Public memorial for Prince set for May 6 at L.A. City Hall

Los Angeles will pay tribute to the late music icon Prince with a public memorial at City Hall next week, officials said Wednesday.

The memorial is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on May 6 and will be on the south lawn of City Hall, said local activist Najee Ali, who is organizing the event. A spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Garcetti confirmed that 8th District City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson is sponsoring the event, but it was not immediately clear if public money would be used.

“Los Angeles was Prince’s second home. He spent a lot of time here,” Ali said. “It’s not a time to mourn but a time to pay tribute to his legacy. We’re expecting a big party on the grass next Friday.”

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Organizers are reaching out to musicians that collaborated with Prince Rogers Nelson over the years in hopes they may perform, Ali said. Prince died April 21 and since then, City Hall and municipal buildings across the country have been illuminated in purple to honor him.

“Our very own City Hall was the prime location for the ‘Diamonds and Pearls’ video,” reads the Facebook announcement for next week’s memorial. “The City of Los Angeles is proud to have been the home away from home for a tremendous talent that touched our city and our world.”

Garcetti issued a statement following Prince’s death last week:

“Prince was a once-in-a-generation talent. His genius on stage, and in the studio, was matched only by his determination to protect the integrity of his art and defend the rights of artists to control what they create.”

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