Prince: The pop star who gave us hits such as 'Purple Rain' and 'Raspberry Beret'
Get to know the artist that brought us such iconic songs
Not only was Prince an iconic singer, but he was also a hugely-talented songwriter, musician, performer and producer. Some of Prince's best-known hits include 'Purple Rain', 'Raspberry Beret', 'Gold', and 'Cream' which was featured on his album 'Diamonds and Pearls', has been re-issued, preceded by 'Live At The Glam Slam'.
Here at Magic we love Prince, so we've decided to take a look at who he was, and his key to being such a successful artist.
Why was Prince so successful?
Put simply, Prince’s true genius lay in his variety of styles, singularity of vision and a constantly restless nature that kept him working for both himself and other songwriters. Who else could move from funk to pop to rock’n’roll and psychedelia, with such consummate ease while still sounding like themselves?
Prince’s frequent touring also ensured that his performances were second to none. In addition to his incredible musicianship that saw him master a whole variety of instruments, his dance moves were nothing short of breath-taking.
Over the course of his career, Prince released a staggering 39 albums under his own name, 104 singles and 13 EPs. And that’s before we consider his four live albums.
When was Prince’s early success?
Not only was Prince signed by Warners at the age of 17, he was also given complete artistic control. It was his third album, ‘Dirty Mind’, that Prince began to show his true talent. While the follow-up, ‘Controversy’ followed in a similar vein and the double album, ‘1999’, took things up several gears, Prince became a true phenomenon with ‘Purple Rain’.
WATCH: The official music video for 'Purple Rain':
Featuring his band The Revolution, ‘Purple Rain’ is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Containing the singles ‘When Doves Cry’, ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘I Would Die For You’ and the incredible title track, Prince bestrode the world like a colossus.
WATCH: The music video to 'When Doves Cry':
How successful was his song 'Raspberry Beret'?
Prince being Prince made a complete stylistic turn with the psychedelic pop of ‘Around The World In A Day’, which featured the single ‘Raspberry Beret’. In the UK 'Raspberry Beret' only reached Number 25 in the charts, however it is still one of Prince's best-known songs to this day.
More hits such as ‘Kiss’ followed, but his real 80s masterpiece was ‘Sign O’ The Times’. His second double album encompassed a whole heap of musical styles and was bolstered by the hit singles ‘U Got The Look’, ‘I Could Never Take the Place Of Your Man’, and the title track, ‘Sign O' The Times’.
What films was he involved in?
Prince made his acting debut in the film Purple Rain, which spawned the album and song of the same name. The film was released in 1984, and in 2024 it was announced that the film would be adapted for a Broadway musical, along with a new book, penned by Pulitzer finalist and Appropriate playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
As well as acting and recording the music for Graffiti Bridge, he also scored a hit with the soundtrack to director Tim Burton’s 1989 version of Batman. Moving behind the camera, he directed 1986’s Under A Cherry Moon. It was a commercial flop, winning five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture!
Didn’t Prince change his name?
Following the 1991 release of ‘Diamonds And Pearls' with his new band, The New Power Generation’, Prince’s dispute with his label over various issues continued, including what should and shouldn’t be released as singles and Prince changed his name to a bizarre, unpronounceable squiggle. In the end, he simply became known as 'The Artist Formerly Known As Prince'.
Having released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998, he began referring to himself as ‘Prince’ once more in 2000.
WATCH: The music video for Prince's 'Gold':
Which artists had hits written by Prince?
Amongst the artists who scored hits with Prince’s songs, the most famous are perhaps Chaka Khan (‘I Feel For You’, 1984), The Bangles (‘Manic Monday’, 1986), Martika (‘Martika’s Kitchen’, 1991), Sheena Easton (‘Sugar Walls’, 1985) and of course Sinead O’Connor (‘Nothing Compares To U’, 1990)
When was Prince born?
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on 7th June 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his interest in music developed as a child. His father was pianist and songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer.
Was he married?
Prince was married twice. His first marriage was to former backing singer and dancer Mayte Garcia. They were married in 1996 and their son, Amiir Nelson, was born the same year, but the infant sadly died after a week. The couple divorced in 2000.
In 2001, Prince married Manuela Testolini, but they divorced six years later.
How did Prince die?
Prince was found collapsed in an elevator in his Paisley Park home on 21st April 2016. He was 57-years-old. According to newspaper reports, he’d been lying dead for around six hours, when he was found by his drummer Kirk Johnson and his personal assistant Meron Berkure.
Autopsy results later revealed he died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a drug 50-times more powerful than heroin.
How old would he be now?
Prince passed away at the age of 57 in 2016, which means he would be 66-years-old if he was still alive now.
Prince's 'Welcome 2 America'
It was revealed in April 2021 that The Prince Estate and Sony Music Entertainment would be releasing a 12-track studio album recorded in 2010 called 'Welcome 2 America'.
The album came out on 30th July 2021 and is the first posthumous Prince album to contain new material. It reached Number 5 on the UK Album Chart and was met with positive reactions from critics and fans.
WATCH: Prince - 'Welcome 2 America'
Prince's album 'Camille'
Recorded in 1986, the album 'Camille' was shelved, although the songs were later released on other records over the years. Named after his female alter ego, the full album is due to get its official release for the first time.
Prince and The Revolution 1985 concert film
Prince and The Revolution's legendary concert from 1985 was broadcast live all over the world and later released as a film. It was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Long Form in 1986.
37-years after the concert took place, the film was remastered and released on Blu-ray, CD, vinyl and digitally on 3rd June 2022.
Scroll through to see some of Prince's best outfits:
1970
Performing in a typically extravagant matching jacket and trousers set.
1985
Wearing a sequinned paisley jacket and trousers performing at the Hollywood Palace to promote the opening of his film 'Purple Rain'.
1985
A white, sheer bodysuit, complete with ruffles, for his performance at the Fabulous Forum in California.
1988
Wearing polka dot co-ords while performing in Philadelphia.
1993
Prince performs at Radio City Music Hall donning a stripy waistcoat.
2005
Prince performs onstage in LA wearing a two-toned shirt and a bright yellow guitar.
2005
Matching with wife Manuela Testolini at the pre-Grammys party.
2006
Colour clashing while performing at the American Idol Season 5 finale.
2006
A tailored pinstripe assemble as he accepts the Male R&B Award onstage at the BET Awards.
2007
Wearing a sharp white suit at the Grammy Awards.
2007
Cool blue suit and an even cooler guitar for a performance at the Super Bowl.
2012
Prince performs with singer Mary J. Blige on-stage with matchy prints and solid gold glasses.
2015
Prince onstage during The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards, making head-to-toe orange metallics cool.
You can hear many of Prince's songs on Magic.
Now Read:
10 of Prince's must-see performances
Prince's 'Diamonds and Pearls' album re-issued with unreleased tracks
Prince 'Live At The Glam Slam' released ahead of reissued 'Diamonds and Pearls' ✨