Prince
Background information
Birth name	Prince Rogers Nelson
Born	June 7, 1958 (1958-06-07) (age 50)
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genre(s)	Pop, Funk, Rock, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actor
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, drums, percussion
Years active	1978–present
Label(s)	NPG, Columbia, Universal, Arista, Paisley Park, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	The Revolution; Wendy and Lisa New Power Generation The Time; Morris Day Sheila E. Vanity 6; Apollonia 6 Mazarati The Family 94 East Madhouse Jill Jones Candy Dulfer Támar
Website	www.3121.com

Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music NPG Records is the current active Record label owned by Prince, founded in 1993 to release his music after Paisley Park Records. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the Paisley Park Records was Prince 's Record label, associated with and funded in part by Warner Bros Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. The Revolution was Prince 's backing band from the early-mid 1980 's through 1986. Musicians Wendy Melvoin ( vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar) and Lisa Coleman ( vocals, Keyboards The New Power Generation (or NPG for short is the current backing group of musician Prince. The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful This is an article about the Prince-related musician If you are looking for Morris Day Sexual Pervert see List of Viz comic strips Morris E Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s. Mazarati was an American R&B band formed in the mid-1980s by former Prince and The Revolution bassist Brown Mark. The Family was an R&B band formed by Prince and one of the first signed to his record label Paisley Park Records. 94 East was a Minneapolis -based Funk group formed in 1977 by Pepe Willie, the former husband of Prince 's cousin Madhouse is a Jazz-fusion pseudo-band from Minneapolis that was created by Prince. Jill Marie Jones (born 196? is an American Singer and Songwriter, who was a Backing vocalist for Teena Marie and Prince Candy Dulfer (born September 19, 1969) is a Dutch Smooth jazz alto saxophonist. Támar (b Ashley Támar Davis in 1980) is an R&B singer who came to prominence through the artist Prince. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers He performs simply as Prince, but has also been known by various other names, among them an unpronounceable symbol, leading fans and critics to dub him "The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince)", occasionally abbreviated as "TAFKAP".

From his early material, rooted in R&B, soul and funk, Prince has expanded his musical palette throughout his career, absorbing many other genres including pop, rock, jazz, psychedelia and hip hop. Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. The distinctive characteristics of the early-to-mid 1980s work, such as sparse and industrial-sounding drum machine arrangements and the use of synthesizer riffs to serve the role traditionally occupied by horn riffs in earlier R&B, funk and soul music--was called the "Minneapolis sound" and has proved very influential. The Minneapolis sound is a hybrid mixture of Funk, rock, pop, R&B & new wave that was masterminded by Prince in the

Prince is a prolific artist, having released several hundred songs both under his own name and with other artists. Known to be a perfectionist, Prince is highly protective of his music. He produces, composes, arranges and performs nearly all of the songs on his albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States

Biography

Uptown: Early years

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1958, to John L. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nelson and Mattie Shaw. ^[1] John was a pianist and songwriter, and Mattie was a singer. He is named after the Prince Rogers Trio, his father's jazz band, and as a boy he was called Skipper.

There are a number of myths regarding Prince's ethnicity, some spread by Prince himself^[2]. In fact, he was born to a black mother and a black father. According to a 1985 Rolling Stone article,^[which?] Mattie Shaw, like many African-Americans, is an amalgam of different ethnicities. The article in question affirms Shaw as: "a singer sixteen years John's junior, Mattie bore traces of Billie Holiday in her pipes and more than a trace of Indian and Caucasian in her blood. " After the birth of his sister Tyka in 1960, Prince's parents gradually drifted apart. After they formally separated, he had a troubled relationship with his stepfather that resulted in his running away from home. Prince lived briefly with his father, who bought him his first guitar, and later he moved in with a neighborhood family, the Andersons, befriending their son, Andre Anderson (later called André Cymone). André Cymone (born Andre Simon Anderson) is an American Bassist, Songwriter and Record producer.

Prince and Anderson joined Prince's cousin Charles Smith in a band called Grand Central that they formed in junior high school. His initial contributions were as an instrumentalist in what was a mainly instrumental band that played clubs and parties in the Minneapolis area. As time went by and Prince's musical interests broadened, he found himself producing the arrangements for the band. Before long he became the band's front man. By the time Prince entered high school, Grand Central evolved into Champagne and started playing original music already drawing on a range of influences including Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Miles Davis, Parliament-Funkadelic and Jimi Hendrix. Sly & the Family Stone is an American funk, soul and rock band from San Francisco California. James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Earth Wind & Fire is an African - American Funk band led by Maurice White that achieved worldwide success in the 1970s Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. The bands Parliament and Funkadelic cannot be easily separated James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter At one point Prince was a student at the Minnesota Dance Theatre.

In 1976, he started work on a demo tape with producer Chris Moon in a Minneapolis studio. Prince also had the patronage of Owen Husney, to whom Moon introduced him, a connection that helped him produce a high-quality demo recording. Husney started contacting major labels and ran a campaign promoting Prince as a star of the future, resulting in a bidding war eventually won by Warner Bros. Records. They offered him a contract and were the only label to give Prince creative control of his songs.

First steps: 1977–1980

Pepe Willie, husband of Prince's cousin, Shantel, was an influence in Prince's early career. Along with Husney, Willie acted as mentor and manager for Prince in the Grand Central days, and he employed Prince in the studio for his own recordings. In 1977, Willie formed 94 East, a band with Marcy Ingvoldstad and Kristie Lazenberry. 94 East was a Minneapolis -based Funk group formed in 1977 by Pepe Willie, the former husband of Prince 's cousin 94 East comprised a group of singers and musicians that included Andre Cymone and Prince. Prince composed the music for Willie's lyrics and typically played guitar and keyboards in the studio. He wrote many songs for the group, including "Just Another Sucker. " The band recorded an album, Minneapolis Genius – The Historic 1977 Recordings. Although it was not a solo album and was not commercially released until many years later, it is considered Prince's first professional album. For unknown reasons, Prince does not acknowledge the existence of this album. In 1995, the original recordings with Prince and Cymone were released by Willie as 94 East featuring Prince, Symbolic Beginning.

Prince released his first album, For You, on April 7, 1978. For You is Prince 's debut album released on April 7, 1978, two months shy of his 20th birthday and bearing the classic tag "Written Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) For You was the first major-label album released by Prince, his first of many for Warner Bros. Tommy Vicari was the executive producer. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production This album, like most of his career, was not recorded with a band; Prince purportedly played all 27 instruments on the album. Critics^[which?] detract from the impressiveness of this fact by qualifying them as "merely" different types of string, percussion, and keyboard instruments.

The majority of For You was written and performed by Prince, except for the song "Soft and Wet" (lyrics co-written by Moon). This was the first of Prince's albums containing the now ubiquitous legend: "Produced, Arranged, Composed and Performed by Prince. " Prince spent twice his initial advance recording the album, which sold modestly and made the bottom reaches of the Billboard 200, while the single "Soft and Wet" performed well on the R&B charts. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard Prince used Prince's Music Co. for publishing the songs from this album. This article deals with contemporary Popular music publishing The single reached #12 on the Soul chart and #92 on the pop chart. "Just as Long as We're Together" flopped at #91 on the soul chart.

By 1979, Prince had recruited his first backing band featuring Andre Cymone (Anderson) on bass, Gayle Chapman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z on drums, and Dez Dickerson on guitar. Matthew Robert "Matt" Fink, better known by the Stage name Doctor Fink, is an American Keyboardist, Record producer Robert B Rivkin, better known by the Stage name Bobby Z, is an American Musician and Record producer, most known as being a Dez Dickerson (born Desmond D'andrea Dickerson in 1955 is an American Guitarist who was a member of Prince's former band, The Prince intentionally enlisted a multi-racial, mixed-gender group, much like the backing band of one of his greatest influences, Sly Stone. Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart on 15 March 1943, in Denton, Texas) is an American Musician, Songwriter They had their first shows at the Capri Theatre on January 5 and 6 1979. Reportedly, Prince mostly mumbled into the microphone, whilst Dez and Andre ran back and forth into the audience. Warner executives were at the second show, which was plagued with electrical difficulties and a snowstorm, decided Prince had promise but the band needed more time to gel before it could tour. This was just after their gear was stolen from their rehearsal base at Dels Tyre Mart. ^[3]

In October 1979, Prince released his self-titled second album Prince, which reached #4 on the Billboard R&B charts, and contained two R&B hits: "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover. Prince is the second album by Prince, released on October 19, 1979. " Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? " is the US follow-up single to Prince 's first big hit " I Wanna Be Your Lover. " I Wanna Be Your Lover " is a single by Prince from his second album Prince (1979 " These two R&B hits were performed on January 26, 1980, on the TV show American Bandstand with this first backing band. American Bandstand was a Television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark Legend has it that Prince became annoyed when, during the interview segment, Dick Clark expressed surprise that Prince and his bandmates hailed from Minneapolis "of all places". At first Prince refused to speak, instead answering a question by gesturing with his hand. It was later admitted by Dez Dickerson that it was planned from the beginning as a way to throw Dick Clark off his game. Dickerson was quoted as saying, "Great. We're illiterate, but we play well. " For his second album, Prince used Ecnirp Music - BMI ^[4]for publishing his songs, which he would also use for the album Dirty Mind. Broadcast Music Incorporated ( BMI) is a US Performing rights organization. Prince has been certified gold status; the single "I Wanna Be Your Lover" reached #1 on the R&B charts, also hitting #11 on the Billboard Top 100 American pop charts. This became known as one of his greatest hits.

During this period, Prince began to attract attention for the clothes he wore onstage. He wore high-heeled shoes and boots, and when questioned by the press, he remarked that he liked the way he looked in them. He tended to flaunt and express an intense sexuality onstage in addition to in his music, especially also using symbols that of being for the transgendered and as a result, people began questioning his sexual orientation. Transgender (trænzˈdʒɛndɚ from ( Latin) derivatives Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes His stylistic choices brought him trouble as an opening act for The Rolling Stones' two Los Angeles Coliseum shows in 1981, where he was infamously pelted with garbage while wearing bikini briefs, leg warmers, high-heeled boots, and a trench coat, in addition to being booed off the stage for his wardrobe. Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs similar to socks but thicker and generally footless A trench coat or trenchcoat is a Raincoat made of Waterproof heavy-duty Cotton drill or Poplin, Wool Gabardine These shows occurred just before the release of his fourth album "Controversy", and also when he was breaking in his new bassist Mark Brown (later BrownMark), who was then just 18 and out of high school.

