rebuts claims that Prince is a has-been. Prince’s Te Amo Corazon single is among the top 100 R&B singles tracked by Billboard.

Prince’s last album, Musicology, made it has high as No. 3 on the charts when it was released in 2004, the same year Prince was the biggest earner on the concert tour and stole the show when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Prince has won Grammys (and was nominated in 2005). He’s won Oscars. He’s written hit songs for others and not many musicians have passed on a chance to work with him. Prince has sold more than 30 million albums, including more than 13 million for Purple Rain. His first studio release came in 1978, and Rolling Stone magazine lists the 47-year-old among rock’s all-time greats. His new album, 3121, is expected to be released in late March.

Larson admits that some people may consider his Prince habit to be obsessive. However, “a majority of people find it very interesting, ” he said, adding that he’s dealt with the teasing his entire life.

To meet him on the street, you wouldn’t guess his passion. He doesn’t wear a purple jumpsuit or style his hair like Prince’s unique mop. He isn’t 5-foot-4.

Instead, he dresses like a trendy metrosexual, wearing designer jeans, an untucked white dress shirt and clean T-shirt. His ears are pierced with small gold hoops. He wears neat, black rectangular frame glasses. He keeps his black hair short. He stands about 6 feet. He’s neither lean nor fat. His handshake is firm.

He listens to other music, too, including Pearl Jam, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and others.

His 19-year-old girlfriend said, upon learning of Larson’s Prince craze, “I thought he was gay.”

“A lot of people ask me that, ” Larson said.

“Obviously, that’s not the case, ” she said.

She listens to more Prince now than before the two started dating.

Larson has met a few other Prince fans in the Tri-Cities, where he’s lived since 1997. He also stays in touch with a handful of Prince fans like himself around the world.

He is a database of Prince trivia. “He knows every single thing about him, ” said Brown, who’s known him for six years.

Larson knows Prince’s full name, Prince Rogers Nelson. He knows Prince’s birth date. He knows the street address of where Prince grew up. He knows about Prince’s discography, past relationships, his ailments, his setbacks and successes.

“Prince does everything by ear, ” Larson said. “He can’t read music.”

“He starts on the drums to find the song’s beat, ” he continued.

“Prince came up with Raspberry Beret while brushing his teeth, ” he added.

He listens to each new album continuously until he knows every song by heart.

Larson knows Prince.

He waited all day to get a good seat for a 2002 Seattle concert and was rewarded when Prince, during a song break, answered his question about the musician’s noted fight to retain ownership of his music.

He flew to Las Vegas for a 2003 concert at the Aladdin and was pulled onto the stage to dance a few songs. You can see him in the concert DVD, Prince — Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas.

Brown said she thinks of him every time she hears a Prince song. Larson said one friend, who hadn’t seen him in 15 years, asked upon their reunion, “Do you still listen to Prince?”

You’ll get to know and hear the answer, if you have any doubts, the next time you’re eating at the Kennewick Applebee’s and a Prince song comes on the radio.

Watch as Larson’s co-workers race him to turn up the volume.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 6:12 PM with the headline "He’s all Prince: Tri-City man turns home into shrine for singer."