Pantone Color Institute creates Purple Rain shade of paint

A shade of purple named for the late superstar Prince was announced this week.

The "Purple Rain" hue created by the Pantone Color Institute was dubbed "Love Symbol 32," paying tribute to his custom Yamaha piano and the squiggly graphic Prince began using as his name in 1993 in a testy battle with Warner Bros. Records over ownership of some of his biggest hits.

He switched back to Prince as a name in 2000 after his Warner contract expired. 

Here's the statement from Pantone:

Prince’s association with the color purple was galvanized in 1984 with the release of the film Purple Rain, along with its Academy Award-winning soundtrack featuring the eponymous song. While the spectrum of the color purple will still be used in respect to the “Purple One,” Love Symbol #2, will be the official color across the brand he left behind.

“The color purple was synonymous with who Prince was and will always be. This is an incredible way for his legacy to live on forever,” said Troy Carter, entertainment adviser to Prince’s Estate.

The ‘Purple One’ made a statement and challenged cultural norms through both his well-known music and personal style. In addition to the Oscar, Prince won seven Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Purple Rain. Both “Purple Rain” and “1999” were entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the very first year he was eligible.

Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute said: "We are honored to have worked on the development of Love Symbol #2, a distinctive new purple shade created in memory of Prince, 'the purple one.' A musical icon known for his artistic brilliance, Love Symbol #2 is emblematic of Prince’s distinctive style. Long associated with the purple family, Love Symbol #2 enables Prince’s unique purple shade to be consistently replicated and maintain the same iconic status as the man himself."

Prince died in April 2016 at age 57.