Prince attended Central High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball.
College/University
Career
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1983
First Avenue Nightclub, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Prince performs at the First Avenue Nightclub in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1984
Prince performing on stage - Purple Rain Tour.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1985
Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince collects the award for Best International Artist at the British Record Industry Awards, aka the BRIT Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, 11th February 1985.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1985
Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince and members of his group accept their Oscar for Best Original Song Score for 'Purple Rain.'
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1985
Fabulous Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1985
Fabulous Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1985
Fabulous Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Prince performs live at the Fabulous Forum on February 19, 1985, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1986
embley Arena, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince performs on stage on the Hit N Run-Parade Tour, Wembley Arena, London, August 1986.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1987
Palais Omnisports, Paris, France
Prince plays his Sign O The Times concert at the Palais Omnisports in Paris on June 13, 1987, in Paris, France.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1988
Kim Basinger with Prince, circa 1988.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1988
United Kingdom
Singers Sheila E (left) and Prince arriving for a tour of Britain, July 25th 1988.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1990
St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
Prince performs during the Nude Tour at the St. Paul Civic Center Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 6, 1990.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1991
Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince performs at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards Held in Los Angeles on September 5, 1991.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1992
Earl's Court, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince in concert at Earl's Court, London, 15th June 1992.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1993
Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland, United States
Prince performs on stage at Meadowbank Stadium on July 29th, 1993, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1993
New York City, New York, United States
Musician Prince attends an event in 1993 in New York, New York.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1994
Morton's Restaurant, West Hollywood, California, United States
Prince attending First Annual Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 21, 1994, at Morton's Restaurant in West Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1995
Wembley Arena, London, United Kingdom
Mayte Garcia and Prince perform on stage on 'The Ultimate Live Experience' tour at Wembley Arena on March 4th, 1995, in London, United Kingdom.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1997
Mountain View, California, United States
Prince performing at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California on October 10th, 1997.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
1997
Lakewood Amphitheater, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
The Artist performs at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia, 1997.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2004
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Beyonce Knowles performs Purple Rain with musician Prince at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2004
West Hollywood, California, United States
Prince and his wife Manuela Testolini during Elton John AIDS Foundation's 12th Annual Oscar party co-hosted by In Style - Arrivals at Pearl in West Hollywood, California, United States.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2004
The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, United States
Prince during 2nd Annual AEC Grammy Sunday Brunch at The Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2005
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, United States
Musician Prince is seen on stage at the 36th NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005, in Los Angeles, California. Prince was honored with the Vanguard Award.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2005
Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California, United States
Musician Prince presents the award for 'Favorite Leading Lady' onstage during the 31st Annual People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on January 9, 2005, in Pasadena, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2007
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Prince performs during the 'Pepsi Halftime Show' at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2007
Odeon Leicester Square, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince attends The Bourne Ultimatum premiere held at the Odeon Leicester Square on August 15, 2007, in London.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2008
Empire Polo Grounds, Indio, California, United States
Prince performs at Day 2 of the Coachella Music And Arts Festival on April 26, 2008, at Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2011
The Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Prince performs during his 'Welcome 2 America' tour at The Forum on April 14, 2011, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2011
Paddock Wood, United Kingdom
Prince headlines the main stage on the last day of Hop Farm Festival on July 3, 2011, in Paddock Wood, United Kingdom.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2011
The Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Prince performs onstage during the 'Welcome 2 America' Tour at The Forum on May 29, 2011, in Inglewood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2011
Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, California, United States
Prince arrives at the 19th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Pacific Design Center on February 27, 2011, in West Hollywood, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2012
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Prince performs with singer Mary J. Blige onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 22, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2013
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Prince performs onstage during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 19, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2013
Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, Canada
Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL perform at Vogue Theatre on April 15, 2013, in Vancouver, Canada.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2014
The Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince performs onstage at The Hollywood Palladium on March 8, 2014, in Los Angeles, California.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2015
Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
Prince performs onstage with 3RDEYEGIRL during his 'HitnRun' tour at Bell Centre on May 23, 2015, in Montreal, Canada.
