Prince was an icon — with his own flair for leadership

As the many eulogies and remembrances of Prince rolled in last week, the towering pop star — in influence if not in physical stature — was called a “certified genius” by The Who's Pete Townshend. A “true innovator and a singular artist” by Apple CEO Tim Cook. A “creative icon” by President Obama.

He was also, in his way, a leader.

Yes, he was a “brilliant bandleader,” as Obama noted in his statement, a man who may have done and played it all on his recordings but fronted bands in live performances that were mesmerizing for their polished showmanship. “A succession of his bands,” wrote The New York Times in its obituary of the 57-year-old Prince, including the Revolution, the New Power Generation, and 3rdEyeGirl, “were united by their funky momentum and quick reflexes as Prince made every show seem both thoroughly rehearsed and improvisational.”

More importantly, he was a leader when it came to innovations in music distribution, to the issue of musicians' rights, and to a push for artists' independent control. And his genre-defying sound had the ability to unite generations of music lovers and the musicians he influenced.

Way back in 1997, Prince was the first major artist to release an entire album online, according to a Webby Lifetime Achievement award he received in 2006, when he let his fans buy the three-CD set “Crystal Ball” directly from him over the Internet.

“Prince's leadership online has transformed the entertainment industry and reshaped the relationship between artist and fan,” the group said, and noted that he predated more recent efforts to “premiere videos and new music, challenge distribution practices and connect with his fans.”

While the 1997 release was problematic, with delayed orders and disappointment that it was not sold exclusively online, it helped carve a path for others to find new ways of distributing their music. As Prince fan and social media veteran Anil Dash tweeted last week, “Prince crowdfunded an album on the Internet, complete w/ Kickstarter-style late delivery to angry fans, 20 YEARS AGO. Your fave could never.” He also gave away copies of albums with tickets to concerts and with issues of British newspapers.

At the same time, Prince had a complex relationship with the Internet, as The Post's Abby Ohlheiser recounts (see link below). He was a pioneer in using it, yet aggressively policed those who sampled or posted his work online. Last summer, he pulled his music from all streaming services except Jay Z's Tidal. He was a strong voice for how musicians fare in a digital world. As he told the Guardian last year: “Tell me a musician who's got rich off digital sales. Apple's doing pretty good though, right?”

Long before that, he exhibited an independence few musicians had dared, battling Warner Bros. in the early 1990s over the pace he released his albums, famously changing his name to a symbol and writing “slave” across his face in response. He returned to the label recently, with control over music rights.

“Prince changed the game,” read a statement from Greg Harris, CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted Prince in 2004. “He controlled the stage, he controlled the music and he controlled the media,” Harris said, calling him “a driven leader who made us bend to his will, created a new path and inspired others to step up, just to keep up.”

Even beyond his pioneering independence, he was a social advocate, one who wrote songs and spoke out on political issues and inspired the YesWeCode nonprofit to help open tech jobs to black youths.

And then, of course, there was his music, which crossed boundaries, defied genres and had seemingly unanimous respect among musicians and fans alike.

Few voices in our world today have that kind of reach. Which may be why one fan mourned the pop star's death this way on Twitter:

“I feel like Prince (and Bowie) are closer to a world leader death than a ‘celebrity' death, honestly. Like, call everything off today.”