Prince Rogers Nelson, best known as simply “Prince,” passed away suddenly April 21 at age 57. A native of Minnesota, Prince built a massive career based on his vision of music, production values, refusal to compromise, and artistic integrity. A gifted musician and vocalist who mastered most instruments used in pop music, Prince was equally talented and respected as songwriter, scoring genre-defining hits released under his own name, as well as massive hits for artists as diverse as The Bangles and Sinead O’Connor, and collaborated with artists including Sheena Easton, Madonna, and many more.
Born in Minneapolis and named for his pianist/songwriter father’s jazz band, “The Prince Rogers Trio,” Prince developed an interest in music at a very young age, writing his first song at seven years old. He joined his first band, “Grand Central” (later known as “Champagne”), while in high school. He began collaborating with Minneapolis-area musicians and songwriters, as well as providing guitar work for recordings. In 1976 he recorded his first demo tape, which resulted in major-label interest and a contract with Warner Bros.
He was 19 when his first album, For You, was released in 1978. He was credited as producer and songwriter and also played all the instruments on the record. It was followed by the platinum-selling Prince in 1979 and Dirty Mind in 1980, which reached Gold certification and resulted in an opening slot on a Rick James tour. Controversy followed in 1981, supported with a tour opening for the Rolling Stones, and the triple-Platinum 1999 was released in 1982. The albums combined rock, R&B, funk, soul, disco, jazz, pop, and other styles into a unique amalgam that quickly gained a large audience and loyal fan base that spanned generations and reached around the world. In 1981, he launched the first of many side projects, the Time, writing the songs and performing all the instruments, with lead vocals by Morris Day.
Prince catapulted into super-stardom with the release of his semi-autobiographical film, Purple Rain, which also spawned a best-selling soundtrack. The album Purple Rain sold more than 25 million copies — in total he sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his career — and also earned an Oscar for Best Original Song Score.
He continued releasing hugely successful albums, including Parade (1986) and Sign o’ the Times (1987) and debuted The New Power Generation in 1992. In response to contract issues with his record label, Prince changed his name to an unpronouncable symbol and became increasingly prolific, releasing five records between 1994 and 1996. Since 2000 he had released 15 additional successful albums.
During his career, Prince reinvented himself and his band numerous times. He was a controversial, reclusive, highly influential figure, who was incredibly prolific, producing massive amounts of music in his Paisley Park studio facility, and earning an incredible number of hit singles and albums. Prince won seven Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as number 27 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
Our condolences to his friends, family, and fans around the world.