Reactions to Prince’s death have displayed a near-universal outpouring of grief. And perhaps the most touching reaction was one of a heretofore anonymous high school teacher in College Park, Georgia.
A Banneker High School student posted a video of teacher Matthew Patterson’s reaction to the iconic musician’s passing. The video quickly went viral, as it captured a moment of raw emotion striking someone in the most mundane of circumstances.
“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” Patterson told the NY Daily News.
Patterson says he discussed Prince with the class.
“I talked about what Prince meant to me as an artist and a brave performer and a person unwilling to take stuff from record companies,” he told the NY Daily News. “I’ve been listening to Prince since I was 7… I must’ve spent thousands and thousands of hours listening to Prince. I was just a huge fan.”
An emotional moment, and one shared by many around the world.
When my teacher found out Prince died pic.twitter.com/biNapKWJBU
— ✨ diamond ✨ (@shvrdae) April 21, 2016