Following the death of Prince last week out again came the grief police, decrying the “mass mourning” and worrying that the country had gone all “Diana” again – referring to that still considered strange time when the country and much of the world went into collective grief over the shocking sudden death of Princess Diana in 1997.

Look some people are sad that a recording artist who gave them the tracks of their years is dead and therefore won’t be recording anymore – though rumour has it Prince has left behind vaults full of songs. But fans can’t see him perform anymore and apparently he was awesome on stage.

It’s sad when someone so many got so much pleasure from dies at what is now a relatively young age. Some people are sad. It’s okay to be sad when this happens. I remember my late dad crying when his musical hero Duke Ellington died. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad. Only a schmuch mocks other people’s grief. Often when a performer we’ve loved dies it recalls the loss of a loved one who’s gone and taps into that. Especially if the one you lost loved the music of the one who’s died.

I cried when Marc Bolan died. I still can’t get through Metal Guru without crying. And anyone who can hear Marc singing Cosmic Dancer about dancing himself into the tomb and not get a bit teary… go have your heart and soul checked by a good rock’n’roll doctor!