1980–1984

In 1980, Prince released Dirty Mind, again entirely self-recorded and released using the demos of the songs. Dirty Mind is the third album by Prince, released October 8, 1980. On tour, Lisa Coleman replaced Chapman in the band, who felt the sexually explicit lyrics and stage antics of Prince's concerts conflicted with her religious beliefs. Musicians Wendy Melvoin ( vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar) and Lisa Coleman ( vocals, Keyboards Dirty Mind is particularly notable for its sexually explicit material. Dirty Mind is the third album by Prince, released October 8, 1980.

Prince opened for Rick James in a 1980 tour with the label "punk funk" being applied to both artists, although it reportedly didn't sit comfortably with Prince. Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson Jr) ( February 1 1948 &ndash August 6 2004) was an American musician The Prince Tour was the first Concert tour by Prince, and supported his second album Prince. Funk rock (also typed as funk-rock) is a music genre that fuses Funk and rock elements He released the album Controversy in 1981, with the single of the same name charting internationally for the first time. Controversy is Prince 's 4th album released October 14, 1981. In February of 1981, Prince performed "Partyup" on the now-infamous season six episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Charlene Tilton that brought Jean Doumanian's lackluster tenure as executive producer down when cast member Charles Rocket uttered the word "f ***" at the end of the program. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Charlene L Tilton (born December 1, 1958) is an American actress. Jean Doumanian is a producer for film and theatre Her company Jean Doumanian Productions is based in New York City Charles Rocket ( August 24, 1949 &ndash October 7, 2005) was an American film and television actor notable for his tenure as Starting with the album Controversy, Prince used Controversy Music^[5] - ASCAP for publishing his songs, which he would use for his following sixteen records until Emancipation in 1996. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its Emancipation is a 1996 triple-CD Album by Prince (then known by his symbolic alias see album art

In 1981, Prince formed a "side project"(a problematic label given that his band was only used for performance, not recording sessions) band called The Time. The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful Prince was able to do this thanks to a clause in his contract with Warner Bros. The Time released four albums between 1981 and 1990, with Prince writing and performing all instruments and backing vocals throughout. The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful The band's vocals were led by Morris Day. This is an article about the Prince-related musician If you are looking for Morris Day Sexual Pervert see List of Viz comic strips Morris E

In the coming decade, Prince would also collaborate with Vanity (of Vanity 6), Apollonia (of Apollonia 6) and Sheila E. Denise Katrina Matthews (born January 4, 1959 in Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada) better known as Vanity (but sometimes credited as Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s. Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E He also wrote hits for artists such as Sheena Easton ("Sugar Walls"), Celine Dion (as she talked about in an interview with Arsenio Hall in 1993), and The Bangles ("Manic Monday"). Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959) is a Scottish pop singer and theatre and television actress Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( OC OQ (born March 30 1968 in Charlemagne Quebec) is a Canadian pop Singer The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles through much of the decade Prince's own recordings would be covered in hit versions by artists as diverse as Chaka Khan ("I Feel For You"), Mariah Carey, Art of Noise with Tom Jones, and Sinéad O'Connor ("Nothing Compares 2 U"). Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is a multiple Grammy Award -winning American singer known for hit songs such as "I'm Every Woman" "I Feel Art of Noise were an Avant-garde Synthpop group formed in 1983 by producer Trevor Horn, music journalist Paul Morley, and session Sir Thomas John Woodward, (born 7 June 1940 known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop music singer particularly noted for his powerful voice Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter " Nothing Compares 2 U " is a song written in the mid-1980s by Prince for The Family. O'Connor's cover, orignally written by Prince for The Family, was a huge commercial success in 1990. The Family was an R&B band formed by Prince and one of the first signed to his record label Paisley Park Records.

Prince's Yellow Cloud Guitar at the Smithsonian Castle

In 1982, Prince released the 1999 double-album which "broke" Prince into the mainstream in the US and internationally, selling over three million copies ^[6]. For similar uses and terms see Smithsonian (disambiguation. The Smithsonian Institution Building, located on the National Mall in 1999 is Prince 's fifth Album, released October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 charts in The title track was a protest of nuclear proliferation and became his first top ten hit internationally. " 1999 " is one of Prince 's most well-known songs and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of Nuclear weapons, fissile material and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information to nations With his video for "Little Red Corvette" he joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as part of the first wave of African American artists on MTV. " Little Red Corvette " is one of Prince 's most well-known Songs and a defining point in his rise to Superstar status Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Lionel Brockman Richie Jr (born June 20 1949 is an Academy Award and Grammy award-winning American Singer, Songwriter, African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. The song "Delirious" also went top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was placed at number six in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1983. This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a highly influential poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper

Stevie Nicks related a story in a television interview that she had come up with her 1983 song "Stand Back" after being inspired by the synthesizer part in "Little Red Corvette. Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks (born on May 26 1948 in Phoenix Arizona) is an American Singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood " When it was time to record the song, it happened that Prince was in Los Angeles near her recording studio. She made contact and, soon afterward, Prince came by the studio and sat down at the synthesizer himself, to play song-opening riff.

Around this time Prince began crediting his band as The Revolution, which consisted of Dez Dickerson on guitar, Lisa Coleman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z. on drums, and Brown Mark on bass. The Revolution was Prince 's backing band from the early-mid 1980 's through 1986. Dez Dickerson (born Desmond D'andrea Dickerson in 1955 is an American Guitarist who was a member of Prince's former band, The Musicians Wendy Melvoin ( vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar) and Lisa Coleman ( vocals, Keyboards Matthew Robert "Matt" Fink, better known by the Stage name Doctor Fink, is an American Keyboardist, Record producer Robert B Rivkin, better known by the Stage name Bobby Z, is an American Musician and Record producer, most known as being a Mark Brown (born 1962 better known by the Stage name Brown Mark, also spelled Brownmark, is an American Musician and Record The band's name was printed in reverse on the cover of 1999; Prince refrained using the name "The Revolution" until Dickerson left the band for personal reasons. Dickerson was replaced by Wendy Melvoin, a childhood friend of Lisa. Wendy Melvoin (born January 26, 1964) is an American Guitarist and Singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Prince. The band members were known for being solid musicians and a strong live act, but their talents would be used sparsely in the studio. Their presence in Prince's recordings, however, would increase through the mid-1980s.

During this period, Prince recorded many acclaimed b-sides--songs that were previously released on the b-side of a single that were, at times, "throwaway" songs--becoming popular songs in their own right. A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s Some greats and fan favorites include "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore", b-side for "1999"; "Erotic City", b-side for "Let's Go Crazy"; and "17 Days", b-side for "When Doves Cry. " Several of these b-sides were covered by mainstream artists, including Alicia Keys and Living Colour. Alicia J Augello-Cook (born January 25 1981 professionally known as Alicia Keys, is an American R&B, soul, and Neo soul Living Colour is an American Funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983

1984–1987

Prince's 1984 album, Purple Rain (concurrent with the film of the same name) sold more than thirteen million copies in the US and spent twenty-four consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200. Purple Rain is an album by Prince and The Revolution, the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Purple Rain is a 1984 Feature film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn The Academy Award-winning film grossed more than $80 million in the US alone, and has proved to be Prince's biggest cinematic success to date. The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically

Two songs from Purple Rain, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy," topped the US pop singles charts and were hits around the world, while the title track reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. " When Doves Cry " is a song by the American musician Prince, and the lead single from his 1984 album Purple Rain. " Let's Go Crazy " is a 1984 song by Prince and the Revolution. " Purple Rain " is a Power ballad by Prince and the The Revolution. Prince simultaneously held the spots #1 film, #1 single, and #1 album in the US. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for "Purple Rain," and the album ranks at 72 in the top 100 of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list^[7]; the album is also listed in The All-TIME 100 Albums^[8] of TIME Magazine. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Academy Award for Original Music Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically " Purple Rain " is a Power ballad by Prince and the The Revolution. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and

It was the album's song "Darling Nikki" to which Tipper Gore overheard her twelve-year-old daughter, Karenna, listening that inspired her to found the Parents Music Resource Center. " Darling Nikki " is a song produced arranged composed and performed by Prince and originally released on his Grammy Award -winning album Purple Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson Gore (born August 19, 1948) is an author photographer former " Second Lady of the United States," and the wife of Karenna Gore Schiff (born August 6, 1973) is an American author journalist and attorney The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC was an American committee formed in 1985 by four women Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice President The center has enacted the mandatory use of a warning label ("Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics") on the covers of records that have been judged to contain language or lyrical content unsuitable for minors. The end of the song contains a backward-masked message contradictory with the theme of the song. Playing the song backward reveals the message:

"Hello. How are you? I'm fine Cause I know that Lord is coming soon. Coming. . . coming. . . soon. "

In 1985, after the U. S. Purple Rain Tour, which was a smash hit in the US and Canada, Prince announced that he would discontinue both live performances and music videos after the release of Around the World in a Day, which held the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart for three weeks. Around the World in a Day is an album by Prince and The Revolution, released on 22 April, 1985 on Warner Bros Prince's ban on music videos supposedly ended when the album stalled in the charts and, after a video for "Raspberry Beret," then reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. " Raspberry Beret " is the first US (and second UK) single from Prince and The Revolution 's 1985 album Around

Prince in Brussels, 1986

In 1986, Prince released the album Parade. Parade Music from the Motion Picture " Under the Cherry Moon " is a 1986 Album by Prince and the Revolution The album went to #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #2 on the R&B album charts. The first single, "Kiss," would top the Billboard Hot 100. "Kiss" is a 1986 song by Prince and the Revolution, from the album Parade. At the same time, "Manic Monday" by The Bangles, which Prince had written under the pseudonym "Christopher Tracey," reached #2 on the Hot 100. " Manic Monday " ( 1986) was the first hit single from the American all-female band The Bangles. The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles through much of the decade A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias)

Christopher Tracy was the name of Prince's character in the movie "Under The Cherry Moon", for which Parade served as a soundtrack. Parade Music from the Motion Picture " Under the Cherry Moon " is a 1986 Album by Prince and the Revolution Prince both directed and starred in the movie, and it also featured Kristen Scott Thomas as Mary Sharon in her first movie role. She would go on to star in such films as "The English Patient". Following the film and album, Prince returned to touring with a stripped-down show. After a few isolated dates (dubbed "the Hit and Run Tour") in the United States, he embarked on his first full scale European Tour in the summer of 1986. He closed the tour in September in Japan, his first appearances in the country.