Gallery of Prince Nelson
2015
Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, United States
Recording artist The Weeknd (L) accepts the Favorite Album - Soul/R&B award for 'Beauty Behind the Madness' from recording artist Prince (2nd R) onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 22, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Academy Awards
1985
Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince and members of his group accept their Oscar for Best Original Song Score for 'Purple Rain.'
Brit Awards
1985
Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince collects the award for Best International Artist at the British Record Industry Awards, aka the BRIT Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, 11th February 1985.
BET Awards
2006
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince accepts Best Male R&B Artist award during 6th Annual BET Awards - Show at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Grammy Award
2015
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Prince speaks onstage during The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards at the at the Staples Center on February 8, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England, United Kingdom
Prince collects the award for Best International Artist at the British Record Industry Awards, aka the BRIT Awards, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, 11th February 1985.
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Beyonce Knowles performs Purple Rain with musician Prince at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on February 8, 2004, in Los Angeles, California.
Prince and his wife Manuela Testolini during Elton John AIDS Foundation's 12th Annual Oscar party co-hosted by In Style - Arrivals at Pearl in West Hollywood, California, United States.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, United States
Musician Prince is seen on stage at the 36th NAACP Image Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on March 19, 2005, in Los Angeles, California. Prince was honored with the Vanguard Award.
Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California, United States
Musician Prince presents the award for 'Favorite Leading Lady' onstage during the 31st Annual People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on January 9, 2005, in Pasadena, California.
Dolphin Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, United States
Prince performs during the 'Pepsi Halftime Show' at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007, at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, California, United States
Prince arrives at the 19th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Pacific Design Center on February 27, 2011, in West Hollywood, California.
MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Prince performs with singer Mary J. Blige onstage during the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 22, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, United States
Recording artist The Weeknd (L) accepts the Favorite Album - Soul/R&B award for 'Beauty Behind the Madness' from recording artist Prince (2nd R) onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 22, 2015, in Los Angeles, California.
Prince, original name Prince Rogers Nelson, was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, dancer, and performer on keyboards, drums, and bass who was among the most talented American musicians of his generation. Like Stevie Wonder, he was a rare composer who could perform at a professional level on virtually all the instruments he required, and a considerable number of his recordings feature him in all the performing roles.
Background
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of jazz singer Mattie Della (née Shaw) and pianist and songwriter John Lewis Nelson. His parents were both African American and his ancestry is centered in Louisiana, with all four of his grandparents hailing from that state. Prince was given his father's stage name, Prince Rogers, which his father used while performing with his mother in a jazz group called the Prince Rogers Trio. In 1991, Prince's father told A Current Affair that he named his son Prince because he wanted Prince "to do everything I wanted to do". Prince was not fond of his name and wanted people to instead call him Skipper, a name which stuck throughout his childhood. Prince has said he was "born epileptic" and had seizures when he was young. He stated, "My mother told me one day I walked into her and said, 'Mom, I'm not going to be sick anymore,' and she said, 'Why?' and I said, 'Because an angel told me so."
Prince's younger sister, Tyka, was born on May 18, 1960. Both siblings developed a keen interest in music, which was encouraged by their father. Prince wrote his first song, "Funk Machine", on his father's piano when he was seven. Prince's parents divorced when he was 10, and his mother remarried to Hayward Baker, with whom she had a son named Omarr; Prince had a troubled relationship with Baker, causing him to repeatedly switch homes, sometimes living with his father and sometimes with his mother and stepfather. Baker took Prince to see James Brown in concert, and Prince credited Baker with improving the family's finances. After a brief period of living with his father, who bought him his first guitar, Prince moved into the basement of the Anderson family, his neighbors, after his father kicked him out. He befriended the Andersons' son, Andre, who later collaborated with Prince and became known as André Cymone.
Education
Prince attended Minneapolis' Bryant Junior High and then Central High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He was a student at the Minnesota Dance Theatre through the Urban Arts Program of Minneapolis Public Schools. He played on Central's junior varsity basketball team and continued to play basketball recreationally as an adult.
