Even the most hardcore Prince fan will admit that we got to know him so much better after his death. We intrinsically understood that he was good to his fans by keeping ticket prices down and then playing sets so epic that they offered almost existential value for money, but we knew so much less of his humanitarian work while he was alive.

In 2001, he became a Jehovah's Witness, and was therefore thought to have been forbidden from speaking about his charitable deeds, but it was his nature as much as his religion that prompted his extraordinary kindness and examples of his generosity go right back to the peak of his fame. Take the time, for instance, that he played a surprise free concert for 2,500 blind and deaf students at Washington DC's Gallaudet College in 1984. The Washington Post's review of the gig was posted online after he died.

As CBS Minnesota pointed out in a 26 April article about his charitable activities, "It's possible the public will never know how much he gave, and to how many people." The Fader also published a list, as did many others. He gave millions, and make no mistake, even smaller things Prince did for people have lasting value: