Prince ( musician ) - Wikipedia Prince ( musician ) Prince Prince performing in April 2008 Prince Rogers Nelson ( 1958 - 06 - 07 ) June 7, 1958 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. April 21, 2016 ( 2016 - 04 - 21 ) ( aged 57 ) Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S. Cause of death Fentanyl overdose Other names As a performer : Camille ( Love Symbol ) The Artist Formerly Known as Prince ( TAFKAP ) The Artist As a songwriter : Jamie Starr Joey Coco Tora Tora Alexander Nevermind Christopher Tracy Occupation Singer songwriter multi-instrumentalist record producer actor Years active 1976 -- 2016 Spouse ( s ) Mayte Garcia ( m. 1996 ; div. 2000 ) Manuela Testolini ( m. 2001 ; div. 2006 ) Children 1 ( deceased ) Relatives John L. Nelson ( father ) Tyka Nelson ( sister ) Musical career Genres Funk pop R&B rock soul Minneapolis sound Instruments Vocals guitar keyboards piano bass drums Labels Warner Bros. Paisley Park NPG EMI Columbia Arista Universal Associated acts The Revolution Wendy & Lisa The New Power Generation The Time Morris Day Sheila E. Sheena Easton Vanity 6 Apollonia 6 Mazarati The Family 94 East Madhouse Martika Anna Fantastic Andy Allo 3rdeyegirl Janelle Monáe Judith Hill Sinead O'Connor The Bangles Prince Rogers Nelson ( June 7, 1958 -- April 21, 2016 ) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Prince was a musical innovator who was known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, extravagant dress and makeup, and wide vocal range. His music integrated a wide variety of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, new wave, soul, psychedelia, and pop. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best - selling music artists of all time. He won eight Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award for the film Purple Rain. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. He was born in Minneapolis and developed an interest in music as a young child. He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 17, and released his debut album For You in 1978. His 1979 album Prince went platinum, and his next three records -- Dirty Mind ( 1980 ), Controversy ( 1981 ), and 1999 ( 1982 ) -- continued his success, showcasing Prince 's prominently sexual lyrics and blending of funk, dance, and rock music. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as The Revolution and released Purple Rain, the soundtrack album to his eponymous 1984 film debut. It quickly became his most critically and commercially successful release, spending 24 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 and selling over 20 million copies worldwide. After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day ( 1985 ) and Parade ( 1986 ), The Revolution disbanded, and Prince released the double album Sign o ' the Times ( 1987 ) as a solo artist. He released three more solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. In 1993, while in a contractual dispute with Warner Bros., he changed his stage name to, an unpronounceable symbol also known as the `` Love Symbol '', and began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations. He released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2000, he began referring to himself as `` Prince '' again. He released 16 albums after that, including the platinum - selling Musicology ( 2004 ). His final album, Hit n Run Phase Two, was first released on the Tidal streaming service on December 12, 2015. Prince died from a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 1975 -- 1984 : Beginnings and breakthrough 2.2 1984 -- 1987 : The Revolution, Purple Rain, and subsequent releases 2.3 1987 -- 1991 : Solo again, Sign o ' the Times 2.4 1991 -- 1994 : The New Power Generation, Diamonds and Pearls, and name change 2.5 1994 -- 2000 : Increased output and The Gold Experience 2.6 2000 -- 2007 : Turnaround, Musicology, label change, and 3121 2.7 2007 -- 2010 : Super Bowl XLI, Planet Earth, and Lotusflower 2.8 2010 -- 2012 : 20Ten and Welcome 2 Tours 2.9 2013 -- 2016 : 3rdeyegirl and return to Warner Bros. 2.10 2016 - present : Posthumous projects 3 Illness and death 3.1 Remembrances 4 Artistry 4.1 Music and image 4.2 Influences and musicianship 5 Legal issues 5.1 Pseudonyms 5.2 Copyright issues 6 Personal life 7 Awards and nominations 8 Discography 9 Filmography 10 Tours 11 See also 12 References 13 Sources 14 Further reading 15 External links Early Life Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, to Mattie Della ( née Shaw ; 1933 -- 2002 ) and John Lewis Nelson ( 1916 -- 2001 ). His parents were both African - American and his family ancestry is centered in Louisiana, with all four of his grandparents hailing from that state. Prince 's father was a pianist and songwriter, and his mother was a jazz singer. Prince was given his father 's stage name, Prince Rogers, which his father used while performing with a jazz group called the Prince Rogers Trio. In 1991, Prince 's father told A Current Affair, `` I named my son Prince because I wanted him to do everything I wanted to do. '' Prince 's childhood nickname was Skipper. Prince has said he was `` born epileptic '' and `` used to have seizures '' when he was young. He also said, `` My mother told me one day I walked in to her and said, ' Mom, I 'm not going to be sick anymore, ' and she said, ' Why ? ' and I said, ' Because an angel told me so. ' '' Prince 's sister Tika Evene ( usually called Tyka ) was born on May 18, 1960. Both siblings developed a keen interest in music, and this was encouraged by their father. Prince wrote his first song, `` Funk Machine '', on his father 's piano when he was seven. When Prince was 10, his parents separated and divorced and his mother remarried to Hayward Baker, with whom she had a son named Omarr, but Prince had a troubled relationship with Baker, thus causing him to repeatedly switch homes, sometimes living with his father and sometimes with his mother and stepfather. However, Baker took Prince to see James Brown in concert and Prince credited Baker with improving the family 's finances. After a brief period living with his father, who bought him his first guitar, he then moved into the home of neighbors named Anderson and befriended their son Andre Anderson, who later became known as André Cymone. Prince attended Minneapolis ' Bryant Junior High and then Central High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He played on Central 's junior varsity basketball team, and continued to play basketball recreationally as an adult. Prince met Jimmy Jam in 1973 in junior high, and impressed him during music class with his musical talent, his early mastery of a wide range of instruments, and his work ethic. Career 1975 -- 1984 : beginnings and breakthrough In 1975, Pepe Willie, the husband of Prince 's cousin Shauntel, formed the band 94 East with Marcy Ingvoldstad and Kristie Lazenberry, hiring André Cymone and Prince to record tracks. Willie wrote the songs, and Prince contributed guitar tracks, and Prince and Willie co-wrote the 94 East song, `` Just Another Sucker ''. The band recorded tracks which later became the album Minneapolis Genius -- The Historic 1977 Recordings. In 1976, Prince created a demo tape with producer Chris Moon, in Moon 's Minneapolis studio. Unable to secure a recording contract, Moon brought the tape to Owen Husney, a Minneapolis businessman, who signed Prince, age 17, to a management contract, and helped him create a demo at Sound 80 Studios in Minneapolis ( with producer / engineer David Z ). The demo recording, along with a press kit produced at Husney 's ad agency, resulted in interest from several record companies including Warner Bros. Records, A&M Records, and Columbia Records. With the help of Husney, Prince signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. The record company agreed to give Prince creative control for three albums and ownership of the publishing rights. Husney and Prince then left Minneapolis and moved to Sausalito, California, where Prince 's first album, For You, was recorded at Record Plant Studios. The album was mixed in Los Angeles and released on April 7, 1978. According to the For You album notes, Prince wrote, produced, arranged, composed, and played all 27 instruments on the recording, except for the song `` Soft and Wet '', whose lyrics were co-written by Moon. The cost of recording the album was twice Prince 's initial advance. Prince used the Prince 's Music Co. to publish his songs. `` Soft and Wet '' reached No. 12 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song `` Just as Long as We 're Together '' reached No. 91 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. Ticket to Prince 's first performance with his band in January 1979 In 1979, Prince created a band with André Cymone on bass, Dez Dickerson on guitar, Gayle Chapman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, and Bobby Z. on drums. Their first show was at the Capri Theater on January 5, 1979. Warner Bros. executives attended the show but decided that Prince and the band needed more time to develop his music. In October 1979, Prince released the album, Prince, which was No. 4 on the Billboard Top R&B / Black Albums charts and No. 22 on the Billboard 200, and went platinum. It contained two R&B hits : `` Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad ? '' and `` I Wanna Be Your Lover ''. `` I Wanna Be Your Lover '' sold over a million copies, and reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 for two weeks on the Hot Soul Singles chart. Prince performed both these songs on January 26, 1980, on American Bandstand. On this album, Prince used Ecnirp Music -- BMI. In 1980, Prince released the album Dirty Mind, which contained sexually explicit material, including the title song, `` Head '', and the song `` Sister '', and was described by Stephen Thomas Erlewine as a `` stunning, audacious amalgam of funk, new wave, R&B, and pop, fueled by grinningly salacious sex and the desire to shock. '' Recorded in Prince 's own studio, this album was certified gold, and the single `` Uptown '' reached No. 5 on the Billboard Dance chart and No. 5 on the Hot Soul Singles charts. Prince was also the opening act for Rick James ' 1980 Fire It Up tour. In February 1981, Prince made his first appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing `` Partyup ''. In October 1981, Prince released the album, Controversy. He played several dates in support of it, at first as one of the opening acts for the Rolling Stones, on their US tour. He began 1982 with a small tour of college towns where he was the headlining act. The songs on Controversy were published by Controversy Music -- ASCAP, a practice he continued until the Emancipation album in 1996. By 2002, MTV News noted that `` ( n ) ow all of his titles, liner notes and Web postings are written in his own shorthand spelling, as seen on 1999 's Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, which featured ' Hot Wit U. ' '' In 1981, Prince formed a side project band called the Time. The band released four albums between 1981 and 1990, with Prince writing and performing most of the instrumentation and backing vocals ( sometimes credited under the pseudonyms `` Jamie Starr '' or `` The Starr Company '' ), with lead vocals by Morris Day. In late 1982, Prince released a double album, 1999, which sold over three million copies. The title track was a protest against nuclear proliferation and became Prince 's first top 10 hit in countries outside the US. Prince 's `` Little Red Corvette '' was one of the first two videos by black artists ( along with Michael Jackson 's `` Billie Jean '' ) played in heavy rotation on MTV, which had been perceived as against `` black music '' until CBS President Walter Yetnikoff threatened to pull all CBS videos. The song `` Delirious '' also placed in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. `` International Lover '' earned Prince his first Grammy Award nomination at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards. 1984 -- 1987 : the Revolution, Purple Rain, and subsequent releases During this period Prince referred to his band as the Revolution. The band 's name was also printed, in reverse, on the cover of 1999 inside the letter `` I '' of the word `` Prince ''. The band consisted of Lisa Coleman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z. on drums, Brown Mark on bass, and Dez Dickerson on guitar. Jill Jones, a backing singer, was also part of the lineup for the 1999 album and tour. Following the 1999 Tour, Dickerson left the group for religious reasons. In the book Possessed : The Rise and Fall of Prince ( 2003 ), author Alex Hahn says that Dickerson was reluctant to sign a three - year contract and wanted to pursue other musical ventures. Dickerson was replaced by Coleman 's friend Wendy Melvoin. At first the band was used sparsely in the studio, but this gradually changed during 1983. `` When Doves Cry '' ( 1984 ) A lead single from Purple Rain, `` When Doves Cry '' became a signature song of Prince 's. It features an intro to a guitar solo and a Linn LM - 1 drum machine, followed by a looped guttural vocal. Problems playing this file ? See media help. According to his former manager Bob Cavallo, in the early 1980s Prince required his management to obtain a deal for him to star in a major motion picture, despite the fact that his exposure at that point was limited to several pop and R&B hits, music videos and occasional TV performances. This resulted in the hit film Purple