In 1978, Prince was signed to Warner Bros. Records. In a 2009 interview with Tavis Smiley, Prince revealed that when he was a child, he suffered from epileptic seizures and that he was teased in school. He told Smiley, "Early in my career I tried to compensate by being as flashy and as noisy as I could."
In 1978, Prince dropped his debut album, For You, which was followed by Prince (1979). He played practically all of the instruments on the albums, and the sophomore release contained his first Top 20 pop hit, the easygoing "I Wanna Be Your Lover." The critically acclaimed Dirty Mind dropped in 1980, consisting of material that was graphic in its exploration of sexuality and fantasy.
Controversy (1981) continued playing with the themes of its predecessor, as seen with the dance-oriented title track, which reached No. 3 on the R&B charts, as well as songs like "Sexuality" and "Do Me Baby." Yet as Prince continued to develop his career, he would also be known for tracks that had a deep spirituality, with a yearning for majesty and wonder.
The singer found international success with the release of his 1982 album, 1999, which included the Top 20 title track, an exquisite synth-funk ode about nuclear doomsday, as well as the Top 10 hits "Little Red Corvette" and "Delirious."
With his band the Revolution, Prince went on to create the classic album Purple Rain (1984), which also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, grossing almost $70 million at the U.S. box office. Co-starring Apollonia Kotero and Day, the movie garnered an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
Its melancholy title track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the hits "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" both reached No. 1 While "Crazy" readily joined the pantheon of wild, electrifying rock songs, "Doves Cry" had one-of-a-kind signatures, displaying an otherworldly meld of electronic and funk elements without a traditional chorus. The soundtrack offered two other hits: "I Would Die 4 U" and "Take Me With U." Prince simultaneously became a well-known visual icon with his trademark curls, flowing jackets and ruffled attire with punk embellishments.
"Darling Nikki" was another tune from Purple Rain that incited controversy due to its explicit visuals. After senator Al Gore's wife Tipper Gore bought the album for their daughter and listened to the track, she eventually pushed for albums to sport labels that warned parents of graphic lyrics.
1985 saw the release of Around the World in a Day, which had the Top 10 tracks "Raspberry Beret," a whimsical mid-tempo tune, and "Pop Life." The record continued to feature Prince's penchant for playing a range of instruments and desire to impart messages of self-love, as seen with "Paisley Park," a track inspired by the name of his Minneapolis studios.
In 1986 Prince released his eighth studio album, Parade, which included his pulsating No. 1 pop/R&B single "Kiss." Parade served as the soundtrack for the artist's second film, Under the Cherry Moon, which he directed and starred in.
After the disbanding of the Revolution, Prince was able to consolidate various shelved projects into what ultimately became the double album Sign 'O' the Times (1987), with the title track reaching No. 3 on the pop charts and No. 1 in R&B. The album was known for its stark commentary on social issues yet also contained fun jams like "U Got the Look," a raucous duet with Scottish singer Sheena Easton that reached No. 2 on the pop charts. (He had previously penned the lasciviously charged pop/r&b hit "Sugar Walls" from her 1984 album A Private Heaven.) Sign was easily among Prince's most critically acclaimed albums, yet its sales lagged in the U.S., finding more of an audience in Europe, where the artist launched a successful tour.
Maintaining a prodigious output, Prince released Lovesexy in 1988, known for its album cover featuring a photo of the artist in the nude as well as the Top 5 uptempo R&B hit "Alphabet St."
By the time he released his 11th studio album, the soundtrack to Batman, in 1989, Prince had become one of America's most commercially successful pop artists, continually making waves on the charts. Batman offered up the No. 1 romp "Batdance" as well as the Top 5 R&B hit "Partyman." The video for "Batdance" famously featured Prince in split-effect makeup and costuming meant to symbolize both the film's shadowy hero and his crazed nemesis, the Joker.
The early 1990s marked the launch of the New Power Generation, Prince's latest band that featured a blend of contemporary R&B, hip-hop, jazz and soul along with the vocals of Rosie Gaines. The group was first called out in the soundtrack to Graffiti Bridge, a 1990 sequel to Purple Rain that didn't fare well at the box office yet still yielded the Top 10 track "Thieves in the Temple."