It was around this time that Miles Davis was quoted on his high regard for Prince's music. Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. The prolific jazz musician proclaimed Prince to be "the most exciting artist of his time," and that "he could be another Duke Ellington. " Prince was planning to collaborate with Davis on what would be the trumpeter's 1986 album Tutu, but plans fell through. Tutu is an album released in 1986 by Miles Davis on Warner Bros Davis would pass away in 1991 before the two were able to work together.

At the end of the tour, Prince disbanded The Revolution, although retaining band member Matt Fink on keyboard. Matthew Robert "Matt" Fink, better known by the Stage name Doctor Fink, is an American Keyboardist, Record producer Added to the backing band was Boni Boyer on keyboards, Sheila E on drums, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, and Miko Weaver on guitar. Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E Levi Seacer Jr is an American musician He was an early associate of Sheila E Miko Weaver is an American Guitarist most known for his work with Prince.

Scientists recently concluded that throughout the 80s, Prince looked 37. 2 times cooler than the average pop star. ^[9]

1987–1991

Sign o' the Times, released in 1987 as a double album, reached the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and achieved the greatest critical acclaim of his career, topping the annual and highly reputable Pazz & Jop critics poll, reaching the top 100 of Rolling Stone's list^[7] and The All-TIME 100 Albums^[8] of TIME Magazine, which declared it was the best album of the 1980s. Sign “☮” the Times (or Sign O' The Times) is a Studio album by soul and Funk musician Prince The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a highly influential poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Following the albums' release, Prince launched the Sign o' the Times Tour in Europe. 1987 saw the potential for two of pop's biggest stars coming together to perform a duet. Michael Jackson talked with Prince about performing a duet together for the title track of his new album Bad. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Bad is the seventh Studio album by pop singer Michael Jackson, released on August 31 1987 by Epic/CBS Records. Jackson and Prince ended up having creative differences, however, and Jackson recorded the title track for the album alone. ^[10]

In 1987, Prince planned to release The Black Album, a funk-oriented album whose erotically-charged lyrics and club-focused beats were perceived by many as his attempt to woo back the black audience he was supposed to have lost as a result of his mid-80s forays into pop, hard rock, and psychedelic rock. The Black Album is a Prince record that was originally planned for release in December 1987 as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times. In reality, the album was a collection of tracks recorded during the previous few years, some of which had initially been recorded for Sheila E's birthday party in 1986. ^[11]

The album remains legendary in Prince's career after its release was canceled at the artist's behest mere days before its release date. Though many already manufactured copies were supposed to be destroyed, several escaped and became the source for numerous bootleg editions. The album circulated through the bootleg underground music world and was not given an official release until 1994. A bootleg recording is an audio and/or Video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility Prince later attributed his eleventh-hour request for the album to be pulled from release to "a spiritual epiphany", but there are rumors that this epiphany was actually the result of a bad experience with the drug Ecstasy. MDMA ( 34-methylenedioxy- N -methylamphetamine) most commonly known today by the street name Ecstasy (often abbreviated E, X,

The 1988 album Lovesexy is considered Prince's "spiritual" answer to the "dark" The Black Album. Lovesexy is an album by Prince, released in 1988 Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous Black The Black Album is a Prince record that was originally planned for release in December 1987 as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times. Lovesexy performed disappointingly on the US charts, reaching only #11 on the Billboard 200, but it reached #1 in the UK. (One track from The Black Album, "When 2 R in Love," also appeared on Lovesexy. ) The US leg of the Lovesexy World Tour also proved to be commercial disappointment: Prince lost money as dates failed to sell out. The Lovesexy World Tour was Prince 's final Concert tour of the 1980s to support his album of the time Lovesexy. He did balance this poor performance with the European and Japanese legs of the tour.

In 1989, Prince provided and released the soundtrack for Batman, which returned him to #1 on the US album charts. Batman is a soundtrack album for the 1989 film Batman by musical artist Prince. Batman is a 1989 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The worldwide hit-single "Batdance" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while another track, "Partyman," featuring the vocals of his then girlfriend "Anna Garcia"^[12] became a popular song with the film's audiences. " Batdance " is a song by Prince, from the 1989 ''Batman'' soundtrack Anna Garcia (born December 31) professionally known as Anna Fantastic, which was the name Prince had given her is an English Female On September 24, Prince performed the Batman song Electric Chair after being introduced by Batman co-star Jerry Hall. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Batman is a soundtrack album for the 1989 film Batman by musical artist Prince. Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the Jerry Faye Hall (born July 2, 1956) is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger

In 1990, Prince released the film Graffiti Bridge, a sequel to Purple Rain that performed poorly at the box office. Graffiti Bridge is a Film written directed and starring Prince. The soundtrack to "Graffiti Bridge" featured Prince along with artists such as Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers, and Morris Day with his other band and project, The Time. Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is a five-time Grammy -nominated American R&B Singer-songwriter. Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939 in Chicago Illinois) is an American Rhythm and blues and Gospel singer and Civil rights The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group This is an article about the Prince-related musician If you are looking for Morris Day Sexual Pervert see List of Viz comic strips Morris E The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful It would peak at #6 in the US and reach #1 in the UK. He also collaborated with Madonna on her Like a Prayer album for the song entitled "Love Song". Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records

1991–1994

The unpronounceable symbol (later dubbed "Love Symbol #2").

The release of Diamonds and Pearls 1991 gave Prince his fifth US number one single with the song "Cream". Diamonds and Pearls is Prince 's thirteenth album which was released in 1991 " Cream " is a pop song by Prince and the New Power Generation, from the 1991 Album, Diamonds and Pearls. Diamonds and Pearls debuted Prince's new band, the New Power Generation, that featured rapper Tony M., Rosie Gaines on vocals, Michael Bland on drums, Levi Seacer on guitar, Sonny T on bass, and Tommy Barbarella on keyboards. The New Power Generation (or NPG for short is the current backing group of musician Prince. Tony M (born Anthony Mosely is a Rapper best known as a member of Prince's band the New Power Generation. Rosie Gaines is a American vocalist, Musician, Singer-songwriter, and producer from the Bay Area, Pittsburg Michael Bland (born March 14, 1969 in Minneapolis Minnesota) is best known as a drummer for Prince starting in 1989 Levi Seacer Jr is an American musician He was an early associate of Sheila E Sonny Thompson ( Sonny T) is a former bass player for the New Power Generation, Prince 's recording and stage band The New Power Generation (or NPG for short is the current backing group of musician Prince.

1993 found Prince working significantly on Kate Bush's 1993 album, The Red Shoes; her name appears in the credits of his Diamonds and Pearls album. Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush on 30 July 1958 is an English singer songwriter musician and Record producer. The Red Shoes is the seventh studio album by Kate Bush. First released in November 1993 it was accompanied by Bush's short film The Line the Cross Prince chiefly contributed on the song "Why Should I Love You," playing bass, guitar, and keyboards, singing vocals, and arranging music for the mix. This would be the final "Prince" credit, until 2000. Kate Bush reciprocated in 1996 and is featured on background vocals on the Emancipation track, "My Computer. Emancipation is a 1996 triple-CD Album by Prince (then known by his symbolic alias see album art "

Prince's twelfth album was titled with an unpronounceable symbol (later copyrighted as "Love Symbol #2"). The tenth studio album by Prince and the New Power Generation, colloquially referred to as the Love Symbol, was released on October ^[13] It reached the top ten of the U. S. album charts. In 1993, he also changed his stage name to the Love Symbol, which is a combination of the symbols for male (♂) and female (♀). A gender symbol is a Symbol used to denote the Sex of a Life form or the Gender of a human being Because the symbol was/is unpronounceable, he was often referred to as "Symbol," "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince," or simply "The Artist. " In 1993, at the request of Warner Brothers, Prince released a 3-CD greatest hits compilation entitled The Hits/The B-Sides. A greatest hits album (sometimes referred to as a " best of " album is a Compilation album of successful previously released Songs by a particular The Hits/The B-Sides is the first Greatest hits Compilation album by Prince, released in 1993 The first two discs were also sold separately as The Hits 1 and The Hits 2. The Hits/The B-Sides is the first Greatest hits Compilation album by Prince, released in 1993 The Hits/The B-Sides is the first Greatest hits Compilation album by Prince, released in 1993 In addition to featuring the majority of Prince's hit singles (with the exception of "Batdance," which was omitted), The Hits includes an array of previously hard-to-find recordings, notably B-sides spanning the majority of Prince's career, as well as a handful of previously unreleased tracks such as the Revolution-recorded "Power Fantastic. " Batdance " is a song by Prince, from the 1989 ''Batman'' soundtrack A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of 7 inch Vinyl records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s " Two new songs, first "Pink Cashmere" and then "Peach," were chosen as promotional singles to accompany the compilation album. " Pink Cashmere " is a song by Prince which he wrote for his then girlfriend Anna Garcia a " Peach " is a song by Prince from his 1993 compilations The Hits 2 and The Hits/The B-Sides. Unfortunately, neither the album nor singles performed as well in sales as Warner Bros. had hoped, however, The Hits offers arguably the most thorough overview of Prince's musical output from 1978 - 1993.

Name change

In 1993, during negotiations regarding the release of Prince's album The Gold Experience, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. The Gold Experience is an album released by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see album art on September 26, 1995 and Prince over the artistic and financial control of Prince's output. During the lawsuit, Prince appeared in public with the word "slave" written on his cheek. Prince explained his name change as follows:

Critics have argued Prince's name change as an attempt by the artist to reinvent himself, providing an opportunity to redevelop his style. One commentator noted:

Prince started his career as a big R&B star with limited mainstream success. At that point, he left the middle of the road and headed for the ditch. In 1980, it was risky to record new wave songs with lusty lyrics that assured no radio airplay (the classic Dirty Mind), but it paid off. Critics took notice and he became an underground favorite. This paved the way for his huge success with 1999 and Purple Rain. Certainly that was the pinnacle of his career, as far as worldwide earnings and universal adulation are concerned. But by heading for the ditch again, by changing his name and experimenting with his style, by lowering his stock value and escaping his record contract, Prince has become an underground artist again. In late 1996, the first collection of Prince music since his break with Warner Bros. appeared in record stores, a sprawling three-hour extravaganza integrating great dance grooves and slow-burning ballads. Critical response has been overwhelmingly positive, and sales have been brisk despite the high price of a 3-CD set. It's no coincidence that he titled this album Emancipation. ^[14]

1994–2000

In 1994, Prince's attitude towards his artistic output underwent a notable shift. He began to view releasing albums in quick succession as a means of ejecting himself from his contractual obligations to Warner Bros. The label, he believed, was intent on limiting his artistic freedom by insisting that he release albums more sporadically. He also blamed Warner Bros. for the poor commercial performance of the Love Symbol album, claiming that it was insufficiently marketed by Warner. It was out of these developments that the aborted The Black Album was officially released, approximately seven years after its initial recording and near-release. The "new" release, which was already in wide circulation as a bootleg, sold relatively poorly. A bootleg recording is an audio and/or Video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority

Following that disappointing venture, Warner Bros. succumbed to Prince's wishes to release an album of new material, to be entitled Come. Come is a 1994 album by Prince, and his first full release since his public dispute with his record company Warner Bros. The label had refused to grant the album a release in the past, believing the music on it to be dreadfully mediocre and lacking a potential hit single. When Come was eventually released, it confirmed all of Warner's fears. It became Prince's poorest-selling album to date, struggling to even shift 500,000 copies. Even more frustrating was the fact that Prince insisted on crediting the album to "Prince 1958–1993".