Rain ( 1984 ), which starred Prince and was loosely autobiographical, and the eponymous studio album, which was also the soundtrack to the film. The Purple Rain album sold more than 13 million copies in the US and spent 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The film won Prince an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and grossed over $68 million in the US ( US $156,757,207 in 2016 dollars ). Songs from the film were hits on pop charts around the world ; `` When Doves Cry '' and `` Let 's Go Crazy '' reached No. 1, and the title track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. At one point in 1984, Prince simultaneously had the No. 1 album, single, and film in the US ; it was the first time a singer had achieved this feat. The Purple Rain album is ranked 72nd in Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ; it is also included on the list of Time magazine 's All - Time 100 Albums. The album also produced two of Prince 's first three Grammy Awards earned at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards -- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Prince performing in Brussels during the Hit N Run Tour in 1986 After Tipper Gore heard her 11 - year - old daughter Karenna listening to Prince 's song `` Darling Nikki '' ( which gained wide notoriety for its sexual lyrics and a reference to masturbation ), she founded the Parents Music Resource Center. The center advocated the mandatory use of a warning label ( `` Parental Advisory : Explicit Lyrics '' ) on the covers of records that have been judged to contain language or lyrical content unsuitable for minors. The recording industry later voluntarily complied with this request. In 1985, Prince announced that he would discontinue live performances and music videos after the release of his next album. His subsequent recording, Around the World in a Day ( 1985 ), held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for three weeks. From that album, the single `` Raspberry Beret '' reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and `` Pop Life '' reached No. 7. In 1986, his album Parade reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the R&B charts. The first single, `` Kiss '', with the video choreographed by Louis Falco, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. ( The song was originally written for a side project called Mazarati. ) In the same year, the song `` Manic Monday '', written by Prince and recorded by The Bangles, reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart. The album Parade served as the soundtrack for Prince 's second film, Under the Cherry Moon ( 1986 ). Prince directed and starred in the movie, which also featured Kristin Scott Thomas. Although the Parade album went platinum, Under the Cherry Moon received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture ( tied with Howard the Duck ), and Prince received Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director, Worst Actor, and Worst Original Song ( for the song `` Love or Money '' ). In 1986, Prince began a series of live performances called the Hit n Run -- Parade Tour. After the tour Prince disbanded The Revolution and fired Wendy & Lisa. Brown Mark quit the band ; keyboardist Doctor Fink remained. Prince recruited new band members Miko Weaver on guitar, Atlanta Bliss on trumpet, and Eric Leeds on saxophone. 1987 -- 1991 : solo again, Sign o ' the Times Prior to the disbanding of The Revolution, Prince was working on two separate projects, The Revolution album Dream Factory and a solo effort, Camille. Unlike the three previous band albums, Dream Factory included input from the band members and featured songs with lead vocals by Wendy & Lisa. The Camille project saw Prince create a new androgynous persona primarily singing in a sped - up, female - sounding voice. With the dismissal of The Revolution, Prince consolidated material from both shelved albums, along with some new songs, into a three - LP album to be titled Crystal Ball. Warner Bros. forced Prince to trim the triple album to a double album, and Sign o ' the Times was released on March 31, 1987. The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The first single, `` Sign o ' the Times '', charted at No. 3 on the Hot 100. The follow - up single, `` If I Was Your Girlfriend '', charted at No. 67 on the Hot 100 but went to No. 12 on R&B chart. The third single, a duet with Sheena Easton, `` U Got the Look '', charted at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and No. 11 on the R&B chart, and the final single, `` I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man '', finished at No. 10 on Hot 100 and No. 14 on the R&B chart. It was named the top album of the year by the Pazz & Jop critics ' poll and sold 3.2 million copies. In Europe it performed well, and Prince promoted the album overseas with a lengthy tour. Putting together a new backing band from the remnants of The Revolution, Prince added bassist Levi Seacer, Jr., keyboardist Boni Boyer, and dancer / choreographer Cat Glover to go with new drummer Sheila E. and holdovers Miko Weaver, Doctor Fink, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and the Bodyguards ( Jerome, Wally Safford, and Greg Brooks ) for the Sign o ' the Times Tour. The Sign o ' the Times tour was a success overseas, and Warner Bros. and Prince 's managers wanted to bring it to the US to promote sales of the album ; however, Prince balked at a full US tour, as he was ready to produce a new album. As a compromise, the last two nights of the tour were filmed for release in movie theaters. The film quality was deemed subpar, and reshoots were performed at Prince 's Paisley Park studios. The film Sign o ' the Times was released on November 20, 1987. The film got better reviews than Under the Cherry Moon, but its box - office receipts were minimal, and it quickly left theaters. The next album intended for release was The Black Album. More instrumental and funk and R&B themed than recent releases, The Black Album also saw Prince experiment with hip hop music on the songs `` Bob George '' and `` Dead on It ''. Prince was set to release the album with a monochromatic black cover with only the catalog number printed, but after 500,000 copies had been pressed, Prince had a spiritual epiphany that the album was evil and had it recalled. It was later released by Warner Bros. as a limited edition album in 1994. Prince went back in the studio for eight weeks and recorded Lovesexy. Released on May 10, 1988, Lovesexy serves as a spiritual opposite to the dark The Black Album. Every song is a solo effort by Prince, except `` Eye No '', which was recorded with his backing band at the time. Lovesexy reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the R&B albums chart. The lead single, `` Alphabet St. '', peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart ; it sold 750,000 copies. Prince again took his post-Revolution backing band ( minus the Bodyguards ) on a three leg, 84 - show Lovesexy World Tour ; although the shows were well received by huge crowds, they lost money due to the expensive sets and props. Prince performing during his Nude Tour in 1990 In 1989, Prince appeared on Madonna 's studio album Like a Prayer, co-writing and singing the duet `` Love Song '' and playing electric guitar ( uncredited ) on the songs `` Like a Prayer '', `` Keep It Together '', and `` Act of Contrition ''. He also began work on several musical projects, including Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic and early drafts of his Graffiti Bridge film, but both were put on hold when he was asked by Batman ( 1989 ) director Tim Burton to record several songs for the upcoming live - action adaptation. Prince went into the studio and produced an entire nine - track album that Warner Bros. released on June 20, 1989. Batman peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 4.3 million copies. The single `` Batdance '' topped the Billboard and R&B charts. The single, `` The Arms of Orion '' with Sheena Easton, charted at No. 36, and `` Partyman '' ( also featuring the vocals of Prince 's then - girlfriend, nicknamed Anna Fantastic ) charted at No. 18 on the Hot 100 and at No. 5 on the R&B chart, and the love ballad `` Scandalous ! '' went to No. 5 on the R&B chart. Prince had to sign away all publishing rights to the songs on the album to Warner Bros. as part of the deal to do the soundtrack. In 1990, Prince went back on tour with a revamped band for his back - to - basics Nude Tour. With the departures of Boni Boyer, Sheila E., the horns, and Cat, Prince brought in keyboardist Rosie Gaines, drummer Michael Bland, and dancing trio The Game Boyz ( Tony M., Kirky J., and Damon Dickson ). The European and Japanese tour was a financial success with a short, greatest hits setlist. As the year progressed, Prince finished production on his fourth film, Graffiti Bridge ( 1990 ), and the 1990 album of the same name. Initially, Warner Bros. was reluctant to fund the film, but with Prince 's assurances it would be a sequel to Purple Rain as well as the involvement of the original members of The Time, the studio greenlit the project. Released on August 20, 1990, the album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and R&B albums chart. The single `` Thieves in the Temple '' reached No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B chart ; `` Round and Round '' placed at No. 12 on the US charts and No. 2 on the R&B charts. The song featured the teenage Tevin Campbell ( who also had a role in the film ) on lead vocals. The film, released on November 20, 1990, was a box - office flop, grossing $4.2 million. After the release of the film and album, the last remaining members of The Revolution, Miko Weaver and Doctor Fink, left Prince 's band. 1991 -- 1994 : the new Power Generation, Diamonds and Pearls, and name change Prince 's Yellow Cloud Guitar at the Smithsonian Institution Building The unpronounceable symbol ( later dubbed `` Love Symbol # 2 '' ) 1991 marked the debut of Prince 's new band, the New Power Generation. With guitarist Miko Weaver and long - time keyboardist Doctor Fink gone, Prince added bass player Sonny T., Tommy Barbarella on keyboards, and a brass section known as the Hornheads to go along with Levi Seacer ( taking over on guitar ), Rosie Gaines, Michael Bland, and the Game Boyz. With significant input from his band members, Diamonds and Pearls was released on October 1, 1991. Reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, Diamonds and Pearls saw four hit singles released in the United States. `` Gett Off '' peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on the R&B charts, followed by `` Cream '', which gave Prince his fifth US No. 1 single. The title track `` Diamonds and Pearls '' became the album 's third single, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100 and the top spot on the R&B charts. `` Money Do n't Matter 2 Night '' peaked at No. 23 and No. 14 on the Hot 100 and R&B charts respectively. In 1992, Prince and The New Power Generation released his 12th album, Love Symbol Album, bearing only an unpronounceable symbol on the cover ( later copyrighted as Love Symbol # 2 ). The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The label wanted `` 7 '' to be the first single, but Prince fought to place `` My Name Is Prince '' in that slot, as he `` felt that the song 's more hip - hoppery would appeal to the same audience '' that had purchased the previous album. Prince got his way, but `` My Name Is Prince '' reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 23 on the R&B chart. The follow - up single `` Sexy MF '' charted at No. 66 on the Hot 100 and No. 76 on the R&B chart. The label 's preferred lead single choice `` 7 '' reached No. 7. ' Love Symbol Album ' went on to sell 2.8 million copies worldwide. After two failed attempts in 1990 and 1991, Warner Bros. released a greatest hits compilation with the three - disc The Hits / The B - Sides in 1993. The first two discs were also sold separately as The Hits 1 and The Hits 2. The collection features the majority of Prince 's hit singles ( with the exception of `` Batdance '' and other songs that appeared on the Batman soundtrack ), and several previously hard - to - find recordings, including B - sides spanning the majority of Prince 's career, as well as some previously unreleased tracks such as the Revolution - recorded `` Power Fantastic '' and a live recording of `` Nothing Compares 2 U '' with Rosie Gaines. Two new songs, `` Pink Cashmere '' and `` Peach '', were chosen as promotional singles to accompany the compilation album. In 1993, in rebellion against Warner Bros., which refused to release Prince 's enormous backlog of music at a steady pace, he changed his name to, which was explained as a combination of the symbols for male ( ♂ ) and female ( ♀ ). In order to use the symbol in print media, Warner Bros. had to organize a mass mailing of floppy disks with a custom font. The symbol was soon dubbed `` The Love Symbol '', and until 2000, Prince was referred to as `` The Artist Formerly Known as Prince '' or simply `` The Artist ''. 