With the NPG's artistic contribution, Prince found success with his album Diamonds and Pearls (1991), which rose to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Diamonds included the romantic title ballad, the industrial-strength "Gett Off," the playful paean "Insatiable" and the saucy No. 1 single "Cream."
Prince's work with the NPG continued to unashamedly toy with ideas around sexuality, gender norms, and the body. To promote the album, Prince had appeared on the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards to do a live performance of "Gett Off." Echoing parts of the track's music video, the performance featured an array of dancers and musicians in an onstage bacchanal, with the artist famously turning around towards the end of the song to show off his seatless pants.
In the fall of 1992 Prince had signed a record $100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros., which was considered "the largest recording and music publishing contract in history" at the time and allowed him the freedom to pursue TV, film, book and merchandising deals separately. As a comparison, fellow industry giants Michael Jackson and Madonna had $60 million-plus contracts that were all-inclusive.
Provocative performances aside, Prince had well established himself as an in-demand collaborator and behind-the-scenes player whose songs were remade by other artists. In the mid-'80s, Chaka Khan released an ebullient, highly successful cover of his 1979 tune "I Feel For You," while Sinead O'Connor's biggest hit was Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U." The Art of Noise and Tom Jones reached the U.K. Top 5 in 1988 with a remake of "Kiss," and Alicia Keys covered "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" on her own 2001 debut.
Prince also worked on specific album tracks for performers like Khan, Madonna, Tevin Campbell, Kate Bush, the Time, Martika, Patti Labelle and Janelle Monae. He was behind the girl group Vanity 6, led by singer/actress Vanity, and their No. 1 dance hit "Nasty Girl." And he sent a song to the all-women's band the Bangles that they would record to great effect, reaching No. 2 with the lush ode to a stressful workday, "Manic Monday."
In 1992 Prince and the New Power Generation released Love Symbol Album. Though embraced by some critics, sales did not fare as well as Diamonds. Love only managed to have one Top 10 hit, the transcendent single "7," though "My Name Is Prince" and the carnal "Sexy MF" garnered some attention as well. The following year Prince released the compilation box set The Hits/The B-Sides, which had an array of popular songs as well as the newly released "Pink Cashmere," a tender number sung in falsetto.
The lack of success for Love Symbol Album created tension between Prince and his record label Warner Bros. Over the ensuing years, the singer's career went through a roller coaster of ups and downs. Turned off by feeling controlled by his label, Prince changed his name to the unpronounceable glyph O(+> in 1993, a fusion of female and male astrological symbols which he used until 2000.
During that time, he was more frequently referred to as "the artist formerly known as Prince," and his new symbol was not embraced by most fans. He also started making appearances with the word "SLAVE" drawn on the side of his face, meant to convey the great disdain he had for his label. Prince did release the 1995 album The Gold Experience during this time of duress, and scored another Top 5 song with "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World."
Once he was released from all contractual obligations to Warner Bros., Prince released the triple album fittingly entitled Emancipation (1996), which went on to become certified platinum and featured the soul remake "Betcha by Golly, Wow." Several other albums affiliated with his NPG label soon followed, including Crystal Ball (1998) and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999).
After several years of relative obscurity, Prince returned to the limelight in 2004 to perform at the Grammy Awards with Beyoncé Knowles, the same year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That spring, he released Musicology with a tour that became the top concert draw in the United States. The album won two Grammys and added another dreamy ballad, "Call My Name," to the Prince canon.
His next album, 3121, was released in 2006. That year, he wrote and performed "Song of the Heart" for the animated film Happy Feet, and won a Golden Globe (Best Original Song) for the composition. In 2007 he performed during the Super Bowl XLI halftime show on a massive stage shaped as his famous symbol amid pouring rain. The event was watched by 140 million fans.
