The Pantone Color Institute and the Prince Estate have jointly released a new purple tone in homage to the late singer, whose association with the color was solidified after the release of the 1984 song and film, Purple Rain , and who was often referred to as "The Purple One."
Inspired by the color of Prince's Yamaha piano, the hue's name is the symbol that the singer devised—and briefly changed his stage name to in 1993—which became known as "Love Symbol #2." According to a Rolling Stone article, the switch was in response to his then recording studio Warner Bros., which wanted Prince to slow down his production of songs in order to be able to promote the singer more effectively. In a not-so-surprising move for an artist who challenged cultural norms throughout his career, Prince made it nearly impossible for his studio to promote him by changing his stage name to a symbol no one knew, and couldn't say. The singer ultimately changed his name back in 2000, once his contract with Warner Bros. had ended.
“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be." said Troy Carter, entertainment adviser to Prince’s Estate, in a press release from the institute. "This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever,” According to the same release, the singer's estate plans on using the custom color in collaborations on future products.