1994 -- 2000 : increased output and the Gold Experience In 1994, Prince began to release albums in quick succession as a means of releasing himself from his contractual obligations to Warner Bros. The label, he believed, was intent on limiting his artistic freedom by insisting that he release albums more sporadically. He also blamed Warner Bros. for the poor commercial performance of the Love Symbol Album, claiming they had marketed it insufficiently. It was out of these developments that the aborted The Black Album was officially released, seven years after its initial recording. The `` new '' release was already in wide circulation as a bootleg. Warner Bros. then succumbed to Prince 's wishes to release an album of new material, to be entitled Come. Prince pushed to have his next album The Gold Experience released simultaneously with Love Symbol - era material. Warner Bros. allowed the single `` The Most Beautiful Girl in the World '' to be released via a small, independent distributor, Bellmark Records, in February 1994. The release reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in many other countries, but it did not prove to be a model for subsequent releases. Warner Bros. still resisted releasing The Gold Experience, fearing poor sales and citing `` market saturation '' as a defense. When released in September 1995, The Gold Experience reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 initially. The album is now out of print. Chaos and Disorder, released in 1996, was Prince 's final album of new material for Warner Bros., as well as one of his least commercially successful releases. Prince attempted a major comeback later that year when, free of any further contractual obligations to Warner Bros., he released Emancipation, a 36 - song, 3 - CD set ( each disc was exactly 60 minutes long ). The album was released via his own NPG Records with distribution through EMI. To publish his songs on Emancipation, Prince did not use Controversy Music -- ASCAP, which he had used for all his records since 1981, but rather used Emancipated Music Inc. -- ASCAP. Certified Platinum by the RIAA, Emancipation is the first record featuring covers by Prince of songs of other artists : Joan Osborne 's top ten hit song of 1995 `` One of Us '' ; `` Betcha by Golly Wow ! '' ( written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed ) ; `` I Ca n't Make You Love Me '' ( written by James Allen Shamblin II and Michael Barry Reid ) ; and `` La - La ( Means I Love You ) '' ( written by Thom Bell and William Hart ). Prince released Crystal Ball, a five - CD collection of unreleased material, in 1998. The distribution of this album was disorderly, with some fans pre-ordering the album on his website up to a year before it was shipped ; these pre-orders were delivered months after the record had gone on sale in retail stores. The retail edition has only four discs, as it is missing the Kamasutra disc. There are also two different packaging editions for retail ; one is a four - disc sized jewel case with a white cover and the Love Symbol in a colored circle while the other contains all four discs in a round translucent snap jewel case. The discs are the same, as is the CD jacket. The Newpower Soul album was released three months later. His collaborations on Chaka Khan 's Come 2 My House and Larry Graham 's GCS2000, both released on the NPG Records label around the same time as Newpower Soul, were promoted by live appearances on Vibe with Sinbad and the NBC Today show 's Summer Concert Series. In 1999, Prince once again signed with a major label, Arista Records, to release a new record, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. In an attempt to make his new album a success, Prince gave more interviews than at any other point in his career, appearing on MTV 's Total Request Live ( with his album cover on the front of the Virgin Megastore, in the background on TRL throughout the whole show ), Larry King Live ( with Larry Graham ) and other media outlets. A few months earlier, Warner Bros. had also released The Vault : Old Friends 4 Sale, a collection of unreleased material recorded by Prince throughout his career. The pay - per - view concert, Rave Un2 the Year 2000, was broadcast on December 31, 1999 and consisted of footage from the December 17 and 18 concerts of his 1999 tour. The concert featured appearances by guest musicians including Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton, Jimmy Russell, and The Time. It was released to home video the following year. 2000 -- 2007 : turnaround, Musicology, label change, and 3121 On May 16, 2000, Prince stopped using the Love Symbol moniker and returned to using `` Prince '', after his publishing contract with Warner / Chappell expired. In a press conference, he stated that, after being freed from undesirable relationships associated with the name `` Prince '', he would revert to using his real name. Prince continued to use the symbol as a logo and on album artwork and to play a Love Symbol - shaped guitar. For several years following the release of Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, Prince primarily released new music through his Internet subscription service, NPGOnlineLtd.com ( later NPGMusicClub.com ). In 2002, Prince released his first live album, One Nite Alone... Live !, which features performances from the One Nite Alone... Tour. The 3 - CD box set also includes a disc of `` aftershow '' music entitled It Ai n't Over !. During this time, Prince sought to engage more effectively with his fan base via the NPG Music Club, pre-concert sound checks, and at yearly `` celebrations '' at Paisley Park, his music studios. Fans were invited into the studio for tours, interviews, discussions and music - listening sessions. Some of these fan discussions were filmed for an unreleased documentary, directed by Kevin Smith. On February 8, 2004, Prince appeared at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards with Beyoncé. In a performance that opened the show, they performed a medley of `` Purple Rain '', `` Let 's Go Crazy '', `` Baby I 'm a Star '', and Beyoncé 's `` Crazy in Love ''. The following month, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The award was presented to him by Alicia Keys along with Big Boi and André 3000 of OutKast. As well as performing a trio of his own hits during the ceremony, Prince also participated in a tribute to fellow inductee George Harrison in a rendering of Harrison 's `` While My Guitar Gently Weeps '', playing a two - minute guitar solo that ended the song. He also performed the song `` Red House '' as `` Purple House '' on the album Power of Soul : A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. In April 2004, Prince released Musicology through a one - album agreement with Columbia Records. The album rose as high as the top five on some international charts ( including the US, UK, Germany, and Australia ). The US chart success was assisted by the CDs being included as part of the concert ticket purchase, thereby qualifying each CD ( as chart rules then stood ) to count toward US chart placement. Three months later, Spin named him the greatest frontman of all time. That same year, Rolling Stone magazine named Prince as the highest - earning musician in the world, with an annual income of $56.5 million, largely due to his Musicology Tour, which Pollstar named as the top concert draw among musicians in US. He played 96 concerts ; the average ticket price for a show was US $61. Musicology went on to receive two Grammy wins, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for `` Call My Name '' and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the title track. Musicology was also nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Album, and `` Cinnamon Girl '' was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Rolling Stone magazine has ranked Prince No. 27 on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In April 2005, Prince played guitar ( along with En Vogue singing backing vocals ) on Stevie Wonder 's single `` So What the Fuss '', Wonder 's first since 1999. In late 2005, Prince signed with Universal Records to release his album, 3121, on March 21, 2006. The first single was `` Te Amo Corazón '', the video for which was directed by actress Salma Hayek and filmed in Marrakech, Morocco, featuring Argentine actress and singer Mía Maestro. The video for the second single, `` Black Sweat '', was nominated at the MTV VMAs for Best Cinematography. The immediate success of 3121 gave Prince his first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with the album. To promote the new album, Prince was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2006, 17 years after his last SNL appearance on the 15th anniversary special, and nearly 25 years since his first appearance on a regular episode in 1981. At the 2006 Webby Awards on June 12, Prince received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his `` visionary use of the Internet to distribute music and connect with audiences '', exemplified by his decision to release his album Crystal Ball ( 1997 ) exclusively online. In July 2006, weeks after winning a Webby Award, Prince shut down his NPG Music Club website, after more than five years of operation. On the day of the music club 's shutdown, a lawsuit was filed against Prince by the British company HM Publishing ( owners of the Nature Publishing Group, also NPG ). Despite these events ' occurring on the same day, Prince 's attorney stated that the site did not close due to the trademark dispute. Prince appeared at multiple award ceremonies in 2006 : on February 15, he performed at the 2006 Brit Awards, along with Wendy & Lisa and Sheila E., and on June 27, Prince appeared at the 2006 BET Awards, where he was awarded Best Male R&B Artist. Prince performed a medley of Chaka Khan songs for Khan 's BET Lifetime Achievement Award. In November 2006, Prince was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame ; he appeared to collect his award but did not perform. Also in November 2006, Prince opened a nightclub called 3121, in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. He performed weekly on Friday and Saturday nights until April 2007, when his contract with the Rio ended. On August 22, 2006, Prince released Ultimate Prince. The double disc set contains one CD of previous hits, and another of extended versions and mixes of material that had largely only previously been available on vinyl record B - sides. That same year, Prince wrote and performed a song for the hit animated film Happy Feet ( 2006 ). The song, `` The Song of the Heart '', appears on the film 's soundtrack, which also features a cover of Prince 's earlier hit `` Kiss '', sung by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. In January 2007, `` The Song of the Heart '' won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. 2007 -- 2010 : Super Bowl XLI, Planet Earth, and Lotusflower Prince 's stage set for the Earth Tour in 2007 On February 2, 2007, Prince played at the Super Bowl XLI press conference, and the Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007, on a large stage shaped like his symbol. The event was carried to 140 million television viewers, his biggest ever audience. In 2015, Billboard.com ranked the performance as the greatest Super Bowl performance ever. Prince played 21 concerts in London during mid-2007. The Earth Tour included 21 nights at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, with Maceo Parker in his band. Tickets for the O2 Arena were capped by Prince at £ 31.21 ( $48.66 ). The residency at the O2 Arena was increased to 15 nights after all 140,000 tickets for the original seven sold out in 20 minutes. It was then further extended to 21 nights. Prince performed with Sheila E. at the 2007 ALMA Awards. On June 28, 2007, the Mail on Sunday stated that it had made a deal to give Prince 's new album, Planet Earth, away for free with the paper, making it the first place in the world to get the album. This move sparked controversy among music distributors and also led the UK arm of Prince 's distributor, Sony BMG, to withdraw from distributing the album in UK stores. The UK 's largest high street music retailer, HMV, stocked the paper on release day due to the giveaway. On July 7, 2007, Prince returned to Minneapolis to perform three shows. He performed concerts at the Macy 's Auditorium ( to promote his new perfume `` 3121 '' ) on Nicollet Mall, the Target Center arena, and First Avenue. It was the first time he had played at First Avenue ( the club appeared in the film Purple Rain ) since 1987. From 2008, Prince was managed by UK - based Kiran Sharma. On April 25, 2008, Prince performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he debuted a new song, `` Turn Me Loose ''. Days after, he headlined the 2008 Coachella Festival. Prince was paid more than $5 million for his performance at Coachella, according to Reuters. Prince cancelled a concert, planned at Dublin 's Croke Park on June 16, 2008, at 10 days ' notice. In October 2009 promoters MCD Productions went to court to sue him for € 1.6 million to refund 55,126 tickets. Prince settled the case out of court in February 2010 for $2.95 million. During the trial, it was said that Prince had been offered $22 million for seven concerts as part of a proposed 2008 European tour. In October 2008, Prince released a live album entitled Indigo Nights, a collection of songs performed live at aftershows in the IndigO2. Prince at the Coachella Festival in 2008 On December 18, 2008, Prince premiered four songs from his new album on LA 's Indie rock radio station Indie 103.1. The radio station 's programmers Max Tolkoff and Mark Sovel had been invited to Prince 's home to hear the new rock - oriented music. Prince gave them a CD with four songs to premiere on their radio station. The music debuted the