2010 was the year of accolades for Prince. He not only was lauded by Billboard.com as the greatest Super Bowl performer ever, he was also featured in TIME magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BET Awards. He ended the year with an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
In January 2013, Prince released a lyric video for a new song called "Screwdriver". In April 2013, Prince announced a West Coast tour titled Live Out Loud Tour with 3rdeyegirl as his backing band. The final two dates of the first leg of the tour were in Minneapolis where former Revolution drummer Bobby Z. sat in as a guest drummer on both shows. In May, Prince announced a deal with Kobalt Music to market and distribute his music.
In February 2014, Prince performed concerts with 3rdeyegirl in London titled the Hit and Run Tour. Beginning with intimate shows, the first was held at the London home of singer Lianne La Havas, followed by two performances of what Prince described as a "sound check" at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, and another at Shepherd's Bush Empire. On April 18, 2014, Prince released a new single entitled "The Breakdown". He re-signed with his former label, Warner Bros. Records after an 18-year split. Warner announced that Prince would release a remastered deluxe edition of his 1984 album Purple Rain in 2014 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album. In return, Warner gave Prince ownership of the master recordings of his Warner recordings.
In February 2014 Prince began what was billed as his 'Hit N Run Part One' tour. This involved Prince's Twitter followers keeping an avid eye on second-by-second information as to the whereabouts of his shows. Many of these shows would only be announced on the day of the concert, and many of these concerts involved two performances: a matinee and an evening show. These shows began at Camden's Electric Ballroom, billed as 'Soundchecks', and spread throughout the UK capital to KoKo Club, in Camden, Shepherd's Bush Empire and various other small venues. After his London dates, he moved on to other European cities.
Prince's penultimate album, Hit n Run Phase One, was first made available on September 7, 2015, on the music streaming service Tidal before being released on CD and for download on September 14. His final album, Hit n Run Phase Two, was meant as a continuation of this one and was released on Tidal for streaming and download on December 12, 2015. In February 2016, Prince embarked on the Piano & A Microphone Tour, a tour that saw his show stripped back to only Prince and a custom piano on stage. He performed a series of warm-up shows at Paisley Park in late January 2016 and the tour commenced in Melbourne, Australia on February 16, 2016, to critical acclaim. The Australian and New Zealand legs of the tour were played in small capacity venues including the Sydney Opera House. Hit n Run Phase Two CDs were distributed to every attendee after each performance. The tour continued to the United States but was cut abruptly short by illness in April 2016.
On April 21, 2016, Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota. The week prior, his plane made an emergency landing and the singer was hospitalized for what was purportedly a severe case of the flu, though reports later stated that the musician was actually given a life-saving "safe shot" for a Percocet overdose. The Carver County sheriff's department and Midwest Medical Examiner's office launched an investigation into the cause of death. After the autopsy was performed, his remains were cremated and his close family and friends gathered for a small, private funeral on April 23.
Almost two weeks after the musician's death, a lawyer revealed that Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a California-based physician who specializes in treatment for those dependent upon and addicted to pain medication, had been called upon by Prince's team to aid the musician. (The performer had undergone hip surgery some years earlier and was believed to have endured recurring discomfort while giving concerts.) Kornfeld's son had reportedly flown to Prince's compound to initiate the recovery process and was among those who found him dead. While Prince's state of health at the time of his death is unknown, attorney William Mauzy said the artist "was dealing with a grave medical emergency" when Kornfeld was called, as reported by The Minneapolis Star Tribune.
On June 2, 2016, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s office released results of its investigation, which determined that Prince died from an accidental overdose of “self-administered” fentanyl, a synthetic opiate.
Tributes to a profoundly unique artist poured in from fans across the globe, as evidenced by impromptu memorials and celebrations of his work. With love especially hailing from the city where Prince was born and continued to live, thousands of mourners sang "Purple Rain" in downtown Minneapolis on the night of his death.
Prince was a conservative Christian. Religious and spiritual themes ran through a huge amount of his work. Prince even appeared on a lot of playlists created for the U.S. visits of Pope Benedict (2008) and Pope Francis (2015).
