Prince invoked those words at the beginning of his song Let’s Go Crazy, which opened Purple Rain (both the movie and the album). Even though Prince had been making records for years before 1984’s Purple Rain, that release established him as both a major music star and also a singular one.

In his prolific career Prince released 39 studio albums and five live albums, and while the recorded music has brought joy to millions, his greatest work of art may have been his persona. He was a musician who carried himself like some sort of high priest. He managed to look like he was about to do something amazing even before he had done anything.

So it’s no surprise that still images of the music-maker have a special power. Prince is the subject of many photos in the LIFE picture collection, and two of those images–one from the Purple Rain tour and another of him playing the guitar in 1985—are among the best-sellers in the LIFE Print Store.

Most of the photos in this collection are of Prince working his magic on stage. But the photo at the end of this gallery shows Prince, face covered with a jacket, attempting to get away from photographers. Despite being a master of public image, he was not always ready for his closeup.

Prince in concert, 1985.

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Prince At The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, 1986.

American musician Prince (1958 – 2016) performs on stage during a pre-tour concert at the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, California, May 30, 1986

Prince, circa 1988.

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Prince On Stage

American musician Prince (1958 – 2016) plays guitar onstage during his ‘Purple Rain’ tour, Long Beach, California, March 10, 1985.

Prince, circa 1995.

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Prince, circa 1995.

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Prince, circa 1991.

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Prince, circa 1988.

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Prince

American singer, songwriter and musician Prince, circa 1985.

Prince performed at the Forum in Inglewood, California, February 17, 1985.

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Prince, with Wendy Melvoin in the background, performed in Los Angeles, March 1985.

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Prince in concert, circa 1995.

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Prince at a Hollywood event, January 12, 1986.

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Prince, 1996.

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Prince performned, circa 1985.

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Prince on stage, 1988.

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Prince doing his best to frustrate the paparazzi, circa 1985.

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The post Dearly Beloved: LIFE’s Best Prince Photos appeared first on LIFE.

Joe Scherschel shot his Che photo for a story that ran in LIFE in July 1960 titled “Communism’s Take-Over in Castro’s Cuba.” The story recognized Guevara’s key role in the revolution:

“Castro nominated himself the messiah of Latin American underdogs using one instrument his voice. And although his wildly histrionic performances often make him appear a certifiable lunatic, the power of his magnetic appeal cannot be denied. . . . But since he does almost no real work himself, the material power of his regime rests with his chosen aides. Chief among them, and probably the most sinister, are his brother Raúl and the Argentine party-liner Ernest (Che) Guevara.”

That’s an overly simplistic characterization of the post-Batista power structure in Cuba, but there’s no question that, for several years, no other rebel in Havana was closer to Castro, or wielded as much power, as Guevara.

But the complexity of Guevara’s legacy is in many ways far more fascinating, and more telling, than any litany of mere facts about his life.

For example, for countless people around the globe, Guevara is the paragon of the freedom fighter: a fearless, selfless defender of the downtrodden who gave his life battling to liberate all of Latin America from the yoke of imperialist—i.e., American—oppression and exploitation.

For others, he’s little more than a glorified thug—an unimaginative and brutal commissar who imprisoned, tortured and killed those who disagreed with him (or those who happened to be gay, or Jehovah’s Witnesses, or displayed any number of other “anti-revolutionary” tendencies).

Finally, there are those who know absolutely nothing about the Cuban Revolution, or Castro, or Guevara, or Fulgencio Batista, but who love rocking those Che t-shirts and key chains.

In the end, it is at least marginally amusing to imagine what Guevara himself would say if he could see that his most lasting influence might not reside in the realm of geopolitics, or socialist or military theory, but in the world of merchandise.

Che Guevara in Cuba, 1959.

Joe Scherschel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Cuban rebels Che Guevara (left(, Manuel Urrutia and Camilo Cienfuegos during a celebration of Fidel Castro’s rebel victory, 1959.

Joe Scherschel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Cuban rebel Ernesto Che Guevara with a lit cigar clenched between his teeth and his left arm in a sling.

Joe Scherschel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Cuban rebel leader Che Guevara in Havana, 1959.

Joe Scherschel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Che Guevara (left) in Cuba during a time of revolution, 1959.

Joe Scherschel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

The post Che Guevara: The Image of Revolution appeared first on LIFE.