Prince pushed to have his next album The Gold Experience released simultaneously with Love Symbol era material. The Gold Experience is an album released by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see album art on September 26, 1995 Warner Bros. allowed the single "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" to be released via a small, independent distributor, Bellmark Records, in February 1994. " The Most Beautiful Girl in the World " is a song by Prince from his 1995 album The Gold Experience. Bellmark Records is a small US Independent record label, based on the west coast and is distributed by the independent DM Records Group. The release was successful, reaching #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in many other countries, but it would not prove to be a model for subsequent releases. Warner Bros. still resisted releasing The Gold Experience, fearing poor sales and citing "market saturation" as a defense. In Economics, " market saturation " is a term used to describe a situation in which a product has become Diffused (distributed within a Market When eventually released in September 1995, The Gold Experience failed to sell well, although it reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 initially, and many reviewed it as Prince's best effort since Sign o' the Times. The album is now out-of-print.

Chaos and Disorder, released in 1996, was Prince's final album of new material for Warner Bros. Chaos and Disorder released in 1996 by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see cover art was his final album of new material , as well as one of his least commercially successful releases. Prince attempted a major comeback later that year when, free of any further contractual obligations to Warner Bros. , he released Emancipation. Emancipation is a 1996 triple-CD Album by Prince (then known by his symbolic alias see album art The album was released via his own NPG Records with distribution through EMI. NPG Records is the current active Record label owned by Prince, founded in 1993 to release his music after Paisley Park Records. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in To publish his songs in Emancipation, Prince did not use Controversy Music - ASCAP, which he had used for all his records since 1981, but rather used Emancipated Music Inc. ^[15] - ASCAP.

While certified platinum by the RIAA, some critics felt that the sprawling 36-song, 3-CD set (each disk was exactly 60 minutes long) lacked focus, and might have worked better as a single or double disc. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and ^[16][17] Emancipation is the first record featuring covers by Prince of songs of other artists: Joan Osborne's Top Ten hit song of 1995 "One of Us". In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American Singer-songwriter. " One of Us " is a Song written by Eric Bazilian (of The Hooters) and originally released by Joan Osborne. ^[18]; "Betcha By Golly Wow!" (written by Thomas Randolf Bell and Linda Creed)^[19]; "I Can't Make You Love Me" (written by James Allen Shamblin II and Michael Barry Reid)^[20]; and "La-La Means I Love You" (written by Thomas Randolf Bell and William Hart). " I Can't Make You Love Me " is a 1991 popular song written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin and recorded by Bonnie Raitt on her ^[21]

Prince released Crystal Ball, a 4-CD collection of unreleased material, in 1998. Crystal Ball is a Compilation album by Prince (his alias at that time being an unpronounceable symbol released in 1998 The distribution of this album was shambolic, with some fans pre-ordering the album on his website up to a year before it was eventually shipped to them, and months after the record had gone on sale in retail stores. The Newpower Soul album released three months later failed to make much of an impression on the charts. Newpower Soul is a 1998 album by the New Power Generation, but is De facto a Prince album (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable

In 1999, Prince once again signed with a major label Arista Records to release a new record, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic is a 1999 Album by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol In an attempt to make his new album a success, Prince gave more interviews than at any other point in his career. Nevertheless Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic failed to perform commercially. A few months earlier, Warner Bros. had also released The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, a collection of unreleased material recorded by Prince throughout his career, and his final recording commitment on his contract with Warner Bros. The Vault Old Friends 4 Sale is a 1999 Compilation album of various Prince Outtakes recorded from 1985 through 1994 The greatest success he had during the year was with the EP 1999: The New Master, released in time for Prince to collect a small portion of the sales dollars Warner Bros. 1999 The New Master, is an EP of newly recorded Remixes of Prince 's 1982 hit " 1999 " had been seeing for the album and singles of the original 1999. Both critics and fans panned The New Master, declaring it unimaginative.

The pay-per-view concert, Rave Un2 the Year 2000, was broadcast on December 31, 1999 and consisted of footage from the December 17 and December 18 concerts of his 1999 tour. Rave Un2 the Year 2000 is a 2000 Direct to video film of Prince in concert Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the The concert featured appearances by many guest musicians including Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton, and The Time. Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American Singer-songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist, Record The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful It was released to home video the following year. A remix album, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic (as opposed to "Un2") was released exclusively through Prince's NPG Music Club in April 2000. Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic is a Remix album by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see cover art released via mail

2000–2005

Prince at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 2005.

On May 16, 2000, Prince ceased using the Love Symbol moniker and returned to using "Prince" again, after his publishing contract with Warner-Chappell expired. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Warner/Chappell Music Inc is an American music publishing company, and a division of the Warner Music Group. In a press conference, he stated that, after being freed from an undesirable relationships associated with the name "Prince," he would formally revert to using his real name. Prince still frequently uses the symbol as a logo and on album artwork and continues to play a Love Symbol-shaped guitar.

For several years following the release of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, Prince primarily released new music through his Internet subscription service, NPGOnlineLtd. com (later NPGMusicClub.com). Two albums that show substantive jazz influence were available commercially at record stores: 2001's The Rainbow Children and, later, the 2003 instrumental record N.E.W.S which was nominated for a Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy. The Rainbow Children is an Album by Prince, released in 2001 It was also released through Prince's website earlier in the year See NEWS for the 1984 Album by Golden Earring. NEWS is a 2003 Instrumental Jazz The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album has been awarded since 2001 The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Another album of largely jazz-influenced music, "Xpectation", was released via download in 2003 to members of the NPGMusicClub. Xpectation is an album by Prince only available for download on his Website ( 1

In 2002, Prince released his first live album, One Nite Alone... Live!, which features performances from the One Nite Alone tour. One Nite Alone Live! is a Live album Box set by Prince, containing live recordings from the intimate One Nite Alone tour performances The 3-CD box set, which also includes a disc of "aftershow" music entitled It Ain't Over!, failed to chart. During this time, Prince sought to engage more effectively with his fan base via the NPG Music Club, pre-concert sound checks, and at yearly "celebrations" at Paisley Park, his music studios. NPG Music Club was the name of an official website of Prince. Paisley Park Records was Prince 's Record label, associated with and funded in part by Warner Bros Fans were invited into the studio for tours, interviews, discussions and music-listening sessions. Some of these fan discussions were filmed for an unreleased documentary, directed by Kevin Smith. Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2 1970 is an American Screenwriter, Writer, Film director, Actor and Comic book writer Smith discusses what happened during those days at length in his An Evening with Kevin Smith DVD. An Evening with Kevin Smith is a DVD featuring Question and Answer sessions that the writer and filmmaker Kevin Smith held with his fans at various American ^[22] Performances were also arranged to showcase Prince's talents , as well as to collaborate with popular and well-established artists and guests including Alicia Keys, The Time, Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, George Clinton, Norah Jones. Alicia J Augello-Cook (born January 25 1981 professionally known as Alicia Keys, is an American R&B, soul, and Neo soul The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful Erica Abi Wright (born February 26 1971 better known by her Stage name Erykah Badu is a Grammy -nominated American soul Nikka Costa (born Domenica Costa, June 4, 1972 in Tokyo, Japan) is an American singer whose music combines elements Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30 1979) is an American Singer-songwriter, Pianist, Keyboardist

On February 8, 2004, Prince appeared at the Grammy Awards with Beyoncé Knowles. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4 1981 commonly known as Beyoncé (biːˈɑn In a performance that opened the show, Prince and Beyoncé performed a medley of classic "Purple Rain", "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby I'm a Star," and Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" to rave reviews (video). " Crazy in Love " is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, featuring American Hip hop singer Jay-Z. The following month, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States The award was presented to him by Alicia Keys along with Big Boi and André 3000 of OutKast. Alicia J Augello-Cook (born January 25 1981 professionally known as Alicia Keys, is an American R&B, soul, and Neo soul Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975 in Savannah Georgia) better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975) better known by his Stage name André 3000, is an American Rapper - Outkast (typeset as OutKast) is a Grammy Award -winning American hip hop duo based out of East Point Georgia, a city As well as performing a trio of his own hits during the ceremony, Prince also participated in a tribute to fellow inductee George Harrison in a rendition of the deceased artist's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," playing a long guitar solo that ended the song (video). George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author " While My Guitar Gently Weeps " is a rock Ballad written by George Harrison for The Beatles on their Double album

In April 2004, Prince released Musicology through a unique one-album agreement with Columbia Records. Musicology is an album by Prince, released on April 20, 2004, which proved to be his most successful in years reaching the top 5 of the Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company This deal was constructed in such a way that ensured Prince the majority of royalties (as he had become accustomed through his music subscription service). The album, which rose as high as the top five on a number of international charts (including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia), featured some of Prince's most economical and commercially appealing music in years. That same year, Pollstar named Prince the top concert draw among musicians in America. Pollstar is the world's largest resource for international concert tour information

Grossing an estimated $87. 4 million, Prince's Musicology Tour was the most profitable tour in the music industry for 2004. In 2004, Prince toured North America to promote his Musicology album The artist played an impressive run of 96 concerts; the average ticket price for a show was US$61. In Dallas, Texas, Prince was surprised by a female audience member jumping out of her front row seat, getting onto the stage while he was singing, and kissing him. The woman had to be escorted out by security. ^[23] Further highlighting the success of the album, Prince's Musicology went on to receive two Grammy wins, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Call My Name" and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the title track. Musicology is an album by Prince, released on April 20, 2004, which proved to be his most successful in years reaching the top 5 of the The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1968. " Musicology " is a song by Prince, and title track from his 2004 album Musicology. Musicology was also nominated for Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, while "Cinnamon Girl was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. " Cinnamon Girl " is a song by Prince, from his 2004 Album Musicology. The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance has been awarded since 1966. ^[24] The album became the artist's most commercially successful since Diamonds and Pearls, partly due to a radical scheme devised which included in Billboard's sales figures those that were distributed to each customer during ticket sales for the Musicology tour. Diamonds and Pearls is Prince 's thirteenth album which was released in 1991

Prince was ranked 7th Greatest Artist of All Time in Acclaimed Music's list of The 1000 Greatest Artist of All Time. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Prince #28 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[25] In December 2004, Rolling Stone's readers named Prince Best Male Performer and Most Welcome Comeback, though he says he "never went anywhere". Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Also in December 2004, Prince was ranked #5 on the Top Pop Artists Of The Past 25 Years list by www. rockonthenet. com. ^[26] He was the highest-ranked male performer on the list.

