The music industry used to have a very strict look. The executives in suits made the rules. The men held the heavy electric guitars. The men smashed the drum kits. Women were usually told to stand in the back, wear something pretty, and sing quietly.
Then, a man from Minneapolis walked in and completely changed the game.
Look at the footage of Prince at the absolute peak of his fame. The person tearing up the drums is a woman. The person playing the wildest, loudest guitar solo is a woman. He did not just talk about equality in interviews. He actually handed the physical instruments to women and pushed them to the very front of the stage.
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Manuela Testolini, his wife, watched this mission happen every single day. She saw exactly how Prince operated. He was a massive, untouchable superstar. He knew exactly how much influence he carried. He deliberately surrounded himself with powerful, brilliant women. He knew the absolute best way to change a broken system was to lead by direct example.
His deep respect for women went far beyond the concert stage.
Manuela helped run his charity, Love 4 One Another. They decided to organize a massive empowerment conference for young girls in Minneapolis. Prince wanted those girls to leave the building feeling completely unstoppable. He decided to give them a gift he almost never gave to anyone.
Prince – The Most Beautiful Girl In the World (Official Video)
He looked at his massive hit song, “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” He told Manuela he wrote that specific song as a pure empowerment song for women everywhere.
Prince famously fought hard to own his art. He protected his music and almost never let anyone license it. But he broke his own strict rules for these young girls. He gave them a special box set filled with different, rare remixes of the song. He gave them full permission to use his music on their own website. He freely gave up his art so they could build something of their own.
Real power is not about standing in the center of the stage and taking all the applause. True greatness is building a massive platform, handing the microphone to the women around you, and stepping back to listen.