Mayte Garcia is honoring Prince in a powerful, multi-layered tribute a decade after his passing – sharing an emotional social media message, hosting the Glam Slam Benefit to give back, and marking the moment as Los Angeles officially declares “Prince Day” in celebration of his lasting legacy.
The artist, author, philanthropist, and former wife and collaborator of Prince will lead the Live 4 Love Charities Glam Slam Benefit tonight at the W Hollywood. The sold-out event will honor the beloved singer while helping to keep his longtime mission of helping others going strong a decade after his passing.
Mayte Garcia Shares The Message That Prince ‘Lives On In Each Of Us’
Garcia took to Instagram early on Tuesday morning to share a message to fans of her late husband with an emotional tribute to the life that touched many through music.
“Sometimes it feels impossible to say that number out loud. And yet here we are millions around the world still connected by the same vibration, the same spirit, the same love that came through him every time he touched a stage, a studio, or a soul,” she began her heartfelt tribute on Instagram. “I’ve said before, ‘Enter quietly into the realm of genius,’ because that’s what it felt like to be near him. A realm. A frequency. A force. His music wasn’t just sound, it was spirt.”
She went on to explain that even today, so many years later, his music “still speaks,” “still teaches,” and “still reaches for us.”
“This year, more than any other, I’m thinking about you the fans who grew up with him, learned from him, healed with him, and found pieces of yourselves through his words,” she continued. “Only a handful of us will be at the Glam Slam Benefit, but he never belonged to one room. He belonged to all of us. Everywhere.”
‘He Never Wanted Us To Be Sad’
Garcia’s touching words continued to remind fans that Prince would not want anyone “to be sad.”
“He never wanted us to be sad. He believed in transformation, in returning home, in the idea that love is the only thing that lasts,” she continued. “He once wrote, ‘My bed’s made up at night because in my dreams I roam.’ I’ve always felt that line wasn’t just about him finding his way home, it was about how he still finds us. In dreams, in memories, in those moments when his music fills a room and it feels like he’s right there again.”
Garcia also shared a wish for today, the 10 year anniversary of Prince’s passing.
“So on this tenth year, turn his music all the way up. Sing your heart out. Be grateful that we lived in his lifetime, that we witnessed him first hand,” she wrote. “That is something rare, something sacred, something we all share.”
She requested that fans tag Live 4 Love Charities on social media if they share their fond memories and stories of Prince so “we can see the moments and songs that still connect us all to him.”
Her final message is one of strength and love.
“When we share him, he lives again,” she wrote. “And I keep thinking about the message he left us in Live 4 Love, that fierce reminder that even in chaos, even in pain, even when the world tries to harden you, the mission is the same: live for love. Without love, we don’t life. With love, we rise. That’s how we carry him forward. That’s how we honor him. That’s how we keep his light moving through the world.”
Fans Shared Stories And Feelings In The Comments Of Mayte Garcia’s Post
It didn’t take long for fans to share their fond memories and loving words in the comment section of Garcia’s post.
“I was at Paisley Park on 4/17. I felt his presence in every single room. It was quite an emotional experience,” one viewer wrote.
“He is the only artist who when attending his shows would cause me to inexplicably break out in tears. The groove was his own, a funk so hard that no one will EVER duplicate it. It would reach deep down and pull emotions out of me that needed to be set free. You’ve summed it up and made me realize that was an expression of his vibration, and it was a gift he gave to all of us to have our own personal experience with,” another fan shared.
Many others shared similar experiences and thoughts.
“Prince is and was pure magic. Love him forever and so grateful I had him in this lifetime. We are lucky,” one person shared. Another added, “My life wouldn’t be the same without him. He made my life colorful and filled with love. How lucky I am to get to know him and his music. I miss you, Prince.”
Tonight’s Glam Slam Benefit Honoring Prince’s Legacy Is Sold Out
Tonight, the Glam Slam Benefit will celebrate Prince’s enduring cultural and humanitarian legacy while raising money for the charity Prince began with Garcia in 1996. The event, hosted by Garcia and George Lopez, will feature live performances, special guests, and more.
Ahead of the event, Garcia sat down with The Blast to share more about the tribute and Live 4 Love Charities, which was founded in honor of Garcia and Prince’s son Amiir.
“We started this foundation in 1996, and it was privately funded because it was his money and he would go on tour and then he’d be like, ‘let’s donate.’ And he donated a lot of money to people that nobody knows about,” Garcia told The Blast exclusively. “He left me on [the foundation] when he passed and we just reignited it.”
The City Of Los Angeles Will Proclaim April 21 As ‘Prince Day’
The entire day today, April 21, will be dedicated to the honor of the beloved performer. Before the charity event this evening, the City of Los Angeles will proclaim April 21 as “Prince Day” and many city monuments, such as the Hollywood Sign, will glow purple in his honor.
“I think it’s long overdue,” Garcia told The Blast. “His music was loved by all, so it’s nice, especially on the anniversary of his passing. That day has been really hard for a lot of us.”
For more information on Live 4 Love Charities, visit the website.