next day on Jonesy 's Jukebox, hosted by former Sex Pistol Steve Jones. On January 3, 2009, the new website LotusFlow3r.com was launched, streaming and selling some of the recently aired material and concert tickets. On January 31, Prince released two more songs on LotusFlow3r.com : `` Disco Jellyfish '', and `` Another Boy ''. `` Chocolate Box '', `` Colonized Mind '', and `` All This Love '' were later released on the website. Prince released a triple album set containing Lotusflower, MPLSoUND, and an album credited to Bria Valente, called Elixer, on March 24, 2009, followed by a physical release on March 29. On July 18, 2009, Prince performed two shows at the Montreux Jazz Festival, backed by The New Power Generation including Rhonda Smith, Renato Neto and John Blackwell. On October 11, 2009, he gave two surprise concerts at the Grand Palais. On October 12, he gave another surprise performance at La Cigale. On October 24, Prince played a concert at Paisley Park. 2010 -- 2012 : 20Ten and Welcome 2 tours In January 2010, Prince wrote a new song, `` Purple and Gold '', inspired by his visit to a Minnesota Vikings football game against the Dallas Cowboys. The following month, Prince let Minneapolis - area public radio station 89.3 The Current premiere his new song `` Cause and Effect '' as a gesture in support of independent radio. In 2010, Prince was listed in Time magazine 's annual ranking of the `` 100 Most Influential People in the World ''. Prince released a new single on Minneapolis radio station 89.3 The Current called `` Hot Summer '' on June 7, his 52nd birthday. Also in June, Prince appeared on the cover of the July 2010 issue of Ebony, and he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 BET Awards. Prince released his album 20Ten in July 2010 as a free covermount with publications in the UK, Belgium, Germany, and France. He refused album access to digital download services and closed LotusFlow3r.com. On July 4, 2010, Prince began his 20Ten Tour, a concert tour in two legs with shows in Europe. The second leg began on October 15 and ended with a concert following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 14. The second half of the tour had a new band, John Blackwell, Ida Kristine Nielsen, and Sheila E. Prince let Europe 1 debut the snippet of his new song `` Rich Friends '' from the new album 20Ten Deluxe on October 8, 2010. Prince started the Welcome 2 Tour on December 15, 2010. Prince was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame on December 7, 2010. On February 12, 2011, Prince presented Barbra Streisand with an award and donated $1.5 million to charities. On the same day, it was reported that he had not authorized the television show Glee to cover his hit `` Kiss '', in an episode that had already been filmed. Prince headlined the Hop Farm Festival on July 3, 2011, marking his first UK show since 2007 and his first ever UK festival appearance. Despite having previously rejected the Internet for music distribution, on November 24, 2011, Prince released a reworked version of the previously unreleased song `` Extraloveable '' through both iTunes and Spotify. Purple Music, a Switzerland - based record label, released a CD single `` Dance 4 Me '' on December 12, 2011, as part of a club remixes package including Bria Valente CD single `` 2 Nite '' released on February 23, 2012. The CD features club remixes by Jamie Lewis and David Alexander, produced by Prince. 2013 -- 2016 : 3rdeyegirl and return to Warner Bros. In January 2013, Prince released a lyric video for a new song called `` Screwdriver ''. In April 2013, Prince announced a West Coast tour titled Live Out Loud Tour with 3rdeyegirl as his backing band. The final two dates of the first leg of the tour were in Minneapolis where former Revolution drummer Bobby Z. sat in as guest drummer on both shows. In May, Prince announced a deal with Kobalt Music to market and distribute his music. On August 14, 2013, Prince released a new solo single for download through the 3rdeyegirl.com website. The single `` Breakfast Can Wait '' had cover art featuring comedian Dave Chappelle 's impersonation of the singer in a sketch on the 2000s Comedy Central series Chappelle 's Show. In February 2014, Prince performed concerts with 3rdeyegirl in London titled the Hit and Run Tour. Beginning with intimate shows, the first was held at the London home of singer Lianne La Havas, followed by two performances of what Prince described as a `` sound check '' at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, and another at Shepherds Bush Empire. On April 18, 2014, Prince released a new single entitled `` The Breakdown ''. He re-signed with his former label, Warner Bros. Records after an 18 - year split. Warner announced that Prince would release a remastered deluxe edition of his 1984 album Purple Rain in 2014 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album. In return, Warner gave Prince ownership of the master recordings of his Warner recordings. In spring 2014, he launched NPG Publishing a music company to administer his own music and that of other artists without the restrictions of mainstream record companies In May 2015, following the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent riots, Prince released a song entitled `` Baltimore '' in tribute to Gray and in support of the protesters in Baltimore. He also held a tribute concert for Gray at his Paisley Park estate called `` Dance Rally 4 Peace '' in which he encouraged fans to wear the color gray in honor of Freddie Gray. Prince 's penultimate album, Hit n Run Phase One, was first made available on September 7, 2015, on the music streaming service Tidal before being released on CD and download on September 14. His final album, Hit n Run Phase Two, was meant as a continuation of this one, and was released on Tidal for streaming and download on December 12, 2015. 2016 - present : Posthumous projects The first album released following Prince 's death was a greatest hits album, 4ever, which was released on November 22, 2016. The album contains one previously unreleased song : `` Moonbeam Levels '', recorded in 1982 during the 1999 sessions. On April 19, 2017, an EP featuring six unreleased Prince recordings, titled Deliverance, was announced, with an expected release date for later that week. The next day, Prince 's estate was granted a temporary restraining order against George Ian Boxill - an engineer who co-produced the tracks and was in possession of the master tapes - and halted the release of the EP. On February 9, 2017, Prince 's estate signed a distribution deal with Universal Music Group, which includes the post-1995 recordings on his NPG Records label and unreleased tracks from his vault. However, on June 27, Comerica ( acting on behalf of the estate ) requested that Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide cancel the estate 's deal with Universal, as UMG 's contract would interfere with a contract with Warner Music Group that Prince signed in 2014 ; WMG would lose the rights to Prince 's pre-1993 library in 2021. After Universal 's attorneys were granted access to the Warner contract, the attorneys also offered to cancel the deal. On July 13, the court voided Universal 's deal with Prince 's estate, though Universal will continue to administer Prince 's songwriting credits and create merchandise. On June 23, 2017, Purple Rain was released as a Deluxe and Deluxe Expanded edition. It is the first Prince album to be remastered and reissued. The Deluxe edition consists of two discs, the first being a remaster of the original album made in 2015 overseen by Prince himself and a bonus disc of previously unreleased songs called `` From the Vault & Previously Unreleased ''. The Deluxe Expanded edition consists of two more discs, a disc with all the single edits, maxi - single edits and b - sides from the Purple Rain era and a DVD with a concert from the Purple Rain Tour filmed in Syracuse, New York on March 30, 1985, previously released on home video in 1985. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Bilboard 200 and at No. 1 on both the Billboard R&B Albums Chart and the Billboard Vinyl Albums Chart Illness and death Following his death, fans left flowers, purple balloons, and other mementos beneath Prince 's star painted on the front of the First Avenue nightclub. Prince saw Michael T. Schulenberg, a Twin Cities specialist in family medicine, in Excelsior on April 7, 2016, and again on April 20. On April 7, Prince postponed two performances at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta from his Piano & A Microphone Tour ; the venue released a statement saying he had influenza. Prince rescheduled and performed the show on April 14, even though he still was not feeling well. While flying back to Minneapolis early the next morning, he became unresponsive, and his private jet made an emergency landing at Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, where he was hospitalized and received Narcan. Once he became conscious he left against medical advice. Representatives said he suffered from dehydration and had influenza for several weeks. Prince was seen bicycling the next day in his hometown of Chanhassen. He shopped that evening at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis for Record Store Day and made a brief appearance at an impromptu dance party at his Paisley Park recording studio complex, stating that he was feeling fine. On April 19, he attended a performance by singer Lizz Wright at the Dakota Jazz Club. On April 20, Prince 's representatives called Howard Kornfeld, a California specialist in addiction medicine and pain management, seeking medical help for Prince. Kornfeld scheduled to meet with Prince on April 22, and he contacted a local physician who cleared his schedule for a physical examination on April 21. On April 21, at 9 : 43 a.m., the Carver County Sheriff 's Office received a 9 - 1 - 1 call requesting that an ambulance be sent to Prince 's home at Paisley Park. The caller initially told the dispatcher that an unidentified person at the home was unconscious, then moments later said he was dead, and finally identified the person as Prince. The caller was Kornfeld 's son, who had flown in with buprenorphine that morning to devise a treatment plan for opioid addiction. Emergency responders found Prince unresponsive in an elevator and performed CPR, but a paramedic said he had been dead for about six hours, and they were unable to revive him. They pronounced him dead at 10 : 07 a.m., 19 minutes after their arrival. There were no signs of suicide or foul play. A press release from the Midwest Medical Examiner 's Office in Anoka County on June 2 stated that Prince had died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, at the age of 57. It is not yet known whether Prince obtained the fentanyl by a prescription or through an illicit channel. However, the question of how and from what source Prince obtained the drug which led to his demise is the subject of investigations by several law enforcement agencies. A sealed search warrant was issued for his estate, and another, unsealed, warrant was issued for the local Walgreens pharmacy. Following an autopsy, his remains were cremated. On April 26, 2016, Prince 's sister and only full sibling Tyka Nelson filed court documents in Carver County, to open a probate case, stating that no will had been found. Prince 's five half - siblings also have a claim to his estate, which sums millions of dollars and includes real estate, stocks, and cars. As of three weeks after his death, 700 people claimed to be half - siblings or descendants. Bremer Trust was given temporary control of his estate, had his vault drilled open, and was authorized to obtain a blood sample for DNA profiling. Prince 's cremated remains were placed into a custom, 3D printed urn shaped like the Paisley Park estate. The urn was placed on display in the atrium of the Paisley Park complex in October 2016. Remembrances Numerous musicians and cultural figures reacted to Prince 's death. President Barack Obama mourned him, and the United States Senate passed a resolution praising his achievements `` as a musician, composer, innovator, and cultural icon ''. Cities across the US held tributes and vigils, and lit buildings, bridges, and other venues in purple. In the first five hours after the media reported his death, `` Prince '' was the top trending term on Twitter, and Facebook had 61 million Prince - related interactions. MTV interrupted its programming to air a marathon of Prince music videos and Purple Rain. The cast of The Color Purple ended their show singing Purple Rain, led out by cast members Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo. AMC Theatres and Carmike Cinemas screened Purple Rain in select theaters over the following week. Saturday Night Live aired an episode in his honor titled `` Goodnight, Sweet Prince, '' featuring his performances from the show. Nielsen Music reported an initial sales spike of 42,000 percent. Prince 's catalog sold 4.41 million albums and songs from April 21 to 28, with five albums simultaneously in the top ten of the Billboard 200, a first in the chart 's history. At the 59th Grammy Awards, Morris Day with The Time and Bruno Mars performed a tribute to him. Artistry Music and image A costume worn by Prince and associated memorabilia, displayed at a Hard Rock Cafe in Australia The Los Angeles Times called Prince `` our first post-everything pop star, defying easy categories of race, genre and commercial appeal. '' Jon Pareles of The New York Times described him as `` a master architect of funk, rock, R&B and pop '', and highlighted his ability to defy labels. Los Angeles Times writer Randall Roberts called Prince `` among the most versatile and restlessly experimental pop artists of our time, '' writing that his `` early work connected disco and synthetic funk ( while his ) fruitful mid-period merged rock, soul, R&B and synth - pop. '' Simon Reynolds called him a `` pop polymath, flitting between funkadelia, acid rock, deep soul, schmaltz -- often within the same song ''. AllMusic wrote that, `` With each album he released, Prince showed remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures, and genres (... ) no other contemporary artist blended so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole. '' Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists, `` the most influential artists of the rock & roll era ''. