Prince's "Purple Rain": Powerful Covers by David Gilmour and Eva Vergilova
As reported earlier, legendary performer Prince died today at age 57.
As we gather more information and prepare a proper tribute, we are reminded of two popular—and very powerful—covers of Prince's "Purple Rain" that have appeared in recent months on GuitarWorld.com. One is by a legendary guitarist; the other is by an up-and-coming (and, happily, guitar-playing) internet sensation.
Up top, you'll find a 1992 performance of the song by Tom Jones and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour from a TV show called Tom Jones: The Right Time, which aired in June of that year.
Below that, we revisit a homemade clip of Bulgarian guitarist Eva Vergilova performing her instrumental version of the song, which Prince originally released in 1984. For all about Vergilova, follow her on Facebook and YouTube.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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