INFORMATION VINE * The History of Prince *.

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Prince, born as Prince Rogers Nelson, was born on June 7, 1958. He was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and dancer. He is known as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was well known for his flamboyant and androgynous persona and wide vocal range. His music integrated a variety of styles of music. Prince died on April 21, 2016.

Prince Rogers Nelson

Prince was born epileptic and used to have seizures as a young child. His mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it, but they did the best they could with the little they knew or had. "My mother told me one day I walked into her and said, 'Mom, I'm not going to be sick anymore.' Because an angel told me so." ---- Prince.



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His suffering just continued in school with being teased often. In his career, he tried to compensate by being flashy and loud.

Basketball Player

Prince played basketball in high school, and it has been said that he was a pretty good player. As a freshman, he made the Central junior varsity basketball team, and he went on to play at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 



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"Prince was an excellent player; he was like the sixth or seventh man. He was an excellent ball-handler, a good shooter, and very short. Probably with a different group of people, he would have been a starter.' ---- Richard Robinson, basketball coach.

Prince's Father

Prince loved watching his father play at the clubs, and Prince played piano all day while his dad was at work. He grew up watching his parents' volatile relationship. Prince's father kicked him out of the house at twelve years old, so he moved into a friend's basement.



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His father was abusive, and his classmates often teased him because of his size. Prince and his father had a distant relationship up until he died in 2001. Bernadette Anderson took him in and raised him lovingly as her own. 

Prince's Mother

Prince's mother, Mattie Della Shaw Baker, was an aspiring jazz singer when she met Prince's father in 1956. She spent decades with the Minneapolis education service. Prince said she was difficult to live with sometimes. Her marriage to Prince's father ended in 1965. 



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She would spend the little money they had on partying with friends. Even with her faults, he loved his mother and vowed to write an entire chapter of his book on her. Mattie passed away in 2002.

Prince's Siblings

In total, Prince had eight siblings. He had one full sister, Tyka Nelson, and three half-sisters Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, and Lorna L. Nelson. He also had four half-brothers, Duane Nelson, Omarr Baker, Alfred Jackson, and John R. Nelson. 



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Prince's relationships with his siblings were never simple. Many of his siblings hadn't talked to him in years and were not close. All of the half-siblings were his parents' children from previous marriages. Prince was the youngest boy in the family.

Purple Rain

Purple Rain is a 1984 rock musical drama film with Prince in his acting debut as The Kid. The character was based on Prince, and the film contains several concert sequences. Filming took place in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis. 



Photo Courtesy: [Richard E. Aaron/NME]


The film grossed over $72 million and won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score. Purple Rain's soundtrack, also called Purple Rain, featured "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain." The soundtrack is certified 13x Platinum. "Purple Rain" is one of Prince's most famous songs. 

Prince & Mayte Garcia

Mayte was sixteen, and Prince was thirty-two when they first met. The couple was introduced backstage at a Prince show after he had seen a video of her belly dancing. She joined his band at eighteen, and the couple got serious. 



Photo Courtesy: [Laura ItalianoMarch 15, 2017/Gettyimages]


The two were married on Valentine's Day in 1996 in Minneapolis. Mayte stated that they never went out on a date and that he was really funny. They lost two babies while married, and the grieving couple drifted apart. Mayte and Prince separated in 2000 after four years of marriage.

Prince's Son

Prince and his wife Mayte Garcia had a son in 1996. Tragically, he was born with Pfeiffer syndrome and only lived one week. His name was Amiir, and both Prince and Mayte were devastated. Prince covered up his son's death, and in fact, Prince still talked like he was alive. 



Photo Courtesy: [MAYTE GARCIA/IconPrince]


It was hard for both of them to acknowledge that he was gone. After Mayte became pregnant again but miscarried, they separated. Prince burned down everything in his house that reminded him of Mayte and his son Amiir, including his son's ashes.

Prince's Contractual Disputes

In the buildup to the Gold Experience release, Prince and Warner Bros. were in disagreement over both money and his music. He took the battle public and said that he was signed to Warner, and they, as a result, owned and controlled his name and any music released under that name. That was when he changed his name to a symbol and was called the artist formerly known as Prince. 



Photo Courtesy:[Warner Bros. Pictures/Photofest]


He couldn't break free, so he fulfilled the terms of his contract with a rapid run of albums. He changed his name back to Prince when he was free from Warner Bros. He then produced all of his music under his multiple labels and eventually released his music himself.

The "Prince Tour"

The Prince Tour was Prince's first concert tour and was for his second album Prince. The tour was from late November 1979 through April 1980. The tour focused on songs from his first two albums, and the concert was usually seven or eight songs and lasted about forty minutes. 



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The Prince Tour was just in the United States. Prince joined Rick James' Fire It Up Tour, and animosity grew between the groups because the crowds were loving Prince more. Rick James and his group were heavily into drinking and drugs, which Prince avoided. 

SLAVE

During the battle between Prince and his record label, Warner, he stated he felt like a slave to the label. They controlled his name as well as any music released under his name. He decided to take the battle public by having Slave written on the side of his face. 



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He called it professional slavery. He was trying to cause serious bad PR for the label and make them back down. Prince was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in and was not afraid to do it in the public eye.

Songwriter

Prince wrote more songs in his career than the Beatles did. He has a catalog of over 600 songs that he wrote. He wrote many hits for other artists as well, like "Nasty Girl" for Vanity 6, "Stand Back" for Stevie Nicks, and "Jungle Time" for The Time. 



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He wrote "Manic Monday" for The Bangles and "Nothing Compares 2 U" for Sinead O'Connor. He even wrote "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore" for Alicia Keys. He mentored and produced dozens of bands like Vanity 6 and The Time.

Manuela Testolini

Prince and Manuela Testolini met through a charity collaboration in 2001. The couple were married in 2001 and divorced in 2006. They had a very private marriage and separation. They led an extravagant lifestyle. When they divorced, Testolini said she needed roughly $42,500 per month to maintain the lifestyle she had while married to Prince. 



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Yet even after their rough divorce, she praised her ex-husband for the good he had done. She doesn't talk about the divorce; she wants to remember the man he was. The couple never had any children.

Prince Symbol

Prince announced to his fans that he would no longer go by the name Prince, but rather a "Love Symbol." It is unpronounceable, and the meaning has not been identified. He would be introduced as the artist formerly known as Prince. 



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It was a rebellion against Prince's record label, Warner Bros. After his contract with Warner expired in 2000, he went back to being Prince. He wanted the music released under his name to be his and only his. He wanted out of the Warner Bros. contract.

Batman Soundtrack

Prince was asked to do the soundtrack for the 1989 film Batman. At that time, Prince was the closest thing to a real-life comic book superhero. Batman was one of the more controversial records from Prince. The soundtrack would set the stage for lucrative pop and superhero crossovers for decades to come. The film's director, Tim Burton, did not want Prince to do the soundtrack. 



Photo Courtesy: [June 1989: Prince Gets Freaky With "Batdance"/UnknownAuthor/SoulMusic.com]


Originally, Michael Jackson was supposed to sing the Ballads (Batman songs), and Prince was to sing the upbeat, funky songs (Joker Songs). That didn't happen; Prince did all of the songs. Prince's soundtrack set the groundwork to explore pop music's role in superhero mythology. 

 First Record Deal

Prince's manager, Owen Husney, oversaw the demo production that interested Warner Bros. and two other major labels. There was a bidding battle that helped Husney secure some significant compromises in Prince's contract. 



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Prince was named the producer and retained overall artistic control, and the contract was for three albums instead of the usual one or two. Prince signed with Warner Bros. on June 25, 1977. During this time, Prince lived with Husney and his wife, and a friend. Prince's first record deal was a six-figure recording contract with Warner Bros.

The Today Show

Prince appeared on Bryant Gumbel's final show hosting Today in 1997. Prince discussed everything from his career to his relationship with his wife. This was also the first interview that he admitted about the problems with his newborn son. 



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But on this specific day, Prince surprised Gumbel and was dressed to look like Gumbel. Prince even wrote a song for Gumbel. The couple remained friends after that, and Gumbel owns three Prince songs that have never seen the light of day.

Paisley Park Studios

Paisley Park was Prince's home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The home was built in 1987 and is a sixty-five-thousand-square-foot, ten-million-dollar recording studio. Initially, it was meant to be a recording facility, and artists like Madonna and Stevie Wonder recorded there. By the end of the 1990s, it became a private recording studio for Prince and his home. 



Photo Courtesy: [Paisley Park Studios covers about 65,000-square feet/Forbes]


The outside of the home looks industrial, but on the inside, clouds have been painted on the walls, and sunlight comes through a glass pyramid over the lobby, but there are not many windows. When entering, guests were required to turn off cameras and cell phones and leave them at the door. He wrote, rehearsed, and recorded at Paisley Park.

The Midnight Special

NBC's Midnight Special was Prince's first television appearance. He appeared on the show on January 8, 1980, and performed "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Want To Treat Me So Bad." Prince showed exactly what he was made of as a performer. 



Photo Courtesy: [James Tarver/Prince.org]


He walked onto the stage in a zebra print lingerie number and thigh-high black leggings and heels. Prince always left his mark wherever he went, and that night was no different. He has always been credited with putting in the extra work, and his performances have always shone brighter than any other.

Superbowl Halftime

Prince performed the halftime show at the Superbowl XLI in Miami. There was a marching band, and the centerpiece visual effects utilized involved projecting Prince's silhouette onto a large screen that he stood behind. 



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The performance was about twelve minutes long, and Prince wore a turquoise suit and had a do-rag on over his hair. He performed on a large stage in the shape of his symbol. It rained the whole show, and Prince reveled in it. There were fireworks after the show.

Award Winner

Prince won many awards throughout his career. For his song "Purple Rain," he received the Academy Award for Best Original Score Song, American Music Award for Favorite Soundtrack, the Billboard Music Award for Top Soundtrack/Cast Album, and the Brit Award for Soundtrack/Cast Recording. 



Photo Courtesy: [GRAMMY Award Results for Prince/UnknownAuthor/Grammys.com]


He also won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Rock Performance, Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and Hall of Fame for "Purple Rain." He would have likely racked up many more awards if his life had not been cut short.

Prince Redecorated Carlos Boozer’s Rental

Prince rented Carlos Boozer's LA home and paid $95,000 per month. Prince redecorated the home without Boozer's approval. He painted the exterior of the house with purple striping with Prince symbols and the number 3121. 



Photo Courtesy: [Jeff Kravitz/RollingStone]


He installed a purple monogrammed carpet in the master bedroom and added plumbing for beauty salon chairs. He also put in a twelve-foot iron gate with two gold lions on it. He later apologized and changed everything back, and paid Boozer $500,000 in damages.

Grammy Award Winner

Overall, Prince received thirty-eight Grammy nominations and won seven Grammys. He won his first three Grammy Awards and made his Grammy stage debut at the 46th Grammy Awards in 1984. He won three Grammys in 1984, one Grammy in 1985, one Grammy in 1986, two Grammys in 2004, and one Grammy in 2007. 



Photo Courtesy: [KEVIN MAZUR/Grammys]


There was a Grammy Tribute, "Let's Go Crazy," to Prince on the fourth anniversary of his passing. Many artists and friends of Prince showed up to perform and honor Prince.

Prince and Kim Basinger

The couple met while Kim was filming Batman and Prince was doing the soundtrack for the movie. He told her he wanted some alone time with her so he would be inspired to write the proper music with her in mind. Prince and Kim Basinger were so enamored with each other that Kim gave up Hollywood and moved to Minneapolis and Prince recorded an entire album written for her. 



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Her family thought that Prince had her under some sort of spell, so they arrived at Prince's house unannounced and took her away. But before she left, she recorded an album with Prince. 

Under The Cherry Moon

Under the Cherry Moon was released in 1986 and starred Prince in his directorial debut. The soundtrack album, Parade, by Prince, went platinum. Prince plays Gogolos Christopher Tracy. Filming started in 1985 and was in France. 



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Prince took over directing after 16 days of shooting. Under the Cherry Moon failed to gain any breakout audience and received negative reviews from critics. The film had an average rating of 3.86/10 from critics. 

Prince Kicks Kim Kardashian Off the Stage

In 2011, while Prince was on his Welcome 2 Tour that year, performing at Madison Square Garden, he looked for a woman to bring on stage with him to dance. He spotted Kim Kardashian in the front row and asked her to join him on stage. 



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He began dancing around her, and Kim nervously stood in place and clapped for him while laughing. Prince told her to "Get off my stage." Following the show, Kim stated, "I was so nervous I froze when Prince touched me!!" It was all in good fun.

Prince and Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra was in an LA nightclub when Robin Power came up to her. She said she was the lead singer of a girl group that Prince was producing and loved the way she danced. She asked Carmen if she wanted to audition for Prince. Prince seemed impressed with her dancing, and a while later, he was the one that gave Carmen her name. 



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She moved to Minneapolis and signed a record deal with Paisley Park Records. Carmen and Prince began a relationship, and she opened for him on his "Diamonds and Pearls Tour." She later chose to move back to LA and do it all on her own.

Prince and Vanity

Prince's onetime protege and paramour died just two months before he did. The pair had a sizzling partnership at the height of his fame when Prince mentored Vanity. They toured together, and she said she helped script Purple Rain. 



Photo Courtesy: [wulan/Prince.org]


The couple dated for several months and the pair parted ways in 1983. Prince paid tribute to her after she passed away while performing in Melbourne, Australia. "She loved me for the artist I was; I loved her for the artist she was trying to be." ----- Prince.

Prince and Sheila E. 

Prince and Sheila's relationship began on the Purple Rain Tour. The relationship grew, and Prince proposed to Sheila one night in 1987 while playing "Purple Rain." But the six-month-long tour put a strain on their relationship, and Sheila parted ways with Prince and the band after the tour. 



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Sheila and Prince remained close over the years. They would hang out in the studio every day and record and write songs together. She said she left Prince and the band because the music he was writing didn't work for her. 

Amazing Guitar Player

Prince was the greatest guitarist of his generation. He would play the most magnetic guitar solos. He was very well-known for throwing his guitar into the air after his concerts and performances. Quite often, they would smash to the ground. 



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He often stole the stage and limelight from some big artists with his guitar solos. Prince actually designed entirely new, original guitars. His custom-built purple guitar shaped like his symbol was probably one of the most well-known. He had a preference for odd-shaped guitars with extreme cut-away sections.

The Revolution

The Revolution was an American rock band formed by Prince in Minneapolis, MN. The band released two studio albums, two soundtracks, and two videos. The band rose to fame with Purple Rain and the album Around the World in a Day. 



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The Revolution won three Grammy Awards. Prince decided he didn't want to see his band anymore; he hired new people and ignored his old band. They stuck it out until the last show of the tour. Things went sour with the group, and eventually, The Revolution disbanded. 

Prince Rogers Nelson "DIAMONDS & PEARLS" Multi-Platinium Sales Award

Diamonds and Pearls is the thirteenth studio album by Prince. It was the first album with his new backing band, The New Power Generation. The album was released on October 1, 1991, and produced several hit singles. 



Photo Courtesy: [PRINCE ROGERS NELSON "DIAMONDS & PEARLS" NON RIAA MULTI PLATINUM SALES AWARD/UnknownAuthor/Worthpoint


The album went double-platinum and was his second best selling album. It also contained his fifth and final number-one single. The reviews weren't overly positive. It is a strange mix of the elaborate and the down-and-dirty; elegance and grit. The album started a new era for Prince. 

Prince and Sheena Easton

Prince wooed singer Sheena Easton during a bizarre date in 1985. He refused to say a single word to the singer for the whole date. He insisted they communicate only through their eyes. Sheena was visibly frustrated that Prince wouldn't just talk to her on their date. 



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Sheena fell for Prince, and the couple enjoyed a secret relationship in the mid-1980s when he wrote some hits for her. She stated that they were never lovers; they were just very good friends who would talk for hours.

Prince and Michael Jackson

Prince and Michael Jackson were born the same year and rose to fame at the same time. They were both very private and shy and would seclude themselves in their homes. They were viewed as direct competitors. Contrary to rumors, Michael and Prince did not have a rivalry. 



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They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies; they were friendly with each other. There were many conversations and instances that were taken out of context to make people think they were enemies. They were just two very different brilliant artists.

Chronic Pain

Prince suffered from chronic hip pain for more than a decade. He had surgery, but that did not alleviate the pain. Prince began taking Percocet per his doctor's order. Because of Prince's performances and all the stunts, jumping, and splits, his pain was always there. 



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He continued taking opioids and became addicted. He stated that he couldn't stop taking the painkillers because his hands hurt so bad that he would have to stop performing if he didn't take them.

‘Purple Rain’ House

A year before Prince died, he bought the house that appeared in the film Purple Rain. It was very run down and needed a lot of improvements. It still sits in the Howie neighborhood in south Minneapolis at 34th Street and Snelling Avenue South. 



Photo Courtesy: [Jay Gabler/MNPublicRadio]


Prince's NPG Music Publishing company owns the two-story home. The home is 1,348-square-foot-home and was built in 1913. Prince never lived in the house, but the home was used for many scenes in the Purple Rain film and was usually the setting for a fight between his character's parents. 

Lifetime Achievement Award

At fifty-two years old, Prince was honored with BET's Lifetime Achievement Award. Artists sang his songs to honor him. Prince wore a flowing, silk pajama-like ensemble bearing his symbol. He thanked all of the performers who led his tribute and top BET executives Debra Lee and Stephen Hill. 



Photo Courtesy: [Frederick M. Brown/NPR]


"The future's in your hands now, and the world is really yours. There is a change in America that's going on right now. Everybody can feel it. We're going to be a beacon to the rest of the world." ----- Prince

Only Full Sister Tyka Nelson

Tyka Nelson was Prince's only full sibling. She was very close to Prince growing up; he taught her how to tie her shoes and whistle. She said she talked to Prince before his death, and he told her that he thought he had done everything he had come to do. 



Photo Courtesy:[Jordan Runtagh/People.com]


She said he knew he would die. Tyka saw her brother three days before his death, and they were making jokes. She said he needed to go; he was tired. Tyka is also a singer and has also had her own struggles with drugs.

Prince's Trouble with Censorship 

Prince turned the music industry upside down, but one of his most impactful moves was entirely inadvertent. The "Parental Advisory" label that started being put on CDs was because of Prince. The outrage from Prince's Purple Rain album led to the advisory. 



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Parents brought the album home and listened to it with their children, not knowing the lyrics were inappropriate. In the end, most of the recording industry "voluntarily" agreed to label CDs if they contained explicit language and sexual content.

Prince's Black Album

The Black Album was Prince's sixteenth studio album. It was released on November 22, 1994. Prince was attempting to regain his black audience. Prince was convinced that the album was evil; he ordered it to be withdrawn a week before its release date.



Photo Courtesy:[Memories Of Genius: 40 Years On Prince's Dirty Mind Revisited/Unknown Author/The Quietus]


The album was replaced with Lovesexy. The album still emerged on the streets in bootleg form. The album was re-released exclusively to Tidal in 2016. Billboard offered owners of counterfeit copies a free copy of the legal release. 

Prince's Charities

Prince's cause was always Humanity. He encouraged urban youth to learn technology and live green. He was involved with the organization Green for All, which created green jobs in disadvantaged communities. He raised awareness for movements like Black Lives Matter and even sent money to Trayvon Martin's family. 



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Prince cared a lot about people. He also helped bring attention to #YesWeCode, which broke down the tech community's racial barriers. He always said he wasn't white, he wasn't black, he was purple. 

Prince Needed To Be In Control

Prince was a notorious control freak. Even at eighteen, he had a specific vision for his first album. He needed to be the alpha male to get things done; he wanted things perfect and clean. He had strict rules, even in his house. He always wanted to be in control, and it was a big issue for him. 



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He didn't run things normally, so the people around him had to always be on call. He would send his security guard before meetings to check everything out before Prince would enter. You also had to leave all electronics at the door when you entered his house.

"When Doves Cry"

Prince's "When Doves Cry" was the lead single from his sixth album. The song was inspired by his relationship with Susan Moonsie from Vanity 6. The song was also Prince's first Billboard Hot 100 number one single, and it stayed there for five weeks. 



Photo Courtesy:[hugohugo/Prince.org]


It was the last song he wrote for the Purple Rain album. Acclaimed Music claims it is the 31st most celebrated song in popular music history. In 1985, he won an American Music Award for "When Doves Cry." The song only took him a couple of hours to write. 

Prince's Song "Cream"

Prince's song "Cream" was from the album Diamonds and Pearls. Prince jokingly said that he wrote the song while looking at himself in the mirror. The song was Prince's fifth and last number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. 



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Rolling Stone said the song was impossibly slinky, and People described the song as tart and bluesy. "Cream" hit number one for two weeks in the United States. Prince said more than once that "Cream" was not a sex song. The album sold over two million copies.

Just A Man

Prince was a mega superstar, but he was also a human being. He wasn't afraid to mingle among the public in his hometown. It was quite common for residents in and around the city to see him on a bike ride through parking lots and on local roads. 



Photo Courtesy: [Lisa Respers France and Eliott C. McLaughlin/CNN]


One of the last times he was recognized by the public was out bike riding. In an interview, Prince once said that he's just a normal guy and isn't just locked in his house all the time. He goes to the store, movies, parks; everything other people do; he just makes music all day as well.

Prince Passes at 57

Prince died on April 21, 2016, at his Paisley Park home in Minneapolis. He died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, and it is being said that Prince didn't know he was taking counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. He was seen by the doctor just hours before he died and also asked his doctor for some fluids. 



Photo Courtesy:[Steve Parke/BBCNews]


His body was discovered in an elevator at his home. The police found pills all over his house. Prince was found alone and unresponsive; he was fifty-seven years old. Millions of fans mourned his death and brought items to his estate to leave in honor of him.  

Prince Memorial Bridge

After the passing of Minneapolis' brilliant artist, Prince, the MN-DOT announced that they would light up the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge in purple for the evening in honor of Prince. It was then decided to keep the bridge purple throughout the weekend. 



Photo Courtesy: [KELLY CORDES/MN]


The police had to control the situation because all the people who came to see the bridge lit up purple and paid their respects to Prince. This was just one of the many memorials set up to honor Minnesota's own Prince.

Jehovah's Witness

Prince always had God in the picture. Prince was introduced to Jehovah's Witness faith by Larry Graham. The Jehovah's Witness faith helped explain to Prince the growing social injustice around him. He would pass out pamphlets and go door to door preaching. 



Photo Courtesy: [JEFF WHEELER/StarTribune]


He stated in interviews that he was against gay marriage. He was called Brother Nelson at the St. Louis Park congregation he attended regularly. Prince started studying the bible and was baptized on March 23, 2003. His memorial was held at the Jehovah's Witness church he attended.

Paisley Park Memorial

After Prince's death, fans left pictures, balloons, gifts, letters, and other items at Paisley Park on the fence outside the estate as a memorial. Paisley Park collected those items and brought them into its permanent collections. 



Photo Courtesy: [NANCY ROSENBAUM/NPR]


They put up a new, temporary memorial fence just outside the venue's front doors. The fence is part of the museum's activities, paying tribute to Prince. The famous Paisley Park has been opened to the public as a museum of Prince's life and creativity.