In April 2005, Prince played guitar (along with En Vogue singing backing vocals) on Stevie Wonder's single "So What The Fuss," Wonder's first since 1999. En Vogue is a Grammy nominated American female R&B vocal quartet assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy. Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13 1950 name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris) is an

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, Prince offered a personal response by recording two new songs, "S.S.T." and the instrumental "Brand New Orleans," at Paisley Park in the early hours of September 2. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " SST " is a song by Prince which was recorded and released directly after the impact of 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Paisley Park Records was Prince 's Record label, associated with and funded in part by Warner Bros Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Prince again performed all instrumental and vocal parts. These recordings were quickly dispersed to the public via Prince's NPG Music Club, and "S. S. T. " was later picked up by iTunes, where it reached #1 on the store's R&B chart. The iTunes Store is a software-based online Digital media store operated by Apple Inc On October 25, Sony Records released a version of the single on CD. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a

2005–2006

In late 2005 Prince signed with Universal Records to release his album, 3121, on March 21, 2006, (3/21). 3121 (said "thirty one twenty one" is a studio album of new material by Prince. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The first single was the Latin-tinged "Te Amo Corazón," the video for which was directed by actress Salma Hayek and filmed in Marrakesh, Morocco, featuring Argentine actress and singer Mía Maestro. " Te Amo Corazón " is a song by Prince, released as the first single from his 2006 album 3121. Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American Marrakesh or Marrakech ( Amazigh: Murakush, Arabic مراكش Murrakush) known as the "Red City" Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Mía Maestro (born June 19, 1978) is an Argentine actress. Biography Mia Maestro was born in Buenos Aires, The song was covered by Viktoria Tolstoy on her album Pictures of Me, along with another Prince song, "Strollin'. Viktoria Tolstoy, née Kjellberg, (born 1974) is a Swedish jazz singer " The video for the second single, "Black Sweat", was nominated at the MTV VMAs for Best Cinematography. " Black Sweat " is a song by Prince that was released as the second single from his 2006 album 3121. The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top Music videos of the year The immediate success of 3121 gave his first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 with the album. 3121 (said "thirty one twenty one" is a studio album of new material by Prince. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard

To promote the new album, Prince was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2006, seventeen years after his last SNL appearance. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. He performed two songs from the album, "Fury" and "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed," with Támar. " Fury " is a Song by Prince, from his 2006 Album 3121. Támar (b Ashley Támar Davis in 1980) is an R&B singer who came to prominence through the artist Prince. Prince also held a contest to win a trip to see a 'Purple Ticket Concert' at his private residence in Hollywood, California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Seven winning tickets were placed inside 3121 CD packages in the US, and other tickets were given away in various contests on the internet and around the world. On May 6, 2006, twenty-four prize winners (with a guest each) attended a star-studded private party and performance at Prince's home. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The "Purple Ticket Concert" marked the end of a long run of private performances for the Hollywood elite that began in 2005.

On June 12, 2006, Prince received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his "visionary" use of the Internet; Prince was the first major artist to release an entire album, 1997's Crystal Ball, exclusively on the internet. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Crystal Ball is a Compilation album by Prince (his alias at that time being an unpronounceable symbol released in 1998 Ironically, many orders for Crystal Ball that were made on Prince's then-website, 1800newfunk.com, were not received by mail until long after the album was released to record stores.

Only weeks after winning a Webby Award, Prince abruptly shut down his official NPGMC website at 12:00 AM on July 4, 2006 after over five years of operation. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The NPGMC sent out an email, claiming that "in its current 4m there is a feeling that the NPGMC gone as far as it can go. In a world without limitations and infinite possibilities, has the time come 2 once again make a leap of faith and begin anew? These r ?s we in the NPG need 2 answer. In doing so, we have decided 2 put the club on hiatus until further notice. " On the day of the music club's shutdown, a lawsuit was filed against Prince by the British company HM Publishing (owners of the Nature Publishing Group, also NPG). Despite these events occurring on the same day, Prince's attorney has called it it pure coincidence and stated that the site did not close due to the trademark dispute. ^[27]

Prince appeared at multiple award ceremonies in 2006. On February 15, 2006, Prince performed at the BRIT Awards along with Wendy and Lisa and Sheila E. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The BRIT Awards, often simply called The BRITs, are the British Phonographic Industry 's annual pop music awards Musicians Wendy Melvoin ( vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar) and Lisa Coleman ( vocals, Keyboards Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E He played "Te Amo Corazón" and "Fury" from 3121 and "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy" from Purple Rain, in a performance which was generally regarded as the best of the night. . On June 27, 2006, Prince appeared at the BET awards, where he was awarded Best Male R&B Artist. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In addition to receiving his award, Prince performed a medley of Chaka Khan songs for Khan's BET Lifetime Award. Prince had previously written and performed several songs with the singer. On November 14, 2006, Prince was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, appearing to collect his award but not performing. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The UK Music Hall of Fame honours musicians for their lifetime fame in music Also in November 2006, Prince opened a nightclub named 3121 in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, USA. He performed weekly on Friday and Saturday nights until April 2007 His contract with the Rio ended.

On August 22, 2006, Prince released Ultimate. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The double disc set contains one CD of previous hits, the another of extended versions and mixes of old material that were largely previously unavailable.

Prince wrote and performed a song for the hit 2006 animated film Happy Feet. Happy Feet is an Australian -produced 2006 computer-animated Comedy-drama musical Film, directed and co-written The song, entitled "Song of the Heart," appears on the film's soundtrack, which also features a cover of Prince's early hit "Kiss," sung by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. " Song of the Heart " is a song written and performed by Prince especially for the 2006 film Happy Feet. Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October, 1968) is an Tony Award -winning and Emmy Award -winning Australian Actor In January 2007, "Song of the Heart" won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner Prince arrived late supposedly due to traffic problems and thus was unable to make an acceptance speech, but actor Hugh Grant prompted him later in the ceremony to take a bow. Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960 is a British Actor and Film producer.

2007-present

On February 2, 2007, Prince played at the Super Bowl XLI press conference. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played on February 4 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of He and the band played a set of Chuck Berry's hit: Johnny B. Goode", "Anotherloverholenyohead" from Parade and "Get On the Boat" from 3121. Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18 1926 in St " Johnny B Goode " is a seminal 1958 Rock and roll Song by Chuck Berry, ranked by Rolling Stone as the seventh greatest " Anotherloverholenyohead " is a 1986 song by Prince and The Revolution from the album Parade, the Soundtrack to the Parade Music from the Motion Picture " Under the Cherry Moon " is a 1986 Album by Prince and the Revolution 3121 (said "thirty one twenty one" is a studio album of new material by Prince. Prince performed at the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007. Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played on February 4 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The performance consisted of three Purple Rain tracks ("Let's Go Crazy", "Baby I'm a Star" and the title track), along with cover versions of "We Will Rock You", "All Along the Watchtower", the Foo Fighters song "Best of You" and "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. " Let's Go Crazy " is a 1984 song by Prince and the Revolution. " Baby I'm a Star " is a song written and recorded by Prince from his album Purple Rain. " Purple Rain " is a Power ballad by Prince and the The Revolution. " We Will Rock You " is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen. " All Along the Watchtower " is a folk song written and recorded by Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Foo Fighters is an American Alternative rock and Post-grunge band formed by singer/guitarist Dave Grohl in 1995 " Best of You " is a song by American hard rock band Foo Fighters, and the first single released from the band's fifth studio album In Your " Proud Mary " is a song written by American singer and Guitarist John Fogerty. Creedence Clearwater Revival (often abbreviated CCR) was an American Rock and roll band who gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with Coincidentally, Miami had rain on the day of the Super Bowl, which was lit purple during the performance of "Purple Rain". He played on a large stage shaped as his famous symbol. The event was carried to 140 million television viewers, the largest audience of his life. ^[28] It also holds the record of the most watched TV performance of the 21st century in the U. S. A.

On May 8, 2007, Prince announced that he would play 21 concerts in London over the summer. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The "Earth Tour" included 21 nights at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena. The O2 is a large entertainment district including an indoor arena a music club a cinema an exhibition space piazzas and bars and restaurants built within a large dome-shaped Tickets for the O2 Arena were priced at £31. 21 (including a free copy of Prince's latest album), in order to make the concerts "affordable for everybody". The residency at The O2 Arena was increased to 15 nights after all 140,000 tickets for the original seven sold out in just 20 minutes^[29] and then further extended to 21 nights. ^[30]

On May 10, 2007, Prince performed a 'secret' gig at London's Koko in front of a small crowd (between) fans and celebrities. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Tickets went on sale that morning on a first-come-first-served basis (again at £31. 21). A prelude to the forthcoming summer gigs in London, Prince played a relaxed set of classic hits ("Kiss", changing the lyric from ‘You don't have to watch Dynasty’ to Desperate Housewives; "Girls & Boys"; and "Nothing Compares 2 U") alongside more recent tracks, plus a well-received cover version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". "Kiss" is a 1986 song by Prince and the Revolution, from the album Parade. Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to Desperate Housewives is an American Television Dramedy series created by Marc Cherry, who also serves as Show runner, and produced " Nothing Compares 2 U " is a song written in the mid-1980s by Prince for The Family. Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between Multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton from New " Crazy " is the first single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, and is taken from their 2006 There was controversy as one of the fans brought up on stage by Prince to dance later kissed him only to be ejected by one of his bouncers. Although it appeared it may have been an overreaction as Prince seemed to take the kiss in good humour.

