Prince: The Minneapolis Genius Who Did Everything

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Oldies Music Timeline
Prince, 1984 — archival press photo from the Purple Rain era
Prince, 1984 — archival press photo from the Purple Rain era.
Photo: distributed by Warner Bros., via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

The Minneapolis genius who did everything.

Prince Rogers Nelson (7 June 1958 – 21 April 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, dancer, actor and filmmaker — the rare composer who could perform professionally on virtually all the instruments he required. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he pioneered the Minneapolis sound, and in 1984 Purple Rain made him one of the major stars of the decade and remains his biggest-selling album.

At a Glance

  • Born: Prince Rogers Nelson, 7 June 1958, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. — died 21 April 2016, Chanhassen, Minnesota
  • Genre: Funk, rock, R&B, pop, soul, Minneapolis sound
  • Active: 1978–2016
  • Breakthrough: 1999 (1982) and Purple Rain (1984) — the first singer to simultaneously have a No. 1 film, album and single in the United States
  • Studio albums: 39 in his lifetime, from For You (1978) to HITnRUN Phase Two (2015), including four soundtracks; four more released posthumously
  • Backing bands: The Revolution (1984–1986); the New Power Generation (from 1991)

The Biography

Early life and first albums

Prince Rogers Nelson was born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis on 7 June 1958, to jazz singer Mattie Della Shaw and pianist and songwriter John Lewis Nelson. He signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records as a teenager and released his first album, For You, in 1978, writing, arranging, producing and performing most of the music himself. His second album, Prince (1979), brought greater commercial success, and he went on to critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982).

Purple Rain

In 1984 Prince became the first singer to simultaneously have a No. 1 film, album and single in the United States, with Purple Rain, its soundtrack and “When Doves Cry”. The album, recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, spent 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Purple Rain remains his biggest-selling album.

After the Revolution

After Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), the Revolution disbanded, and Prince released the double album Sign o’ the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. Lovesexy (1988), Batman (1989) and Graffiti Bridge (1990) followed, and in 1991 he debuted the New Power Generation band with Diamonds and Pearls.

The symbol years

In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros., in 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol — known to fans as the “Love Symbol” — and was often referred to as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, or TAFKAP. He reverted to his original name in 2000, after signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2004 he released Musicology, an album that both sold well and was much praised by critics, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the same year.

Death and legacy

Prince was found dead at his Paisley Park estate on 21 April 2016. An autopsy later revealed that he had died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl. His many honours in his lifetime included seven Grammy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004), with a lifetime achievement award from Black Entertainment Television (2010). Over the course of his career he released 39 studio albums and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Oldies Music Timeline

  • 7 June 1958 — Born Prince Rogers Nelson, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  • 1977 — Signs a record deal with Warner Bros. Records.
  • 7 April 1978 — Debut album For You released.
  • 19 October 1979 — Prince released, his commercial breakthrough begins.
  • 27 October 1982 — 1999 released; its singles break through in 1983.
  • 25 June 1984 — Purple Rain released; spends 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
  • 1984 — Wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain.
  • 22 April 1985 — Around the World in a Day released.
  • 31 March 1986 — Parade released, featuring “Kiss”.
  • 30 March 1987 — Sign o’ the Times released.
  • 1993 — Changes his name to the unpronounceable “Love Symbol” in a dispute with Warner Bros.
  • 2000 — Reverts to the name Prince.
  • March 2004 — Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; releases Musicology.
  • 21 April 2016 — Dies at his Paisley Park estate, Chanhassen, Minnesota, aged 57.

Studio Albums

For You (1978) · Prince (1979) · Dirty Mind (1980) · Controversy (1981) · 1999 (1982) · Purple Rain (1984) · Around the World in a Day (1985) · Parade (1986) · Sign o’ the Times (1987) · Lovesexy (1988) · Batman (1989) · Graffiti Bridge (1990) · Diamonds and Pearls (1991) · Love Symbol (1992) · Come (1994) · The Black Album (1994) · The Gold Experience (1995) · Chaos and Disorder (1996) · Emancipation (1996) · Crystal Ball (1998) · The Truth (1998) · Newpower Soul (1998) · The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999) · Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999) · The Rainbow Children (2001) · One Nite Alone… (2002) · Xpectation (2003) · N.E.W.S (2003) · Musicology (2004) · 3121 (2006) · Planet Earth (2007) · Lotusflow3r (2009) · MPLSound (2009) · 20Ten (2010) · Plectrumelectrum (2014) · Art Official Age (2014) · HITnRUN Phase One (2015) · HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)

Plus one album credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra, Kamasutra (1997); the 39-album lifetime total includes four soundtracks (Purple Rain, Parade, Batman, Graffiti Bridge). Four further studio albums have been released posthumously.

Why They Matter

  • Record sales: more than 100 million records worldwide.
  • Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: inducted in 2004, in his first year of eligibility; also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024.
  • Academy Award: Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain (1984); Grammy Awards: seven, plus a Golden Globe.
  • Purple Rain: 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; his biggest-selling album.

Sources

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