Yet his faith was complex. Prince was raised a Seventh-day Adventist and later became a Jehovah’s Witness - two faith communities who have in different ways been rejected at times as Christian and seen by mainstream Protestantism as cults. However, his beliefs and spirituality were his own, rooted in what his biographer Toure called “my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” as well as a deep fascination with the afterlife and Judeo-Christian scripture, which he was constantly quoting.
Politics
Prince was a Republican, having only donated money to one political candidate in 1990, Rudy Boschwitz, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Minnesota - who lost. But he seems to think both political parties are a lost cause and, again, the Bible is his reference point. He said: "So here’s how it is: you’ve got the Republicans, and basically they want to live according to this [the Bible]. But there’s the problem of interpretation, and you’ve got some churches, some people, basically doing things and saying it comes from here [again, the Bible], but it doesn’t. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you’ve got blue, you’ve got the Democrats, and they’re, like, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ Gay marriage, whatever. But neither of them is right."
Views
Mirrored by correspondingly intense music, Prince’s lyrics often address sexuality and desire with frankness and imagination. Much of his work, in its lyrics and imagery, struggles with the constriction of social conventions and categories. As one of his biographers put it, “The whole thrust of Prince’s art can be understood in terms of a desire to escape the social identities thrust upon him by simple virtue of his being small, black, and male.”
Prince did not speak publicly about his charitable endeavors; the extent of his activism, philanthropy, and charity was publicized after his death. In 2001, Prince donated $12,000 anonymously to the Louisville Free Public Library system to keep the historic Western Branch Library, the first full-service library for African Americans in the country, from closure. Also in 2001, he anonymously paid off the medical bills of drummer Clyde Stubblefield, who was undergoing cancer treatment. In 2015, he conceived and launched YesWeCode, paying for many hackathons outright and performing at some of them. He also helped fund Green for All.
Quotations:
"Despite everything, no one can dictate who you are to other people."
"A strong spirit transcends rules."
"I’ve grown up, everyone’s got to grow up. But there’s something inside me, I’m always going to have that little sort of - how do you say? - child streak."
" Everyone has a rock bottom."
"There are people who are unhappy with everything."
"I want to make heart decisions in business. If you can’t do that, you’re not free. I want to be able to dictate which way I’m going to go."
"I don’t really care so much what people say about me because it usually is a reflection of who they are."
"When you wake up, each day looks the same, so each day should be a new beginning."
"Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success."
Personality
Prince was an animal rights activist who followed a vegan diet for part of his life but later described himself as a vegetarian.
Physical Characteristics:
Height - 5 ft 2 in or 157 cm.
Weight - 55 kg or 121 lbs.
Eye Color - Light Brown.
Hair Color - Black.
Quotes from others about the person
Clare Fischer: "Most of the pop music out today I consider to have become a homogenized product. It gets to the point that so much of what is going on is copying everything else that is out, because there is a businessman that knows what he has just sold millions of records with, and so he keeps trying to get every group that comes in to do it, you know. You know, you approach somebody who is well known as a booker or manager, and the first remark will be, "I love what you do, but you would have to change this to this, and that to that, and this to this, in order for me to be able to sell it." Well, by the time you've changed that, of course, it's like everything else that is out there. And when Prince first started sending me songs, I thought maybe that by the time I had done four arrangements that I would have started getting some sort of a repetitive something or other. I have been extremely surprised to find that each one is as different from the last as the next one is going to be different. Some of them are like little art songs. Some of them have dealt with heavy things like friendship and death. I mean, death of a friend. And yet, some of them are as baudy as..."
Clare Fischer: "I've talked to him on the phone, received notes through the mail, but I've never seen him face to face. I sent him my last LP and I understand that he turned his head away as he took the disc out, saying, "I don't want to see what he looks like. I have this image and I don't want to destroy it." So there's a certain amount of mystery involved. I suppose if he knew I was a gray-haired, older guy with a big paunch, he might say, "Oh, that ruins it."
