Prince: a look at the transcending music star
We take a look at the life and career of "The Purple One" - Prince
Not only was Prince a 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' and 'Gold.
We've decided to take a look at who he was, and why he was so successful as an artist...
Why was Prince so successful?
Put simply, Prince’s true musical genius lay in his variety of styles, a singularity of vision and a constantly restless nature that kept him working for both himself and other songwriters. Very few others could move from funk to pop to rock’n’roll and psychedelia, with such consummate ease.
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 Warner at the age of 17, but 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 truly made his mark on the music world.
WATCH: The music video to 'When Doves Cry':
How successful was Prince's 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 1980s 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’.
Did Prince get involved in more films?
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. Unfortunately, it was a commercial flop, winning five Golden Raspberry Awards, including 'Worst Picture'!
Why did 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 reigned, including what should and shouldn’t be released as singles. To combat this, 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)
Prince's personal life:
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on 7th June 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his interest in music developed as a child. His father was a pianist and songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer.
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 died after a week. The couple divorced in 2000.
In 2001, Prince married Manuela Testolini, divorcing six years later.
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.
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