"We're complete strangers, but we've built a friendship through our love of Prince," says Keisha Williams of Los Angeles. On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Williams will be travelling to Minnesota, where, on Thursday, she'll connect with 45 other Prince fans for a purple pilgrimage. "We are coming from all around the world," Williams explains. "Australia, Atlanta, North Carolina, Texas, all over the place."

Williams met the group of fans through Facebook sites where they bonded through their shared love of Prince and their mutual grief following the musician's death.

Now, even though most of them have never previously met in person, the members of the group have been collaborating online for more than a month to arrange transportation, lodging and activities for themselves when they visit Minnesota this week. Williams says they've hired a party bus that will take them to the official Prince tribute show at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and then to the Prince dance party at the Muse Event Center in Minneapolis.

In the following days, Williams says she and her friends will tour the Twin Cities area to see "all things Prince," including a visit to the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis to meet Susannah Melvoin, and several in the group have obtained tickets to the Paisley Park tour in Chanhassen. Although some in the group had VIP tickets to Paisley Park tours that were subsequently cancelled, many, including Williams, were able to secure some recently released general-admission tours. "Quite a few of us were distraught," Williams says of the Paisley Park cancellations. "But we've been able to get tickets for people since they opened up a few days, and we're being supportive of those who couldn't get them."

Although some in the group aren't able to tour Paisley Park, the tribute concert, dance parties and other activities will bring them closer to each other and to the man and music they love. "It is important for us to come and see Paisley Park and all that Prince loved," Williams says. "Prince was all about love, and his music brings people together. We're deeply connected by that, and we want to show that love."

The Purple Pilgrimage (September 2016), by Brian Bourke, Melbourne, Australia

I am Brian and this is the story of why my great mate Anthony and I came to Minneapolis all the way from Melbourne, Australia in September. It is a summary of what was possibly the best 6 days of our lives.

Amongst the many letters to Prince that are hanging on the fence at Paisley Park there is one that starts by saying, "Dear beloved Prince. You didn't know me, but I knew you". This is a profound statement if you are a big Prince fan.

If you have liked Prince's music since Purple Rain came out as Anthony and I have, then you have been a Prince fan for over 30 years. In that time Prince fans have been so privileged to have been given so much music from this man. We have all ridden the ups and downs of his career, had goosebumps at the pure genius of some of his songs, been bemused at some of the decisions he has made, been incredibly proud of him, spent time defending him and marveled at his live performances. He has allowed us in to his life through his lyrics and on the stage. His songs have been there through some of the greatest times and some of the worst times of our lives. Sometimes influencing us, sometimes healing us and sometimes guiding us, so yes I feel like I knew him. All serious Prince fans feel like they knew him and when he died it really did feel like we had lost a friend.

Anthony and I started high school together when we were just 13 years old. In 1984 when we were 15 Prince released "When Doves Cry." The song was like nothing we had heard before and we both really loved it. When Purple Rain the movie was released a few months later we went and saw it together at the movies. We were hooked. This guy with makeup on was so different to anything else we had seen or heard. Prince and his band The Revolution were making music that just seemed to fit with where we were in our young lives and he has been with us both every day ever since. His music has been the soundtrack to our lives and he has been the Purple Glue that has kept us the best of friends for such a long time. We have seen nearly every concert he has done in Melbourne in 1992, 2004, 2012 and just this last February 2016 with the Piano and a Microphone tour (Australia and our neighbour New Zealand were the only places he took that show outside the USA). Prince's music has been there through our marriages, the birth of our kids, the parties we have had, every birthday, almost every major event in our lives. We have taken our better halves and our kids to see him live and watch his unmistakable genius.

In April when he died it was the worst day I have ever had at work. I could not stop the tears from falling. Anthony was the same. We rang each other a few times during the day and there was just silence because neither of us could speak. People said how can you be so upset over someone you didn't know - but we knew him. We knew him well.

In July this year it was announced that The Revolution, Prince's band would be re forming in the original lineup with some guests to do some shows at First Avenue in Minneapolis as a tribute to Prince. There had already been a few tributes to Prince. The MTV awards and the BET awards, but they were not healing at all. It was like these were big celebrities saying yeah I knew Prince. The Revolution getting back together was different. Right from when these shows were announced the band were saying that they had not had time to heal and neither had the fans. These shows were to grieve and then let go of that grief. To Anthony and me this was the perfect tribute to the Purple Genius. THAT band on THAT stage singing THOSE songs that were so influential to us was perfect. The band knew that the fans needed something.

There was no point looking at airfares and accommodation in Minneapolis unless I could actually get tickets to one of the shows so I set my alarm and got up for the release at 2am Melbourne time. As First Avenue only holds 1500 people and there were only 2 shows announced at that stage (the third was announced later) so I thought my chances of getting 2 tickets from the other side of the world were pretty slim, but a miracle happened and I got 2 tickets for the Friday night show. I then started looking at the rest of the trip and if we could afford it. It was pretty expensive, but not out of reach. Our other halves were saying we just HAD to go and would be silly if we didn't, so after a bit of thought we said why not - let's just do it - and so started the plans for our Purple Pilgrimage.

We both had difficulty getting time off work, but after a bit of persuasion our bosses came good. We booked 5 nights in Minneapolis which would give us time to rent a car and drive out to Paisley Park, see the Friday night show, beg and grovel to somehow get tickets for the Saturday night show (which we did!), see the house in the movie purple Rain, see the mural on the wall of the Chanhassen cinema and if time permitted purify ourselves in the waters of Lake Minnetonka!

Sometimes things are just meant to be and our pilgrimage got off to the perfect start when we flew out of Melbourne and Purple Rain just happened to be one of the in flight movies we could choose - it was a sign that this was going to be more than just a quick trip to see a band. After a 15 hour flight to LA then a 4 hour flight to Minneapolis we arrived on the Wednesday before the Friday of the concert. After a rest and a beautiful dinner with a couple we knew, we hit the sack ready for the start of our journey to say goodbye to our purple friend.

On Thursday morning we had a great mid morning breakfast at Hell's Kitchen then headed off to rent a car to go and see Paisley Park. We thought we would not be at Paisley Park all that long as you can't go inside yet, then we would go for a drive around Lake Minnetonka. Our first stop was the record store Electric Fetus as they have had a long association with Prince. I stream 89.3 The Current at home in Melbourne when I can and I have discovered a lot of new music through them that we just don't hear in Australia. If I like something enough I buy the cd through Electric Fetus. Even though it costs me a little bit more than if I got if from the internet, I do it because Prince loved it there. In my correspondence with them when I order something I got to know Dawn via the comments part of the order form. I told her Anthony and I were coming over so she said to drop in and say g'day. When we arrived and found Dawn she was amazing to us. So unbelievably friendly. She introduced us to Kim and Amy and it was like we had been friends for years. We stood around chatting about Prince and our lives in general and they were fantastic.

When we arrived at Paisley Park and got out of the car we were struck by how emotional we were. This is the building where so many songs that we hold so dear came to life. This is the building where Prince had his parties for the people at ridiculously short notice and we were always so jealous when we would read about them the next day, but more emotional than all that was the thought that somewhere in that building is the elevator where they found his body. We were right there where it all happened - the good and the bad. As we walked around the fence we saw all the little things and read all the letters that people had left for Prince. There were several people walking around doing the same as us. I think we spoke to every person we walked past and they were all somber and feeling the same as us. One girl even burst in to tears when I asked her how she was doing. Some of the things people have written are so beautiful. We had found a place and a city where people "get it". It felt really good to finally be able to share how we feel with others who totally understand. We were there at Paisley Park for several hours looking and talking. We then headed off to the cinema in Chanhassen where the mural has been painted. We took some photos for other people and they did the same for us. This was a more fun environment and there were smiles all around. Every person we met felt like a friend we had known for years - this was becoming a truly good thing for us to do. We didn't have enough daylight left for the drive around the lake so we headed back to Minneapolis. We went to see the Vikings play the Rams at the new (and very impressive) US Bank stadium that night.

At Paisley Park there is a tunnel that goes under the highway that runs past it. Inside this tunnel there is a lot of graffiti for Prince. We didn't have a marker the day before so we couldn't add to it. Seeing we had the car until lunch time we decided to head out there again and graffiti a message for Prince then drive around the lake. We did all that and got back just in time to return the car. A great morning.