On June 5, 2007, Prince made an appearance at the 2007 ALMA Awards, performing with Sheila E. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. On June 28, 2007, the UK national newspaper The Mail on Sunday revealed that it had made a deal to give Prince's new album, Planet Earth, away for free with an "imminent" edition of the paper, making it the first place in the world to get the album. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Mail on Sunday is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format Planet Earth is the title of a studio album by Prince which was released on July 15, 2007 in the UK as a free Covermount with The date chosen was July 15, 2007. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This move has sparked controversy among music distributors and has also led the UK arm of Prince's distributor, Sony BMG, to withdraw from distributing the album in UK stores. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group ^[31] The UK's largest high street music retailer, HMV decided to stock the paper on release day due to the giveaway. His Master's Voice, today usually abbreviated to HMV, is a famous Trademark in the music business and for many years was the name of a large record label

On July 7, 2007, Prince played three concerts in his hometown of Minneapolis. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. This concert coincided with the launch of his new perfume, 3121. Prince delighted the gathering with "3121," "Girls & Boys," "A Love Bizarre," and "Guitar. " He was joined by collaborator Sheila E. , who sang on "The Glamorous Life. " After the second concert at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, Prince held a late after-show at the famous First Avenue, where Purple Rain was filmed. On July 16, 2007, Prince was the surprise guest of Montreux Jazz Festival. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music Festival in Switzerland, Europe's most prestigious On September 3, 2007, Prince was in Prague shooting a video for the song "Somewhere Here on Earth". Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. The video has just aired. Prince appeared at the Grammys as a presenter.

On April 25, 2008, "Prince and The Band" played live on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno to promote his April 26th performance at the Coachella Music and Arts Fesival in Indio, California. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on He also debuted a new song entitled "Turn Me Loose".

Copyright controversy

On September 14, 2007, Prince announced that he was going to sue YouTube and eBay because they "appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorized music and film content which is core to their business success. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees eBay Inc is an American Internet company that manages eBaycom an Online auction and shopping Website in which people and businesses buy and " A representative told Reuters, "The problem is that one can reduce it to zero and then the next day there will be 100 or 500 or whatever. This carries on ad nauseam at Prince's expense. "^[32][33]

On November 5, 2007, several fan sites of Prince formed Prince Fans United to fight back against legal requests made by Prince to cease and desist all use of photographs, images, lyrics, album covers and anything linked to Prince's likeness. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[34] While Prince's lawyers claimed that the use of such representations constituted copyright infringement, the Prince Fans United claimed that the legal actions were "attempts to stifle all critical commentary about Prince. ". On November 8, 2007, Prince Fans United received a song named "PFUnk" providing a kind of "unofficial answer" to their movement. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The song, originally debuted on the PFU main site^[35], was retitled "F. U. N. K. ", and is available on iTunes. iTunes is a proprietary digital media player application introduced by Apple Inc

The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit against Prince's music company because he demanded that YouTube remove a video of a 13-month-old boy bouncing and swaying for the camera as 29-seconds of "Let's Go Crazy" plays on a CD player in the background. The Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF) is an international non-profit advocacy and legal organization based in the United States with the stated purpose of being dedicated YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees The video is a home movie shot by the child's mother in the family's rural Pennsylvania kitchen.

At the 2008 Coachella Music Festival, Prince performed a cover of Radiohead's Creep but immediately after he forced YouTube and other sites to remove footage that fans had taken of the performance. Radiohead, upon hearing about the removal of the video, asked Prince to unblock the song stating "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our . . . song. ". ^[36]

Personal life

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Prince was romantically linked with many celebrities, including Vanity (also known as Denise Matthews), Madonna, Anna Fantastic,^[37] Carmen Electra,^[38] Jill Jones, Apollonia Kotero, Kim Basinger, Sheena Easton, Robin Arcuri, Troy Beyer, Susanna Hoffs and Nona Gaye. Denise Katrina Matthews (born January 4, 1959 in Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada) better known as Vanity (but sometimes credited as Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Anna Garcia (born December 31) professionally known as Anna Fantastic, which was the name Prince had given her is an English Female Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger (ˈbeɪsɪŋɚ bay-sing-er often mispronounced /ˈbæsɪndʒɚ/ bass-in-jer) (born December 8, 1953) Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959) is a Scottish pop singer and theatre and television actress Robin Arcuri, nicknamed RA, is an actress, Film producer, TV personality, elite high fashion, and commercial Advertising Troy Beyer (born November 7 1964) is an American Film director, Screenwriter and actress. Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American Vocalist, Guitarist and Actress best known as a member of Nona Marvisa Gaye is an American Singer, former fashion model, and screen Actress.

Prince was never romantically linked to Sheila E, but they were good friends and she served as artistic inspiration. Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E They continue to support and perform with each other today. Jill Jones was a good friend as well and she met Prince before Dirty Mind and continued being friends after the making of Graffiti Bridge. If they were dating, it was never confirmed.

Apollonia was actually married when she met Prince and played the part in Purple Rain. They allowed the rumors of dating and kept the marriage information quiet to support the Purple Rain movie craze.

He also dated Susanna Melvoin for a period (Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin's sister). Susanna sang backup during the Parade tour and sang on the Around the World in a Day Parade and Sign o' the Times albums.

He married his backup singer and dancer, Mayte Garcia, on Valentine's Day, 1996. Mayte Jannell Garcia (born 12 November 1973) better known as simply Mayte is a dancer and singer best known as the former wife of pop-star They had one son, Gregory, who was born with Pfeiffer syndrome and died shortly after birth. Pfeiffer syndrome is a Genetic disorder characterized by the premature fusion of certain bones of the skull ( Craniosynostosis) which prevents further growth of the They were divorced in 1999. ^[39]

In 1997, Prince approached funk bassist Larry Graham, one of his childhood idols, with questions about his Jehovah's Witness faith. Larry Graham Jr (born August 14, 1946 in Beaumont Texas) is an American Baritone Singer, Musician, Songwriter Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination In a later interview, Graham stated that Prince was in need of Biblical answers and advice and that Graham was glad to answer. Prince apparently became very interested in the religion: around this time he began censoring some of his more provocative song lyrics in concerts, as well as editing various religious references in his songs that he had recently learned were Biblically inaccurate. He was baptized by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001, marking his formal conversion to the faith. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted At this time, he also released the album The Rainbow Children, which relied heavily upon Jehovah's Witness religious themes. The Rainbow Children is an Album by Prince, released in 2001 It was also released through Prince's website earlier in the year

He married Manuela Testolini in 2001 in private ceremony but she filed for divorce in May 2006. ^[40] Prince is a vegan. ^[41] In 2006 he was voted the "world's sexiest vegetarian" in PETA's annual online poll. ^[42]

Discography

Main article: Prince discography

• 1978: For You
• 1979: Prince
• 1980: Dirty Mind
• 1981: Controversy
• 1982: 1999
• 1984: Purple Rain
• 1985: Around the World in a Day
• 1986: Parade
• 1987: Sign O' The Times
• 1987: The Black Album
• 1988: Lovesexy
• 1989: Batman
• 1990: Graffiti Bridge
• 1991: Diamonds and Pearls
• 1992: Love Symbol
• 1994: Come
• 1995: The Gold Experience
• 1996: Chaos And Disorder
• 1996: Emancipation
• 1997: The Truth
• 1997/8: Crystal Balll
• 1998: New Power Soul
• 1999: Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic
• 2000/1: Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic
• 2001: The Rainbow Children
• 2002: N.E.W.S
• 2003: The Chocolate Invasion
• 2003: The Slaughterhouse
• 2004: Musicology
• 2006: 3121
• 2007: Planet Earth

Filmography

Prince's music has been featured in many films. This article includes the discography of the musician Prince. For You is Prince 's debut album released on April 7, 1978, two months shy of his 20th birthday and bearing the classic tag "Written Prince is the second album by Prince, released on October 19, 1979. Dirty Mind is the third album by Prince, released October 8, 1980. Controversy is Prince 's 4th album released October 14, 1981. 1999 is Prince 's fifth Album, released October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 charts in Purple Rain is an album by Prince and The Revolution, the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Around the World in a Day is an album by Prince and The Revolution, released on 22 April, 1985 on Warner Bros Parade Music from the Motion Picture " Under the Cherry Moon " is a 1986 Album by Prince and the Revolution Sign “☮” the Times (or Sign O' The Times) is a Studio album by soul and Funk musician Prince The Black Album is a Prince record that was originally planned for release in December 1987 as the follow-up to Sign o' the Times. Lovesexy is an album by Prince, released in 1988 Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous Black Batman is a soundtrack album for the 1989 film Batman by musical artist Prince. Diamonds and Pearls is Prince 's thirteenth album which was released in 1991 The tenth studio album by Prince and the New Power Generation, colloquially referred to as the Love Symbol, was released on October Come is a 1994 album by Prince, and his first full release since his public dispute with his record company Warner Bros. The Gold Experience is an album released by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see album art on September 26, 1995 Chaos and Disorder released in 1996 by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see cover art was his final album of new material Emancipation is a 1996 triple-CD Album by Prince (then known by his symbolic alias see album art The Truth is an Album by Prince released in 1998 It was included with the Crystal Ball 3-CD set Crystal Ball is a Compilation album by Prince (his alias at that time being an unpronounceable symbol released in 1998 Newpower Soul is a 1998 album by the New Power Generation, but is De facto a Prince album (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic is a 1999 Album by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic is a Remix album by Prince (his stage name at that time being an unpronounceable symbol see cover art released via mail The Rainbow Children is an Album by Prince, released in 2001 It was also released through Prince's website earlier in the year See NEWS for the 1984 Album by Golden Earring. NEWS is a 2003 Instrumental Jazz The Chocolate Invasion is a 2004 Album by Prince released only through his Website. The Slaughterhouse is a 2004 Album by Prince released as MP3s through his Website. Musicology is an album by Prince, released on April 20, 2004, which proved to be his most successful in years reaching the top 5 of the 3121 (said "thirty one twenty one" is a studio album of new material by Prince. Planet Earth is the title of a studio album by Prince which was released on July 15, 2007 in the UK as a free Covermount with This list includes films and videos releases in which Prince has either acted or performed, or to which he has actively contributed songs. Films that license preexisting Prince songs are not listed:

• Purple Rain (1984): actor, composer
• Prince and the Revolution LIVE! (1985): composer, performer
• Under the Cherry Moon (1986): actor, writer, composer, director
• Sign o' the Times (1987): composer, performer, director
• Bright Lights, Big City (1988): composer (song): "Good Love"
• Lovesexy LIVE (1988): composer, performer
• Batman (1989): composer (songs)
• Graffiti Bridge (1990): actor, composer, writer, director
• Prince Unauthorized (1991) (archive footage)
• Oscar's Greatest Moments (1992) (archive footage)
• Diamonds and Pearls (Video Collection) (1992): actor, composer, writer, director
• The Hits Collection (Prince) (1993): actor, composer, writer, director
• The Undertaker (1994): actor, composer, writer
• 3 Chains o' Gold (1994): actor, composer, writer, director
• Prince Interactive (1994) (video game): composer, performer
• Blankman (1994): composer (song) "Super Hero"
• Showgirls (1995): composer (songs): "Ripopgodazippa", "319"
• Girl 6 (1996): composer (songs)
• Rave Un2 the Year 2000 (2000): performer, composer (songs)
• Bamboozled (2000): composer, performer (song) "2045 Radical Man"
• Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas (2003): performer, composer (songs)
• Happy Feet (2006): composer (songs): "Song of the Heart"

Monikers

Prince often uses pseudonyms and monikers to separate himself from the music (either his own or that of others) he has had input in; he has said that he was tired of seeing his name everywhere, and that only egotistical people take credit for everything they do. Purple Rain is a 1984 Feature film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 movie directed by and starring Prince as a Gigolo named Christopher Tracy and Sign o' the Times (or Sign "☮" the Times) is a Film written and directed by Prince. Batman is a 1989 Superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Graffiti Bridge is a Film written directed and starring Prince. The Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection is a collection of Music videos compiled to accompany and further promote Prince 's hit album Diamonds The Hits Collection is a collection of Music videos released in 1993 to accompany the Prince 's Greatest hits collection The Hits/The Prince is well-known in the entertainment industry for having a vast body of works that have never seen the light of day 3 Chains o' Gold is a 1994 Direct-to-video film produced and directed by Prince and starring Prince and the New Power Generation Prince Interactive was an interactive CD-ROM containing information about Prince and other multimedia resources like videos a virtual tour through Paisley Park and Blankman is a 1994 Superhero Parody film starring Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier, who are both of In Showgirls is a 1995 film directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley as a drifter who Girl 6 is a 1996 Film by American director Spike Lee about a Phone sex operator Rave Un2 the Year 2000 is a 2000 Direct to video film of Prince in concert Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical Film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised Minstrel show Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas is a 2003 Direct to video film of Prince in concert at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts Happy Feet is an Australian -produced 2006 computer-animated Comedy-drama musical Film, directed and co-written A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) A moniker (or " monicker " is a Slang expression for a Nickname, Pseudonym, or Cognomen. ^[43] He is also recognized by the names of various characters he has played on film, the most well-known of which is The Kid, protagonist of Purple Rain. Purple Rain is a 1984 Feature film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn

• Camille — Significant alter ego character and vocalist on tracks between 1986 and 1988. A Camille-like character also makes an appearance in the song "PFUnk", released in 2007.
• Mr. Goodnight — on the track of the same name on Planet Earth in 2007
• Jamie Starr / The Starr Company — early producer of The Time, Vanity 6, etc. Planet Earth is the title of a studio album by Prince which was released on July 15, 2007 in the UK as a free Covermount with The Time is a Funk and Dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981 They are close Prince Associates and arguably the most successful Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.
• The Revolution — Though the band had other members, several songs credited to Prince and The Revolution were performed by Prince alone
• The Kid — Prince's semi-autobiographical persona in Purple Rain; the character was revisited in the film Graffiti Bridge
• Joey Coco — producer/writer of songs for Kenny Rogers, Sheena Easton, etc. The Revolution was Prince 's backing band from the early-mid 1980 's through 1986. Purple Rain is a 1984 Feature film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn Graffiti Bridge is a Film written directed and starring Prince. Kenneth Ray "Kenny" Rogers (born August 21, 1938, in Houston Texas) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959) is a Scottish pop singer and theatre and television actress
• Christopher Tracy — lead character of Under the Cherry Moon
• Alexander Nevermind — writer of "Sugar Walls" for Sheena Easton, also, writer on "Telepathy", by Deborah Allen. Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 movie directed by and starring Prince as a Gigolo named Christopher Tracy and " Sugar Walls " is the second single from Sheena Easton 's 1984 album A Private Heaven. Sheena Easton (born Sheena Shirley Orr on April 27, 1959) is a Scottish pop singer and theatre and television actress
• Paisley Park — writer of songs for Ingrid Chavez, El DeBarge, Paula Abdul, Patti LaBelle, Tevin Campbell, and Louie Louie. Ingrid Julia Chavez, born 1965 in Albuquerque New Mexico, is a Mexican-American poet vocalist songwriter and photographer Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge (born June 4, 1961) is an American R&B and soul Falsetto Singer, the Paula Julie Abdul ( "AB-dool" born June 19, 1962) is a Grammy Award -winning American pop Singer Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24 1944) best known as her stage name Patti Labelle, is an American R&B and soul Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is a five-time Grammy -nominated American R&B Singer-songwriter. " Louie Louie " is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955
• Madhouse — writer and performer (except saxophone and flute by Eric Leeds) of all tracks on the first Madhouse album. Madhouse is a Jazz-fusion pseudo-band from Minneapolis that was created by Prince. Though credited to the "band," which did not exist at that time, Prince draws royalties for this work. On Madhouse's second album, some tunes were specified as being written by Prince, Sheila E., Eric Leeds, and Levi Seacer, Jr., while other compositions were attributed to Madhouse, i. Sheila Escovedo (born December 12 1957, in Oakland California) known by her Stage name Sheila E Eric Leeds is an American Jazz and Funk Musician who plays the Saxophone and other Woodwind and Brass instruments Levi Seacer Jr is an American musician He was an early associate of Sheila E e. , Prince
• Austra Chanel — name of the "mentor" under which Madhouse was assembled; said to be the creator of the Madhouse concept
• Gemini — Co-lead vocal "character" thoughout the Batman project in 1989
• Partyman — Prince plays the titular character in said music video
• Tora Tora — on the NPG's Exodus album
• Azifwekaré — "homeless pothead" on the song "Style" and director credit to the "Face Down" video
• The unpronounceable symbol (Love Symbol) — adopted as official name from 1993 to 2000
• The Artist Formerly Known As Prince — offered by journalists as an alternative to the Love Symbol
• The Artist — emerged from "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince," and usually accredited to his then lawyer L. Exodus is a 1995 album by the New Power Generation. While their previous album Goldnigga was more Hip-hop oriented Exodus Londel McMillan and became the most common alias in the media in the late 1990s
• Christopher — wrote "Manic Monday", made popular by The Bangles

