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Locals remember connection to Prince

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The passing of prince is also having an impact in Bakersfield. The last time the pop star appeared in Kern County was back in 2004, at a concert at the Rabobank Arena, then known at the Centennial Garden.

Even though it has been more than a decade since he's been in town, people said they will never forget the legacy he left behind.

"Its one of those things that you just pay tribute to the greatness that they were, the excellence that they were, the change that they brought about within the industry," said local singer, Amy Adams.

She said she will always have a special connection to late R&B singer.

"The actual week that I got voted off, Prince was actually performing in Bakersfield."

In 2004, Adams was competing in season 3 of American Idol.

The same day she was vying for a spot to stay in the competition, Prince was holding a concert in downtown Bakersfield.

"It's so funny because everyone was saying, 'Oh my gosh! It was all over the news that when you got voted off it was because of the prince concert,'" said Adams.

And prince continued to influence her that season... After the show wrapped up, the contestants toured 55 cities, performing a medley of prince songs.

"The beauty of that song, we got to live every single night over and over again. I was just driving my car yesterday, having that memory, I heard that song on the radio and had that beautiful memory of prince and purple rain and us as American Idol and going on tour and it was a really, really great memory," she said.

The magic of his music and who he was also made an impact on Bakersfield LGBTQ advocate, Barbara Weaver.

"He just had this spark of energy that just lit up a room," said Weaver, who met prince back in the early 1980s when her cousin was designing his outfits.

"I do remember him and Barbara having an argument about the outfit where his rear end was hanging out. She didn't want to make it," she said.

Weaver said one of the things fans will remember about him most is his gender fluidness.

The star often having a sexually ambiguous style, embraced by the LGBTQ community.

"Whatever he was, I don't think he lived authentically and I'm hoping that our next generation will see that it's okay to be who you are," said Weaver.

Fans said Prince was more than a performer. He was a true artist who left an impact that will never be forgotten.

"It's always really sad to lose someone so brilliant like that but it's still very important for us to kind of recall all the greatness he was in this world and brought to this world," said Adams.

Click HERE for a set list of Prince's songs during his 2004 concert in Bakersfield.

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