We were getting excited about the show we were about to see and still couldn't believe we had tickets. We wandered up to First Avenue to join the queue. For me personally I was emotional before I got to the door. Anthony not quite as much as me, but he was feeling it too. Once inside the crowd were amazing. Everyone was there for the exact same reason as us and as a result there was this atmosphere I have never experienced before. When the lights went down and the organ at the start of "Let's Go Crazy" started I couldn't hold it in anymore and I cried for the next 2 hours. So many highlights - so much emotion. What an incredible human being we have lost.

After the show Questlove played his set until 2am. After that we talked and reminisced about the purple genius with anyone and everyone. They were all amazed that we had travelled so far to see this show. We ended up at a pizza bar, still sharing stories, until they closed at 4am and we finally crashed at the hotel after the sun came up about 6.30am. Not bad for a couple of blokes on the wrong side of 45!

On Saturday we got up at lunch time and headed back to Electric Fetus because Susannah Melvoin was making an appearance there. We got to meet her, have a quick chat and get a photo. The right place at the right time again.

My beautiful partner had sent an email to First Avenue after we left home. She said we were coming all the way to Minneapolis for these shows, but did not have tickets to Saturday night's performance as it had sold out in about 2 seconds. The staff at First Avenue emailed me on the Friday night saying they would love to make a dream come true and allowed us to purchase 2 tickets at the door for Saturday's show. I can't tell you how many things just happened to go our way on this trip. The Saturday show was different. The songs were almost the same, but Anthony, me, the crowd and in particular the The Revolution had done all our crying and this was now a party. It was like the 2 shows we saw were a complete package. Friday night was the funeral and Saturday night was the wake. There were still emotional moments like when Wendy Melvoin strums those first few chords of "Purple Rain" and when they sang "Sometimes It Snows In April", but overall it was a party. We grieved on Friday night, now we were celebrating the incredible life of this peerlessly talented man and all he had given us. Another 4.30am bed time and it was worth every bit.

Sunday morning after 4 hours sleep we went to the Minnesota State Fair. It was just a fluke that it was on at the time we were there. We decided that afternoon that we would go to a club called Bunkers to see Dr. Mambo's Combo as this band has 2 members of Prince's NPG band playing in it and also because Prince went to Bunkers every now and then to check out the talent when he was looking for new musicians. There is a corner there where he would sit. Sonny T, the bass player, is Anthony's bass hero. After all the emotion of the two nights before, this was a chance to really relax and enjoy. We got there about 8pm to have dinner and to cut a very long story short bumped in to an amazing group of people that were involved with the band and had been involved with Prince at various stages of their lives. They heard our accents, asked us why we were in this little bar in north Minneapolis and when we told them about our Purple Pilgrimage they welcomed us in to their group like we had been friends for 20 years. Anthony and I could not speak more highly of our new friends. We got to meet so many people and most of the band. Everyone was so friendly and it ended up being the highlight of our trip. This band is world class and there is nothing like this level of musicianship anywhere in Australia - possibly anywhere in the world. Again we were in the right place at the right time. Afterwards we talked, shared stories and I can't remember the last time I smiled and laughed constantly for 7 hours, not to mention had goosebumps for the entire 3 sets the Combo played. Another 3am bed time - PHEW!!

Monday was shopping to keep the family happy then a looooong plane ride home to end our Purple Pilgrimage.

If you asked us what we gained by visiting this incredible city called Minneapolis with it's amazing people we would say what started out as an opportunity to say a proper goodbye to a man that has been by our side for over 30 years ended up so much more than that. This was a release of emotion, a chance to share how we feel about losing Prince with others that feel it as deeply as we do and 6 days of incredible highs. I think it will take us 6 months to recover, but it was worth every ounce of it.

I'll include a few pics - as Prince says in the song Paisley Park, "The smile on their faces it speaks of profound inner peace".

We have found our peace now. We have been able to grieve properly with people who understand. We can't thank The Revolution and everyone we met on our Purple Pilgrimage enough. The city of Minneapolis is the friendliest place on earth and allowed us to heal and celebrate Prince's life. A life changing experience.

Life is Purple!

Brian Bourke and Anthony Starnawski.

Are you traveling to Minnesota for the official Prince tribute concert? Tell us:

You must be 13 or older to submit any information to Minnesota Public Radio. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about things like our programs, products and services. See Terms of Use and Privacy.

Related

• Prince tributes in the Twin Cities
• Share your thoughts and memories of Prince