In popular culture

• Prince was featured as one of Maxim magazine's "25 Greatest Short Dudes" with a height of 1. " Manic Monday " ( 1986) was the first hit single from the American all-female band The Bangles. The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles through much of the decade 57 m (5'2"). ^[44]
• Prince, with The Revolution, was the subject of a famous Chappelle's Show sketch called Charlie Murphy's True Hollyword Stories. Chappelle's Show is an American Comedy Television Murphy recounts how he met Prince (played by Dave Chappelle) at a night club. David Khari Webber Chappelle (born August 24, 1973) is an American Comedian, Screenwriter, television / Film producer, and Murphy said Prince was "wearing a blouse. . . like something that a figure-skater would wear. " Prince then made a surprising challenge of a basketball game. His team of players, dressed in "blouses" and high-heeled boots from the club, then proceeded to beat Murphy and his friends soundly. In a 2004 interview for MTV, Prince denied wearing the skirt during the contest, but confirmed "the whooping's true. "^[45]
• Prince was depicted as an Internet nerd on The Simpsons and his work has been referenced on the show on several occasions: on one episode the family named a puppy "The Puppy Formerly Known as Prince. Nerd is a term often bearing a derogatory connotation or Stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues Intellectual activities Esoteric "
• Prince has been impersonated on the following sketch comedy shows:
  • Saturday Night Live, by Gary Kroeger in two cold-opening sketches in the mid-1980s — one where the SNL cast prepare for Prince's arrival on the show, and another where Prince, played by Billy Crystal, is singing a charity song called "I Am Also the World" and every musician who attempts a duet with him gets beaten up by Prince's back-up singers (Mary Gross and Julia Louis-Dreyfus portraying Wendy and Lisa. Sketch comedy consists of a series of short Comedy scenes or vignettes called "sketches" commonly between one and ten minutes long Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Mary Gross (born March 25, 1953) is an American Comedian and Actress, perhaps best known for her four-year stint on Saturday Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (born January 13, 1961) is an American Actress and Comedienne best known for her Musicians Wendy Melvoin ( vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar) and Lisa Coleman ( vocals, Keyboards ) or his bodyguards (played by hosts Mr. T and Hulk Hogan); by Chris Kattan in a one-off sketch from the 24th season episode hosted by Bill Paxton where Prince performs "Kiss" on a talk show hosted by Ted Nugent (Paxton) and gets shot with a crossbow; and, most recently, by Fred Armisen in the recurring sketch "The Prince Show" that started on the 29th season episode hosted by Drew Barrymore. Mr T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21 1952) is an American Actor known for his roles as Sgt Terrance "Terry" Gene Bollea (born August 11 1953 better known by his Ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Actor, and retired professional Christopher Lee Kattan (born October 19, 1970) is an American Comedian and Actor, best known for his work on the sketch show William "Bill" Paxton (born May 17, 1955) is an American Actor and Film director. Theodore "Ted" Nugent (born December 13, 1948) (aka Fred Armisen (born December 4, 1966) is an American Musician, Comedian, and Actor, best known for his work as a cast member Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22 1975 is an American actress and Film producer.
  • MADtv, by Phil LaMarr in three sketches: one where Prince has dinner with "The Klumps" from the Eddie Murphy version of the Nutty Professor movies, one where Prince stars as Moses in a Biblical epic called "The Artist Formerly Known as the Prince of Egypt"; and in a one-off sketch where Prince, Jack Nicholson (played by Pat Kilbane), and Steven Seagal (played by Will Sasso) have a sleepover and try to kick Eddie Murphy (played by Aries Spears) out of it. MADtv, is an American Sketch comedy television series based on the humor magazine Mad. Phillip "Phil" LaMarr (born January 24 1967 is an American Actor, Comedian and voice actor, as well as one of the original cast Edward Regan "Eddie" Murphy (born April 3 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American The Nutty Professor (1963 is a Paramount Pictures Feature film produced directed co-written (with Bill Richmond) and starring Jerry Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22 1937) is an American Actor, internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals Patrick F "Pat" Kilbane (born November 5 1969) is an American comic actor Steven F Seagal (born April 10 1951 is an American Action movie Actor, producer, writer director, Martial artist Will Sasso (born May 24, 1975) is a Canadian Comedian and Actor. A sleepover, also known as a pajama party or a slumber party (or rarely a snoozer) is a Party where a guest or guests are Aries Spears (born April 3, 1975) is an American Actor and Comedian.
  • Rock Profile, by Matt Lucas in two sketches and a 45-minute special, titled Rock The Blind. Rock Profile was a British television comedy show written by and starring comedy partnership Matt Lucas and David Walliams (both now Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English Comedian and Actor. Prince is portrayed as a Scottish tramp, "busking" in Glasgow, and living "up the woods. "
  • "Spitting Image", the British satirical show had a puppet of Prince (complete with purple costume and long tongue) who sings a parody of Purple Rain entitled "Black Moustache". Spitting Image was a British satirical Puppet show that ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996
• In an episode of Muppets Tonight, when Prince is trying to get past Bobo to get backstage for the show, he claims he's "the artist formerly known as Prince," Bobo retorts by saying, "and I'm the bear currently known as not amused. Muppets Tonight is a Live-action / Puppet Television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring " He also confuses his symbol for an ink blot test. Please do not add more images or reposition the current onePlease do not remove the image
• Prince is mentioned in Salt-n-Pepa's "Shoop," The Bloodhound Gang's "The Bad Touch," Missy Elliott's "Work It," Nas's "Bridging The Gap," The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Nasty Girl," Groove Armada featuring Mutya Buena's "Song 4 Mutya," Eminem's "Without Me," Ludacris, Twista & Jagged Edge's "Freaky Thangs,", Hot Chip's "Down with Prince", Debbie Harry's "Kiss It Better", Kanye West's "Stronger", and (Smog)'s "Prince Alone in the Studio". Salt-n-Pepa is a Grammy -Award Winning American hip hop group from Queens New York that came into the music scene in 1985 and went on to John Shoop (born August 9, 1969 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is the Offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the University " The Bad Touch " is the first single by The Bloodhound Gang off their 1999 album Hooray for Boobies. Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1 1971 is a five-time Grammy Award -winning American rapper, singer, Songwriter, and Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Groove Armada are Big beat duo Andy Cato and Tom Findlay from England. Rosa Isabel Mutya Buena (born 21 May, 1985 in Kingsbury, London) known professionally as Mutya Buena, is a BRIT Award " Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control " is the second single from Groove Armada 's latest Album Soundboy Rock and Mutya Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning " Without Me " is a song by Rapper Eminem from his album The Eminem Show. Carl Terrell Mitchell, (born Novermber 27 1973 better known by his Stage name Twista, is an American hip-hop emcee who once held the title of fastest emcee in the Jagged Edge is an American R&B singing group that were originally signed through Jermaine Dupri 's So So Def Records to Columbia Records Hot Chip is a British Electropop band They have released three studio albums&mdash Coming on Strong, The Warning, and Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. " Stronger " is the second single from Kanye West 's album Graduation.
• In the episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius where Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl enter the annual school talent contest, Sheen demands that he be referred to as "The Artist Formerly Known as Sheen. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius (often shortened to just Jimmy Neutron is an American Animated television series, and Spin-off of "
• In one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ashley brings home a boy who tells father Phil that his name was a symbol he had drawn on a piece of paper. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an award winning American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10 1990 to May 20 1996 When asked about it, the boy says "It's a symbol. Like Prince. "
• Los Angeles Indie Rock band, Sabrosa Purr, named their debut E. Sabrosa Purr are an Indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, comprised of members Will Love Jacob Thompson and Jeff Mendel P. "Music From the Violet Room" after a misinterpreted Prince lyric in "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" from Sign o' the Times. Prince is noted in many of their interviews as the biggest influence on Sabrosa Purr's singer/songwriter Will Love. Sabrosa Purr are an Indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, comprised of members Will Love Jacob Thompson and Jeff Mendel
• In a sketch of Big Train, Prince (as a carnivore) stalks a herd of horseracing jockeys in the African wilderness, eventually killing one and feeding on its carcass. Big Train is a surreal British Television Comedy Sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan
• Pop artist Darren Hayes attributed his decision to record his double album This Delicate Thing We've Made to the influence that Prince's album Sign o' the Times had on him as a child. Darren Stanley Hayes (born May 8, 1972) is an Australian Singer-songwriter.
• In the movie Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth, Bullimia Falls principal, Principal Interest (played by Coolio) dresses up like Prince tells the students and the staff to call him "The Administrator Formerly Known As Principal". Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth is a film directed by John Blanchard released directly to video in 2000 Artis Leon Ivey Jr (born August 1 1963 better known by his Stage name Coolio, is a Grammy Award -winning American Rapper and
• In one of the Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime series, Keenan Ivory Wayans spoofs Prince as "Prince Jones" (with Robert Townsend as "Michael Davis" aka Michael Jackson) in "Rock Cops. Keenen Ivory Wayans (born June 8, 1958) is an American Actor, Comedian, director and writer known as the There have been several well-known people known as Robert Townsend, including Robert Townsend (Captain (1819-1866 US Navy Civil War era Ship captain Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman " The two performers come together to fight crime. In one scene, Prince taunts Michael with the puppet used in Purple Rain, to which Michael shouts "Get rid of that puppet. I'm sick of you and that puppet!" Prince snaps back "As soon as you get rid of this zoo!" in reference to Michael Jackson's extensive animal collection. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman
• In the 1985 film The Goonies, the character Mouth wears a PrincePurple Rain album cover t-shirt. "Goonies" redirects here For other uses see Goonies (disambiguation.
• In a sketch from The Kids in the Hall, Scott Thompson plays an entertainment critic named Weston. The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian Sketch comedy group formed in 1984 consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Scott Thompson (born June 12, 1959) is a Canadian television comedian best known for his time as a member of the comedy troupe Kids in the Hall During his rambling about different artists, he includes Prince saying, "Apparently, the purple clad, gender-bending, rock star, Prince, is not really a prince at all. Just a guy from Minnesota. "
• Sign O' the Times, Purple Rain and the Batman soundtrack are mentioned in Shaun of the Dead as the characters pick albums to throw at zombies. Batman is a soundtrack album for the 1989 film Batman by musical artist Prince. Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British Zombie -themed Comedy (or " rom zom com " as it dubs itself film
• In an episode of The X-Files, Fox Mulder jokes to Dana Scully when asked about the unexplained weather phenomena of purple rain, ". The X-Files is a Peabody, Golden Globe and Emmy Award -winning American Science fiction television series created by Chris Carter Special Agent Fox William Mulder, nicknamed "Spooky" Mulder is a Fictional character played by David Duchovny on the 1993 - 2002 Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully MD is a Fictional character on the Fox Broadcasting Co . . Yeah. Great album. Deeply flawed movie, though. "
• In an episode of the Nickelodeon T. V. series Back At The Barnyard 5 of the members of the barnyard crew create a band when pig says "please refer to me as my newly changed the name. . . this" and holds up a piece of paper with a symbol refering to prince's name change
• The Flight of the Conchords song "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the room)" is a parody based Prince's "Most Beautiful Girl in the World", sung in a style similar to Prince, and with many of his trademark falsetto flourishes. Flight of the Conchords is a Grammy Award-winning New Zealand Comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement.

Awards

• 2008 Grammy Award Won Best R&B Male Vocal Performance,"Future Baby Mama"
• 2007 : Won NAACP Image Award

category Outstanding Male Artist

• 2007 : Won Golden Globe

category Best Original Song - Motion Picture (from movie "Happy Feet" (2006)) for "The Song of the Heart"

• 2006 : Won BET Award

category Best Male R&B Artist

• 2005 : Won Grammy Award

category Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "Musicology"

• 2005 : Won Grammy Award
• 2005 : Won Myranda's Heart

category Best R&B Vocal Performance - Male for "Call My Name"

• 2005 : Won NAACP Vanguard Award
• 2005 : Won NAACP Image Award

category Outstanding Album for "Musicology"

• 2004 : Won World Soundtrack Special Award

for Purple Rain (1984) shared with Wendy Melvoin; Lisa Coleman; Bobby Z. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

• 2004 : Won Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

category Performer

• 2000 : Won Soul Train Music Award

category Artist of the Decade - Male

• 1995 : Won Award of Merit
• 1993 : Won Brit Award

category Best International Solo Artist

• 1992 : Won Soul Train Heritage Award - Career Achievement
• 1992 : Won Brit Award

category Best International Solo Artist

• 1991 : Won ASCAP Award

category Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (from movie "Graffiti Bridge" (1990)) for "Thieves in the Temple"

• 1990 : Won ASCAP Award

category Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures (from movie "Batman" (1989)) for "Partyman"

• 1990 : Won AMA Award of Achievement
• 1988 : Won MTV Video Music Award

category Best Male Video for "U Got The Look"

• 1988 : Won MTV Video Music Award

category Best Stage Performance Video for "U Got The Look"

• 1987 : Won Grammy Award

category Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Kiss" shared with The Revolution

• 1987 : Won Razzie Award

category Worst Director for Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

• 1987 : Won Razzie Award

category Worst Original Song (from movie "Under the Cherry Moon" (1986)) for "Love or Money"

• 1987 : Won Razzie Award

category Worst Actor for Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

• 1986 : Won MTV Video Music Award

category Best Choreography for "Raspberry Beret"

• 1985 : Won Brit Award

category Best International Artist shared with The Revolutions

• 1985 : Won Oscar

category Best Music, Original Song Score for Purple Rain (1984)

• 1985 : Won Grammy Award

category Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special for Purple Rain (1984) shared with Lisa Coleman; Wendy Melvoin; John L. Nelson

• 1985 : Won American Music Award

category Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "When Doves Cry"

• 1985 : Won American Music Award

category Favorite Soul/R&B Album for "Purple Rain"

• 1985 : Won American Music Award

category Favorite Pop/Rock Album for "Purple Rain"

• 1985 : Won Grammy Award

category Best R&B Song for "I Feel For You"

• 1985 : Won Grammy Award

category Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for "Purple Rain" shared with The Revolution

References

External links

• 3121- 3121 Online Prince's official website (temporarily shut down)
• prince.org - The largest and longest running online Prince fansite.
• [2] - True Discography
• Prince (musician) at Discogs. Discogs, short for discographies, is a Website and Database of information about Music Recordings including commercial releases promotional
• Prince at the Internet Movie Database.
• Prince discography at MusicBrainz. MusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an Open content Music database
• [3] - "Let's Go Crazy" Fanlisting
• The Prince / O(+> Experience - fansite in existence since 1996
• www.guide2prince.orga Worldwide Prince Discography for Prince and related artists