Joining the chorus of countless, adoring fans around the globe, Yamaha mourns the sudden and unexpected loss of Prince, considered to have been one of the most innovative, inventive and engaging artists ever.
The company had just put the finishing touches on a custom purple Yamaha C7X grand piano for Prince, which was to be the centerpiece of his upcoming “Piano and a Microphone” tour. Yamaha was in the middle of filming a “behind-the-scenes” documentary of the making of this one-of-a-kind piano and the tour.
Prince publicly announced his excitement for the budding relationship with Yamaha in a Twitter post on April 12. Additionally, he unveiled the new piano during an impromptu concert held this past Saturday at his Paisley Park recording studio and home near Minneapolis.
Prince died unexpectedly on the morning of April 21 at his home.
“Prince was brilliant, iconic and transfixing, having created an unmatched body of work that pushed all music and cultural boundaries,” said Chris Gero, founder and vice president, Yamaha Entertainment Group. “The custom purple piano was a very special and rewarding project for us, dear to our heart and guided in large part by Prince’s genius. Speaking on behalf of Yamaha, I am deeply saddened by this tragic loss of an amazing artist and person, but deeply honored to have worked with one of the greatest entertainers of all time.”