Bruce Rodgers: "The morning of the game, I opened the curtains in my hotel room, and Oh my God - it was like a scene from Moby Dick - it was like the winds were blowing the palm trees, the rains were one of those Miami rainstorms which would just not relent ... were in this truck, sitting behind Don Mischer, and I remember Don said, put me off the phone with Prince. Don says, "I want you to know it's raining" - and Prince, like: "Yes it's raining" - and "Are you OK?" And Prince was like "Can you make it rain harder?"- and I thought Right on! … To me, it's about one guy in front of a hundred thousand people and a hundred million people on television, and it's your moment to be "Prince - at the Super Bowl", and Mother Nature is dropping thousands and thousands of gallons of rain. I always thought, how cool the guy is - to rise up and to just get stormed upon - and just bring what he brought - that was so special."
Interests
Politicians
Rudy Boschwitz
Sport & Clubs
football, basketball, baseball
Athletes
Oklahoma City Thunder, Dwyane Wade
Music & Bands
James Brown, George Clinton, Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Chuck Berry, David Bowie, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mick Jagger, Rick James, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Curtis Mayfield, Elvis Presley, Todd Rundgren, Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder
Connections
Prince was romantically linked with many celebrities over the years, including Kim Basinger, Madonna, Vanity, Sheila E., Carmen Electra, Susanna Hoffs, Anna Fantastic, Sherilyn Fenn, and Susan Moonsie. He was engaged to Susannah Melvoin in 1985. In 1990, he met 16-year-old Mayte Garcia backstage in Germany after he saw a tape of her dancing. She moved into his Paisley Park home and he became her guardian. After graduating high school, she began working as one of his backup singers and dancers. When she was 19, he instructed her to get on birth control, thus beginning their sexual relationship. They were married on February 14, 1996; he was 37 and she was 22. They had a son named Amiir Nelson, who was born on October 16, 1996 and died a week later on October 23 after suffering from Pfeiffer syndrome. The distress of losing a child and a subsequent miscarriage took a toll on the marriage, and the couple divorced in 2000. In 2001, Prince married Manuela Testolini in a private ceremony. They separated in 2005 and divorced in May 2006.
1985 - Prince & The Revolution - Best International Artist;
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording;
1990 - Batman - Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording;
1992 - Prince - Best International Solo Artist;
1993 - Prince - Best International Solo Artist;
1995 - Prince - Best International Male Solo Artist;
1996 - Prince - Best International Male Solo Artist.
1985 - Prince & The Revolution - Best International Artist;
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording;
1990 - Batman - Best Soundtrack/Cast Recording;
1992 - Prince - Best International Solo Artist;
1993 - Prince - Best International Solo Artist;
1995 - Prince - Best International Male Solo Artist;
1996 - Prince - Best International Male Solo Artist.
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal;
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media;
1985 - "I Feel for You" - Best R&B Song;
1987 - "Kiss" - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals;
2005 - "Call My Name" - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance;
2005 - "Musicology" - Best Traditional R&B Performance;
2008 - "Future Baby Mama" - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance;
2008 - 1999 (Prince album) - Hall of Fame;
2011 - Purple Rain (album) - Hall of Fame;
2017 - Sign o' the Times - Hall of Fame.
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal;
1985 - Purple Rain - Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media;
1985 - "I Feel for You" - Best R&B Song;
1987 - "Kiss" - Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals;
2005 - "Call My Name" - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance;
2005 - "Musicology" - Best Traditional R&B Performance;
2008 - "Future Baby Mama" - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance;
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
1990 - Partyman (from Batman) - Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures;
1991 - Thieves in the Temple (from Graffiti Bridge) - Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures.
1990 - Partyman (from Batman) - Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures;
1991 - Thieves in the Temple (from Graffiti Bridge) - Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures.
1986 - "Raspberry Beret" - Best Choreography in a Video;
1988 - "U Got the Look" - Best Male Video;
1988 - "U Got the Look" - Best Stage Performance in a Video;
1992 - "Cream" - Best Dance Video.
1986 - "Raspberry Beret" - Best Choreography in a Video;
1988 - "U Got the Look" - Best Male Video;
1988 - "U Got the Look" - Best Stage Performance in a Video;