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant style and showmanship. He came to be regarded as a sex symbol for his androgynous, amorphous sexuality, play with signifiers of gender, and defiance of racial stereotypes. His `` audacious, idiosyncratic '' fashion sense made use of `` ubiquitous purple, alluring makeup and frilled garments. '' His androgynous look has been compared to that of Little Richard and David Bowie. In 2016, Reynolds described it as `` Prince 's ' 80s evasion of conventional gender definitions speaks to us now in this trans - aware moment. But it also harks backwards in time to the origins of rock ' n ' roll in racial mixture and sexual blurring ''. Prince was also known for wearing high heeled shoes and boots both on and offstage. Prior to his death, Prince had needed double hip - replacement surgery since 2005. The condition was reportedly caused by repeated onstage dancing in high - heeled boots.. Prince was known for the strong female presence in his bands and his support for women in the music industry throughout his career. Slate said he worked with an `` astounding range of female stars '' and `` promised a world where men and women looked and acted like each other. '' Influences and musicianship Prince 's music synthesized a wide variety of influences, and drew inspiration from a range of musicians, including James Brown, George Clinton, Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, David Bowie, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mick Jagger, Rick James, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Curtis Mayfield, Elvis Presley, Todd Rundgren, Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, Jackie Wilson,, Chicago and Stevie Wonder. Prince has been compared with jazz great Miles Davis in regard to the artistic changes throughout his career ; Davis himself regarded Prince as an uncanny blend of Brown, Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Stone, Little Richard, Ellington, and Charlie Chaplin. Journalist Nik Cohn described him as `` rock 's greatest ever natural talent ''. His singing abilities encompassed a wide range from falsetto to baritone and rapid, seemingly effortless shifts of register. Prince was also renowned as a multi-instrumentalist. He was considered a guitar virtuoso and a master of drums, percussion, bass, keyboards, and synthesizer. On his first five albums, he played nearly all the instruments, including 27 instruments on his debut album, among them various types of bass, keyboards and synthesizers. Prince was also quick to embrace technology in his music, making pioneering use of drum machines like the Linn LM - 1 on his early ' 80s albums and employing a wide range of studio effects. The LA Times also noted his `` harnessing ( of ) new - generation synthesizer sounds in service of the groove, '' laying the foundations for post - ' 70s funk music. Prince was also known for his prolific and perfectionist tendencies, which resulted in him recording large amounts of unreleased material. Legal Issues Pseudonyms In 1993, during negotiations regarding the release of The Gold Experience, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. and Prince over the artistic and financial control of his musical output. During the lawsuit, Prince appeared in public with the word `` slave '' written on his cheek. He explained that he had changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol to emancipate himself from his contract with Warner Bros., and that he had done it out of frustration because he felt his own name now belonged to the company. Prince sometimes used pseudonyms to separate himself from the music he had written, produced, or recorded, and at one point stated that his ownership and achievement were strengthened by the act of giving away ideas. Pseudonyms he adopted, at various times, include : Jamie Starr and The Starr Company ( for the songs he wrote for The Time and many other artists from 1981 to 1984 ), Joey Coco ( for many unreleased Prince songs in the late 1980s, as well as songs written for Sheena Easton and Kenny Rogers ), Alexander Nevermind ( for writing the song `` Sugar Walls '' ( 1984 ) by Sheena Easton ), and Christopher ( used for his song writing credit of `` Manic Monday '' ( 1986 ) for the Bangles ). Copyright Issues On September 14, 2007, Prince announced that he was going to sue YouTube and eBay, because they hosted his copyrighted material, and he hired the international Internet policing company Web Sheriff. In October, Stephanie Lenz filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Publishing Group claiming that they were abusing copyright law after the music publisher had YouTube take down Lenz 's home movie in which the Prince song `` Let 's Go Crazy '' played faintly in the background. On November 5, several Prince fan sites formed `` Prince Fans United '' to fight back against legal requests which, they claim, Prince made to prevent all use of photographs, images, lyrics, album covers, and anything linked to his likeness. Prince 's lawyers claimed that this constituted copyright infringement ; the Prince Fans United said that the legal actions were `` attempts to stifle all critical commentary about Prince ''. Prince 's promoter AEG stated that the only offending items on the three fansites were live shots from Prince 's 21 nights in London at the O2 Arena earlier in the year. On November 8, Prince Fans United received a song named `` PFUnk '', providing a kind of `` unofficial answer '' to their movement. The song originally debuted on the PFU main site, was retitled `` F.U.N.K. '', and is available on the iTunes Store. On November 14, the satirical website b3ta.com pulled their `` image challenge of the week '' devoted to Prince after legal threats from the star under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ( DMCA ). At the 2008 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival ( `` Coachella Festival '' ), Prince performed a cover of Radiohead 's `` Creep '', but immediately afterward he forced YouTube and other sites to remove footage that fans had taken of the performance, despite Radiohead 's request to leave it on the website. Days later, YouTube reinstated the videos, as Radiohead said : `` it 's our song, let people hear it. '' In 2009, Prince put the video of the Coachella performance on his official website. In 2010 he declared `` the internet is completely over '', elaborating five years later that `` the internet was over for anyone who wants to get paid, tell me a musician who 's got rich off digital sales ''. In 2013, the Electronic Frontier Foundation granted to Prince the inaugural `` Raspberry Beret Lifetime Aggrievement Award '' for what they said was abuse of the DMCA takedown process. In January 2014, Prince filed a lawsuit titled Prince v. Chodera against 22 online users for direct copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation, contributory copyright infringement, and bootlegging. Several of the users were fans who had shared links to bootlegged versions of Prince concerts through social media websites like Facebook. In the same month, he dismissed the entire action without prejudice. Prince was one of a handful of musicians to consistently deny `` Weird Al '' Yankovic permission to parody his music. Personal Life Prince 's home and recording studio, Paisley Park, in Chanhassen, Minnesota Over the years Prince was romantically linked with many celebrities, including Kim Basinger, Madonna, Vanity, Sheila E., Carmen Electra, Susanna Hoffs, Anna Fantastic, Sherilyn Fenn, and Susan Moonsie of Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6. Prince was engaged to Susannah Melvoin in 1985. When he was 37, he married his 22 - year - old backup singer and dancer Mayte Garcia, on Valentine 's Day 1996. Mayte Garcia wrote in her memoir, The Most Beautiful : My Life with Prince that she was 16 when she first met Prince backstage at a concert in Germany after submitting a tape of her belly dancing. When Garcia turned 17 she moved to Prince 's home, Paisley Park and he became her legal guardian. At 19, Prince told her it was time to go on birth control and took her virginity just one week later. They had a son named Amiir Gregory Nelson on October 16, 1996 ; he was born with Pfeiffer syndrome and died a week later. In a later interview, she stated that she and Prince also lost a pregnancy early on to a miscarriage in late 1997. The couple eventually divorced in June 2000. Garcia said that all she wanted to take from the union was the urn with their son 's ashes. She eventually learned from a friend that Prince had burned everything in their son 's nursery, including the boy 's crib and the urn with his ashes. In 2001, Prince married Manuela Testolini in a private ceremony ; she filed for divorce in May 2006. Prince was an animal rights activist who followed a vegan diet for part of his life, but later described himself as vegetarian. The liner notes for his album Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic ( 1999 ) featured a message about the cruelty involved in wool production. Prince joined the Jehovah 's Witnesses in 2001, following a two - year debate with friend and fellow Jehovah 's Witness musician Larry Graham. Prince said that he did not consider it a conversion, but a `` realization ''. `` It 's like Morpheus and Neo in The Matrix '', he explained. Prince attended meetings at a local Kingdom Hall and occasionally knocked on people 's doors to discuss his faith. Prince had needed double hip - replacement surgery since 2005. A false rumor was spread by the tabloids that he would not undergo the operation because of his refusal to have blood transfusions. However, the Star Tribune reported that Larry Graham, Prince 's mentor and Bible teacher, `` denied claims that Prince could n't have hip surgery because his faith prohibited blood transfusions, '' putting the false rumor to rest, as hip surgery does not require blood transfusions. According to Morris Day, Prince in fact had the hip surgery in 2008. The condition was reportedly caused by repeated onstage dancing in high - heeled boots. Prince had been using canes as part of his outfit from the early 1990s onwards ; towards the end of his life he regularly walked with a cane in public engagements, which led to speculation that it resulted from his not having undergone the surgery. As a Jehovah 's Witness, Prince did not speak publicly about his charitable endeavors ; the extent of his activism, philanthropy, and charity was publicized posthumously. In 2001, Prince donated $12,000 anonymously to the Louisville Free Public Library system to keep the historic Western Branch Library, the first full service library for African Americans in the country, from closure. Also in 2001, he anonymously paid off the medical bills of drummer Clyde Stubblefield, who was undergoing cancer treatment. In 2015, he conceived and launched YesWeCode, paying for many hackathons outright and performing at some of them. He also helped fund Green for All. In late March 2016, Prince told an audience he was writing a memoir, tentatively titled The Beautiful Ones. Awards and nominations Main article : List of awards and nominations received by Prince Discography Main articles : Prince albums discography, Prince singles discography, The New Power Generation, and Madhouse ( band ) In his life Prince released 40 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 Album ) ( 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 ) The Chocolate Invasion ( 2004 ) The Slaughterhouse ( 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 ) Filmography Main article : Prince videography Film Year Film Role Director 1984 Purple Rain The Kid Albert Magnoli 1986 Under the Cherry Moon Christopher Tracy Prince Sign o ' the Times Himself Prince Graffiti Bridge The Kid Prince Television Year Show Role Notes Muppets Tonight Himself Episode 11 2014 New Girl Himself Episode : `` Prince '' Tours Prince Tour ( 1979 -- 80 ) Dirty Mind Tour ( 1980 -- 81 ) Controversy Tour ( 1981 -- 82 ) 1999 Tour ( 1982 -- 83 ) Purple Rain Tour ( 1984 -- 85 ) Parade Tour ( 1986 ) Sign o ' the Times Tour ( 1987 ) Lovesexy Tour ( 1988 -- 89 ) Nude Tour ( 1990 ) Diamonds and Pearls Tour ( 1992 ) Act I and II ( 1993 ) Interactive Tour ( 1994 ) The Ultimate Live Experience ( 1995 ) Gold Tour ( 1996 ) Love 4 One Another Charities Tour ( 1997 ) Jam of the Year Tour ( 1997 -- 98 ) New Power Soul Tour / Festival ( 1998 ) Hit n Run Tour ( 2000 -- 01 ) A Celebration ( 2001 ) One Nite Alone... Tour ( 2002 ) 2003 -- 2004 World Tour ( 2003 -- 04 ) Musicology Live 2004ever ( 2004 ) Per4ming Live 3121 ( 2006 -- 07 ) Earth Tour ( 2007 ) 20Ten Tour ( 2010 ) Welcome 2 ( 2010 -- 12 ) Live Out Loud Tour ( 2013 ) Hit and Run Tour ( 2014 -- 15 ) Piano & A Microphone Tour ( 2016 ) See also Book : Prince List of best - selling music artists List of best - selling music artists in the United States Unreleased Prince projects African American portal Pop music portal Guitar portal Fashion portal Minnesota portal References Jump up ^ `` BET interviews The Artist ''. Jump up ^ Misani ( April 12, 2011 ). `` Prince Brings Early Valentine 's Day Gift to NYC ''. New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved June 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Prince -- Past Grammy Awards ''. Jump up ^ `` Prince, American Music Awards ''. google.co.uk. Jump up ^ `` Golden Globe Awards ''. goldenglobes.org. Retrieved February 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Nominees & Winners for the 57th Academy Awards ''. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 9, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tavis Smiley ''. pbs.org. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Jump up ^ Pareles, Jon ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince, an Artist Who Defied Genre, Is Dead at 57 ''. The New York Times. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved April 27, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Petridis, Alexis ( November 12, 2015 ). `` Prince : ' Transcendence. That 's What You Want. When That Happens -- Oh, Boy. ' ''. The Guardian. Retrieved April 21, 2016... a man who can play pretty much any instrument he choses ( sic ), possessed of a remarkable voice that can still leap effortlessly from baritone to falsetto. Jump up ^ Keith Caulfield ; Gary Trust ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Chart Royalty : Prince 's Hot 100 & Billboard 200 Highlights ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2017. Jump up ^ Taneja, Nikhil ( December 9, 2008 ). `` Those chart busters ''. Hindustan Times. Mumbai : HT Media. OCLC 231696742. Retrieved April 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Smolenyak, Megan ( February 8, 2013 ). `` Hey, Prince, Your Roots Are Showing ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Hahn 2004. Jump up ^ Gulla 2008, p. 483. Jump up ^ Ro 2011, p. 6. Jump up ^ Lynch, Jason ( April 28, 2009 ). `` Prince Talks about His Struggle with Epilepsy ''. People. Retrieved May 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Microsoft Word - 126883449_1. docx '' ( PDF ). Mncourts.gov. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 09. Jump up ^ Nilsen 2003, p. 19. ^ Jump up to : `` Obituary : John Nelson ''. The Independent. September 1, 2001. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Jump up ^ http://purplerain120.weebly.com/biography.html Jump up ^ `` André Cymone ''. Retrieved December 11, 2010. Jump up ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/22/prince-obituary Jump up ^ Rothman, Michael ( March 4, 2015 ). `` Prince 's Bryant Junior High Basketball Photo is Amazing ''. ABC News. Retrieved May 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Tevlin, Jon ( March 13, 2004 ). `` The Quiet One : A High School Classmate Recalls the Artist as a Young Man ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved May 4, 2016. Jump up ^ Nolfi, Joey ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Jimmy Jam Remembers School Days with Prince : ' Everything was so Forward Thinking ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Kissell, Ted B. ( May 2, 2016 ). `` Prince 's first manager reflects on the music icon 's early days ''. UCLA Newsroom. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Light 2014, p. 29. Jump up ^ Norment, Lynn ( January 1997 ). `` The Artist Formerly Known as Prince ''. Ebony. p. 130. Retrieved April 21, 2016. While he retains the publishing rights to all his songs, Warner Brothers owns the master tapes to the 20 albums preceding Emancipation. Jump up ^ Uptown 2004, p. 19. Jump up ^ Hill 1989. Jump up ^ `` BMI Repertoire Search ''. Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Dirty Mind -- Prince. '' AllMusic. Retrieved January 1, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Profile for Controversy Music ''. Ascap.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Moss, Corey ( November 13, 2002 ). `` Y Kant Artists Spell ? Christina, Jimmy Jam, K - Ci Explain ''. MTV. Retrieved April 15, 2013. Jump up ^ Cashmore 1997, p. 147. Jump up ^ Draper 2011. Jump up ^ `` CNN -- World Beat Biography -- Prince -- December 20, 1999 ''. CNN. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Five History - Making MTV Music Videos ''. New York. October 9, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2015. Jump up ^ Buckley 2003, p. 819. ^ Jump up to : Weiss, Shari ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Grammys Mourn Prince -- See Statement From Grammy Awards Recording Academy ''. Gossipcop.com. Retrieved April 24, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Rhino Historic Tours : Prince Kicks Off the Purple Rain Tour ''. Rhino.com. 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Raftery, Brian ( July 2009 ). `` Purple Rain : The Oral History ''. Spin. pp. 54 -- 61. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Light 2014, p. 50. ^ Jump up to : Moskowitz 2015, pp. 483 -- 489. Jump up ^ Light 2014, p. 163. Jump up ^ `` The 57th Academy Awards : 1985 ''. Oscars.org. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. `` Consumer Price Index ( estimate ) 1800 -- ''. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum ''. Retrieved February 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain ( 1984 ) -- Box Office Mojo ''. ^ Jump up to : Wete, Brad ; Letkemann, Jessica ; Caulfield, Keith ( June 24, 2013 ). `` Prince 's 20 Biggest Billboard Hits ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Gulla 2008, p. 482. Jump up ^ Light 2014, p. 181. Jump up ^ `` 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ''. Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Cruz, Gilbert ( February 22, 2011 ). `` The All - Time 100 Albums ''. Time. Retrieved May 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Siegel, Robert. `` Tipper Gore and Family Values : NPR Music ''. NPR. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Macdonald, Cameron ( January 23, 2006 ). `` Treating Dandruff by Decapitation ''. Stylus. Jump up ^ Calia, Michael ( April 21, 2016 ). `` A Look Back at Prince in the Movies ''. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` R.I.P. Razzie `` Winner '' and Under the Cherry Moon Star Prince... '' Golden Raspberry Awards. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Corson 2016, p. 196. ^ Jump up to : Draper 2008, pp. 76 -- 78. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 80. ^ Jump up to : Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Sign ' O ' the Times ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2009. ^ Jump up to : `` Artist Chart History -- Prince ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved January 13, 2009. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 81. Jump up ^ Gregory 1995, p. 246. Jump up ^ Matos 2004, p. 57. ^ Jump up to : Draper 2008, pp. 86 -- 87. ^ Jump up to : Hahn 2004, p. 118. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 90. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 92. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 91. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, pp. 121 -- 122. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 93. Jump up ^ `` Lovesexy ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2009. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 94. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, pp. 152 -- 153. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 95. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, pp. 155 -- 156. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 96. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Batman ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2009. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, p. 157. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, p. 166. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 104. Jump up ^ `` Graffiti Bridge ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2009. Jump up ^ Draper 2008, p. 105. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, p. 177. ^ Jump up to : `` Discography ( more ) -- Prince -- Sign ' O ' the Times ''. Billboard. May 9, 1987. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Prince & The New Power Generation Discography Archived February 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine... discogs. Retrieved April 15, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Carter, Andrew ( June 23, 1999 ). `` The People Formerly Known as Fans ''. City Pages. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Chart positions for Prince ''. Retrieved May 29, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Hahn 2004, p. 187. Jump up ^ Hahn 2004, pp. 192 -- 193. Jump up ^ Lussenhop, Jessica ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Why did Prince change his name to a symbol ? ''. BBC News. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince hated contract law so much he once changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol ''. Legal Cheek. Jump up ^ Feldman, Brian ( April 21, 2016 ). `` The Legend of Prince 's Special Custom - Font Symbol Floppy Disks ''. New York. Retrieved May 5, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Coryat, Karl ( November 1999 ). `` His Highness Gets Down ''. Bass Player magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ASCAP profile for Emancipated Music ''. Ascap.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2003. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ ( ( cite web url = http://www.billboard.com/artist/304759/joan+osborne/chart archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080521101753/http://Template:Billboardurlbyname Jump up ^ `` BMI credits for `` Betcha By Golly Wow ! '' ``. Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` BMI credits for `` I Ca n't Make You Love Me '' ``. Ascap.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2003. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` BMI credits for `` La - La Means I Love You '' ``. Repertoire.bmi.com. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Prince Sign of the Times ''. Socialbilitty. May 8, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017. Jump up ^ Bugbee, Teo ( June 25, 2015 ). `` Taylor Swift Follows Prince : The Artist Who Tamed the Corporate Giant ''. The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Rys, Dan ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince and Beyonce at the 2004 Grammy Awards : The Story Behind How the Duet Came Together ''. Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Sweeting, Adam ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Prince obituary : ' the music flowed out in an unstoppable torrent ' ''. The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Ryan, Patrick ( April 21, 2016 ). `` 6 of Prince 's most legendary live performances you need to see ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Wiederhorn, Jon ( March 16, 2004 ). `` Kid Rock Makes Jokes, Prince Makes Peace At Rock Hall Ceremony ''. MTV News. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Brucculieri, Julia ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Alicia Keys ' Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Speech For Prince Perfectly Captures His Greatness ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Pareles, Jon ( March 16, 2004 ). `` Prince and Harrison Among Rock Hall of Fame Inductees ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Nekesa, Mumbi Moody ( March 16, 2004 ). `` Prince reigns at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ''. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Locker, Melissa ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Watch Prince 's Show - Stopping Guitar Solo at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ''. Time. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Greenblatt, Mike ( May 25, 2011 ). `` Jimi Hendrix : South Saturn Delta & Various Arists : Power Of Soul : A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix ''. The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Jump up ^ D'Angelo, Joe ( May 28, 2004 ). `` Billboard Sours On Prince 's Musicology Sales Experiment : Magazine changes policy on tallying albums sold with tickets ''. MTV News. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince Tops Frontmen Poll ''. Contactmusic.com. July 27, 2004. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prince Crowned ' Top Music Earner ' ''. BBC News. February 9, 2005. Retrieved May 12, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Thompson, Ahmir ( March 24, 2004 ). `` 100 Greatest Artists ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` So What the Fuss credits ''. Discog. Jump up ^ Thompson, Desire ( April 23, 2016 ). `` ' Saturday Night Live ' Announce ' Good Night Sweet Prince ' Tribute ''. Vibe. Retrieved May 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Sandoval, Greg ( November 13, 2007 ). `` Prince : The artist who formerly liked the Internet ''. CNET. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Ohlheiser, Abby ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince had a complicated relationship with the Internet ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Finn, Natalie ( July 13, 2006 ). `` Prince Site Fades to Black ''. E ! Online. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's NPG Music Club Shutting Down ''. Billboard. July 12, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Brandle, Lars ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Watch Prince Masterfully Perform ' Purple Rain ' and ' Let 's Go Crazy ' at 2006 Brit Awards ''. Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` You booty at BET awards ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. June 29, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Golden Globe Awards ''. goldenglobes.org. Jump up ^ Dave Hoekstra ( February 5, 2007 ). `` Purple Rain Turned Super ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2007. Jump up ^ `` 10 Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows ''. Billboard. January 30, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince Shows Sell Out in Minutes ''. NME. May 11, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Prince extends tour ''. Yahoo ! Music News. June 11, 2007. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ Allen, Katie ( June 29, 2007 ). `` Music industry attacks Sunday newspaper 's free Prince CD ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ DeRusha, Jason ( July 7, 2007 ). `` Prince Thrills Fans With 3 Minneapolis Shows ''. wcco.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Prince plays 3 shows in his hometown ''. USA Today. July 8, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's Manager Shortlisted For Asian Woman Of Achievement Award ''. MTV News. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Sulugiuc, Gelu ( April 28, 2008 ). `` Prince reigns at California music festival ''. Reuters. Jump up ^ `` Prince settles cancelled Dublin gig case ''. BBC News. February 26, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Pogatchnik, Shawn ( March 26, 2010 ). `` Prince ordered to pay Irish promoter $3 million ''. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Singer Prince Settles Lawsuit Over Axed Dublin Gig ''. Boston Globe. February 26, 2010. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( December 18, 2008 ). `` Prince Premieres Four New Songs On L.A. 's Indie 103 ; New Album On the Way ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2012. Jump up ^ Powers, Ann ( December 19, 2008 ). `` 103.1 debuts new Prince tracks ''. Los Angeles Times. Jump up ^ `` Tickets to Prince 's Paris Shows Sell out in 77 Minutes ''. Agence France - Presse. October 9, 2009. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Anthony, Steven ( October 26, 2009 ). `` All Day, All Night -- How I Spent My Weekend At Paisley Park ''. The Musictionary. Archived from the original on October 31, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Prince Releases Minnesota Vikings Song ''. myfox9.com. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( February 26, 2010 ). `` Prince Gives New ' Cause and Effect ' to Minnesota Public Radio ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Full List -- The 2010 TIME 100 ''. Time. April 29, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Prince Covers Ebony 's July 2010 Issue ''. Entertainment Rundown. June 7, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Prince To Be Honored By BET ''. Billboard. September 14, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2010. Jump up ^ Paine, Andre ( September 14, 2009 ). `` Prince To Release ' 20Ten ' For Free In Europe ''. Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2010. Jump up ^ Bream, Jon ( October 5, 2010 ). `` Prince postpones concert in Helsinki ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Sever, Brooke ( September 28, 2010 ). `` Kanye West and Prince join F1 line - up ''. digitalproductionme. Jump up ^ `` Official PRINCE Tour Announcement ''. Drfunkenberry.com. September 30, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2010. Jump up ^ `` New Prince Song Snippet ! ~ `` Rich Friends '' Listen Now ``. Drfunkenberry.com. October 8, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Prince Rocks Opening Night Of His ' Welcome 2 America ' Tour at the Izod ''. Drfunkenberry.com. December 16, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` PRINCE & The Revolution 's `` Purple Rain '' Get Grammy Induction + My Thoughts ``. Drfunkenberry.com. December 7, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Prince Presents Barbra Streisand With Award ; Gives Away 1.5 million To Charities ''. Drfunkenberry.com. February 12, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Exclusive ! Prince Not Happy With `` Glee '' Over Use Of `` Kiss '' ``. Drfunkenberry.com. February 12, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011. Jump up ^ Lee, Ann ( March 30, 2012 ). `` Prince to Join Morrissey and Brandon Flowers at Hop Farm Festival 2011 ''. Metro. Retrieved April 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Prince released new song `` extraloveable '' ``. Drfunkenberry.com. November 23, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bria Valente ''. Purplemusic.ch. February 23, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Prince Posts Clip for New Song ' Screwdriver ' ''. Rolling Stone. January 23, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 3rdeyegirl tour dates ''. Drfunkenberry.com. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bobby Z. Will Play `` Purple Rain '' With Prince At The Myth ! ``. Drfunkenberry.com. May 24, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prince & Kobalt Make Marketing & Distribution Deal Official ''. Drfunkenberry.com. May 20, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 3RDEYEGIRL -- PLECTRUMELECTRUM ''. New Album -- PLECTRUMELECTRUM. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Rahman, Ray ( August 19, 2013 ). `` Dave Chappelle and Prince, together at last ! ( Sort of ) ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prince to charge $10 for live shows ''. BBC News. February 5, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Bychawski, Adam ( February 13, 2014 ). `` Prince 's Band Release Live Footage of Shepherds Bush Empire Gig ''. NME. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain Deluxe Edition ''. Super Deluxe Edition. April 18, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Prince Fans Prepare for the Deluge ''. NPR. April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014. Jump up ^ `` A day with Prince at Paisley Park ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Prince records tribute to Baltimore and Freddie Gray ''. The Guardian. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince to release song dedicated to Baltimore ''. The Baltimore Sun. May 2, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Steve Forrest ; Ben Brumfield ( May 1, 2015 ). `` CNN Exclusive : Prince records ode to Baltimore after Freddie Gray protests ''. CNN. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Jess Denham ( May 1, 2015 ). `` Baltimore riots : Prince records tribute song after Freddie Gray dies in police custody ''. The Independent. London. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Alex Young ( May 4, 2015 ). `` Prince holds dance party in tribute to Freddie Gray ''. Consequence of Sound. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's Album ' HITNRUN ' no Longer a Tidal Exclusive, Technically ''. Music Times. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Derschowitz, Jessica ( December 12, 2015 ). `` Prince releases HITNRUN Phase Two on Tidal ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Billboard 200 Chart Moves : Prince 's ' 4Ever ' Marks Late Icon 's 40th Charting Album ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Minsker, Evan. `` Unreleased Prince Songs Coming on New EP, `` Deliverance '' Shared : Listen Pitchfork ``. pitchfork.com. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ Flanagan, Andrew. `` ' Deliverance ' Denied : Release Of Posthumous Prince Record Stopped By Judge ''. NPR.org. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Universal to Release Prince 's Vault Music, Post-1995 Albums ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Universal presses bid to void music deal with Prince estate ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Court Voids Universal $31 Million Deal With Prince Estate ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Prince 's ' Purple Rain ' Hits Top 5 of Billboard 200 Albums Chart After Reissue ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's ' Purple Rain ' Expanded Edition Coming June 23 with Unreleased Tracks ''. Retrieved September 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Lambert, Brian ( May 11, 2016 ). `` Minneapolis doctor who was treating Prince is identified ''. MinnPost. Retrieved May 11, 2016. Jump up ^ Radford, Chad ( April 7, 2016 ). `` Prince has postponed both of tonight 's shows ''. Creative Loafing. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Horgen, Tom ( April 16, 2016 ). `` ' All 's good ' with Prince, back in Chanhassen after emergency landing ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Music News : Prince appears at Paisley Park to assure fans he 's okay after health scare ''. April 17, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Chanen, David ( May 4, 2016 ). `` Prince died amid frantic plans for drug addiction treatment ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved May 4, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Eligon, John ; Kovaleski, Serge F. ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Clues to the Mystery of Prince 's Final Days ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016. Jump up ^ `` In Prince 's final days, video shows him on bike ''. WWLP. April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Bream, Jon ( April 17, 2016 ). `` April 17, 2016 : Prince offers a little speech and even less piano at Paisley to prove he 's fine ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Murphy, Esme ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince 's Final Moments In Minneapolis ''. WCCO. Retrieved April 21, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Eligon, John & Kovaleski, Serge F. ( May 4, 2016 ). `` Friends Sought Help for Prince 's Addiction, Lawyer Says ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2016. and Eligon, John, Kovaleski, Serge F., Coscarelli, Joe ( May 4, 2016 ). `` Prince 's Addiction and an Intervention Too Late ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2016. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Variety Staff ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince Reportedly Treated for Drug Overdose Before Death ; 911 Details Released ''. Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Chanen, David ( June 3, 2016 ). `` Prince died from accidental overdose of fentanyl, medical examiner says ''. Star Tribune. Retrieved June 2, 2016. Jump up ^ Strobl, A. Quinn, M.D. `` Press Release June 2, 2016 '' ( Press release ). Midwest Medical Examiner 's Office. Retrieved June 2, 2016. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ Coscarelli, Joe ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince Is Dead at 57 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Wilber, Del Quentin ; Ng, David ( June 3, 2016 ). `` Prince overdose : Authorities looking into how pop star obtained fentanyl ''. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles : Davan Maharaj. Retrieved August 11, 2016. Jump up ^ Date, Jack ( April 28, 2016 ). `` Search Warrant Issued for Prince 's Paisley Park Estate ''. ABC News. Retrieved April 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Dillon, Nancy ( April 29, 2016 ). `` Authorities raid Minnesota Walgreens where Prince reportedly picked up prescriptions for heavy - duty medications ''. Daily News. New York. Retrieved April 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Grinberg, Emanuella ( April 24, 2016 ). `` Prince death : What we know ''. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. CNN. Retrieved April 24, 2016. Jump up ^ France, Lisa Respers ( April 26, 2016 ). `` Prince had no will, says his sister ''. CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ State of Minnesota State of Prince Jump up ^ Merriman, Rebecca ( May 7, 2016 ). `` 700 people claim to be Prince 's half - siblings as judge orders DNA tests to find legitimate heirs ''. Mirror. MGN Ltd. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's Vault Reportedly Drilled Open ''. ABC News. April 29, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Puente, Maria ( May 6, 2016 ). `` Genetic testing ordered on Prince 's blood to handle ' parentage ' claims ''. USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Lozano, Kevin. `` Prince 's Remains on Display at Paisley Park in an Urn Shaped Like Paisley Park Pitchfork ''. pitchfork.com. Retrieved October 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Martinelli, Marissa ( October 11, 2016 ). `` Prince 's Ashes Are Now on Display at Paisley Park in an Appropriately Regal Urn ''. Slate. Retrieved October 24, 2016. Jump up ^ Bueno, Antoinette ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Celebs React to Prince 's Death : Read Touching Tributes From Carmen Electra, Katy Perry, Madonna and More ''. Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince dead at 57, artists pay tribute ''. Fact. April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Jaffe, Greg ( April 22, 2016 ). `` How did President Obama mourn Prince 's death ? ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Carney, Jordain ( April 28, 2016 ). `` Senate passes resolution honoring Prince ''. The Hill. Retrieved April 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Parties, vigils, other tributes to Prince in many cities ''. CBS News. Associated Press. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Purple Rain : Cities Across the Country Light Up in Memory of Prince ''. KTLA. April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Boston Honors Prince By Lighting Zakim Bridge, South Station Purple ''. WBZ - TV. April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Tennery, Amy ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Social media explodes as Prince tributes mark death of music icon ''. Reuters. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Schwindt, Oriana. `` ' Purple Rain ' Is Not On Netflix, But It Will Air On MTV Thursday Night As Part Of Its Prince Takeover ''. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Solis, Steph. `` Where to watch ' Purple Rain ' this weekend ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Russell, Erica. `` Goodnight, Sweet Prince : ' SNL ' to Honor Music Icon With Special Tribute ''. PopCrush. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Brown, August ( April 25, 2016 ). `` Prince album sales skyrocket after death ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2016. Jump up ^ Caulfield, Keith ( May 3, 2016 ). `` Prince Sets Record With Five Albums in Top 10 of Billboard 200 Chart ''. Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Ahern, Sarah. `` Bruno Mars Channels Prince in Rousing Grammys Tribute ''. Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Brown, August ; Rottenberg, Josh ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince, master of rock, soul, pop and funk, dies at 57 ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Pareles, Jon ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince, an Artist Who Defied Genre, Is Dead at 57 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Roberts, Randall ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince 's secret weapon : a versatility that united pop genres under one roof ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Jump up ^ Reynolds 1990, p. 49 -- 55. Jump up ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. `` Prince Biography ''. AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Vivinetto, Gina ( April 29, 2004 ). `` Floridian : Prince and the Evolution ''. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 26, 2012. Jump up ^ Rosenberg, Alyssa ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Mourning Prince and David Bowie, who showed there 's no one right way to be a man ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Wilson, Carl ( April 22, 2016 ). `` The Purple One 151 53 Black or white, straight or gay, rock or R&B, male or female -- Prince transcended every category ''. Slate. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Thrasher, Steven ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Prince broke all the rules about what black American men should be ''. The Guardian. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Hudak, Joseph. `` Little Richard -- 100 Greatest Singers ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 17, 2015. Jump up ^ White 2003, pp. 125 -- 126. ^ Jump up to : Cole 2005, p. 226. Jump up ^ Reynolds, Simon ( April 22, 2016 ). `` How Prince 's Androgynous Genius Changed the Way We Think About Music and Gender ''. pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017 - 04 - 23. Jump up ^ Forder, Rachel ( October 19, 2005 ). `` When Hip Gives Way to Hip Replacement ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Prince Spent His Life Elevating and Mentoring Women ''. The Muse. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Doris, Jesse ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Prince Was One of Pop Music 's Greatest Champions of Women ''. Slate. Retrieved April 23, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Touré 2013, pp. 5 -- 6. ^ Jump up to : Lavezzoli 2001, p. 87 : `` Prince has acknowledged George ( Clinton ) 's influence, as well as that of James Brown and Sly Stone. '' Jump up ^ Gulla 2008, p. 494 : `` Prince had always been influenced by the bandleading style of James Brown, (... ) '' ^ Jump up to : Lavezzoli 2001, p. 88. Jump up ^ Gonzales, Michael A. ( April 1996 ). `` Mighty Mighty ''. Vibe. p. 81. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Mayfield -- whose massive body of work has influenced everyone from Lenny Kravitz, Prince, and Vernon Reid to countless other soul singers, new jack producers, and hip hop heads -- will never play the guitar again. Jump up ^ Lester, Paul ; Hot Chip ( July 25, 2008 ). `` That 's one potent hot toddy ''. The Guardian. Retrieved April 22, 2016. He ( Todd Rundgren ) was a hero to the young Prince, who would try to get backstage to meet the gangly whizzkid multi-instrumentalist with the long, rainbow - coloured hair ; (... ) Jump up ^ Gulla 2008, p. 418. ^ Jump up to : Ro 2011, p. 9. Jump up ^ Perone 2006, p. xii. Jump up ^ Getz, Dana ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Stevie Wonder reflects on Prince : ' It 's a heartbreak to lose a member of that army of love ' ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Seymour, Gene ( April 21, 2016 ). `` A Prince We Followed Anywhere ''. CNN. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Remnick, Dave ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince Live ''. The New Yorker. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Werner 2006, p. 277. Jump up ^ Cohn, Nik ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince, the godfather of R&B, had his fingerprints everywhere ''. GQ. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Lavezzoli 2001, p. 92. Jump up ^ Touré 2013, p. 3. Jump up ^ Ilahe, Ezadi ; et al. ( April 21, 2016 ). `` ' The World Lost a Creative Icon ' : Prince, Legendary Musician, Dies at 57 ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Hawkins & Niblock 2012 : `` Evidence of Prince 's desire to control everything was blatantly apparent in the presentation of the credits on the album 's sleeve : produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and a listing of the 27 instruments he played. '' Jump up ^ `` Prince -- For You ''. discogs. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Lynn, Samara. `` Prince Understood the Value of Technology for Music Early On ''. Black Enterprise. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Wilson, Scott. `` The 14 drum machines that shaped modern music ''. Fact. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Rys, Dan ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince Dies at 57 : Iconic Musical Genius Found Dead in Paisley Park ''. Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Davis, Lisa Kay ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince Fought Big Labels For Ownership, Artistic Control ''. NBC News. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Heatley 2008, p. 191. Jump up ^ `` Pop Cult ''. Jump up ^ `` Songs credited to Jamie Starr ''. discogs. Retrieved May 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Songs credited to The Starr Company ''. discogs. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Songs credited to Joey Coco ''. discogs. Retrieved May 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Songs credited to Alexander Nevermind ''. discogs. Retrieved May 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Songs credited to Christopher ''. discogs. Retrieved May 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Prince To Sue YouTube, eBay Over Unauthorized Content ''. Billboard. September 14, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Hamilton, Fiona ( September 13, 2007 ). `` Prince takes on YouTube over clips ''. The Times. London. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Francescani, Chris ( October 26, 2007 ). `` The Home Video Prince Does n't Want You to See ''. ABC News. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Lenz, Stephanie ( February 7, 2007 ). `` Let 's Go Crazy '' # 1. Retrieved March 30, 2016. Jump up ^ Gibson, Owen ( November 7, 2007 ). `` Prince threatens to sue his fans over online images ''. The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Prince ' not suing fans ' : Singer hits back at fansite claims ''. NME. November 9, 2007. Jump up ^ Kreps, Daniel ( November 9, 2007 ). `` Prince Releases Diss Track As Battle With Fans Gets Funky ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ Kiss, Jemima ( November 15, 2007 ). `` B3ta bates Prince ''. The Guardian. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince Is Being A `` Creep, '' Radiohead Tell Him He 's A Loser ``. StereoGum. May 30, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Raspberry Beret Lifetime Aggrievement Award ''. Eff.org. May 7, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prince Inducted Into Takedown Hall of Shame With New Lifetime Aggrievement Award Electronic Frontier Foundation ''. Eff.org. May 7, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Prince v. Chodera ''. Scribd.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Rothman, Lily ( January 27, 2014 ). `` Prince Files Lawsuit Against Facebook Fans Over Bootlegged Concerts ''. Time. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Michaels, Sean ( January 27, 2014 ). `` Prince sues internet users for total of $22 m over alleged bootleg recordings ''. The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Prince v. Chodera -- Voluntary Dismissal Without Prejudice ''. Scribd.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Alpocalypse Now : ' Weird Al ' Yankovic Says ' Twitter Saved My Album ' ''. WIRED. Retrieved May 1, 2016. Jump up ^ Daly, Steven ( December 1990 ). `` Sherilyn Fenn -- Is she the sexiest woman on television ? ''. The Face. Jump up ^ Nilsen 2003, p. 125. Jump up ^ Elan, Priya ( September 20, 2008 ). `` Purple Reign ''. The Guardian. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince wooed ex-wife at 16, became her guardian and had sex at 19 ''. Mail Online. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ Kennedy, Dana ; Sinclair, Tom ( December 20, 1996 ). `` Prince 's Saddest Song ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince 's ex Manuela Testolini honours late singer in purple jacket ''. Mail Online. May 19, 2006. Retrieved May 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince burned everything in his son 's nursery including the crib ''. Mail Online. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 02. Jump up ^ Levy, Daniel S. ( July 27, 2006 ). `` Prince 's Wife, Manuela ( Partner of five years ), Filed for Divorce ''. People. Retrieved May 4, 2016. Jump up ^ Catherine Censor Shemo ( October 1997 ). `` A Prince of a Guy ''. Vegetarian Times. pp. 79 -- 83. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Prince at Lopez Tonight. April 15, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2016 -- via YouTube. Jump up ^ Saelinger, Tracy ( April 22, 2016 ). `` Off stage, Prince was a passionate and quirky food lover, too ''. Today. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Faber, Judy ( May 22, 2006 ). `` Prince Is Voted ' Sexiest Vegetarian ' ''. CBS News. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Pollard - Post, Lindsay ( April 21, 2016 ). `` The Animal Kingdom Has Lost Its Prince ''. PETA. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Koh, Elizabeth ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Six things about Prince you forgot or never knew ''. The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 21, 2016. Jump up ^ Hoffman, Claire ( November 24, 2008 ). `` Soup With Prince ''. The New Yorker. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Hagerty, James R. ; Audi, Tamara ( April 24, 2016 ). `` Prince 's Little - Known Life ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Michaels, Sean ( June 11, 2009 ). `` Prince refuses hip surgery because of his faith ''. The Guardian. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Hopfensperger, Jean ( May 4, 2016 ). `` ' We lost a spiritual brother ' in Prince ''. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. Retrieved June 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Harwin, Steven F., MD ; Pivec, Robert, MD ; Johnson, Aaron J., MD ; Naziri, Qais, MD ; Mont, Michael A., MD ( August 1, 2012 ). `` Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty in Jehovah 's Witnesses ''. Orthopedics. Healio. 35 ( 8 ) : e1145 -- e1151. doi : 10.3928 / 01477447 - 20120725 - 11. Retrieved June 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Wittman, P.H. ; Wittman, F.W. ( 1992 ). `` Total Hip Replacement Surgery without Blood Transfusion in Jehovah 's Witnesses '' ( PDF ). British Journal of Anaesthesia. Oxford University Press. 68 : 306 -- 30. doi : 10.1093 / bja / 68.3. 306. Retrieved June 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Bonnett, C.A. ; Lapin, R. ; Docuyanan, G.B. ( January 16, 1987 ). `` Total hip replacement in Jehovah 's Witnesses under spinal anesthesia without transfusion ''. Orthopedic Review. MEDLINE. 16 ( 1 ) : 43 -- 47. PMID 3453957. Jump up ^ wilkins, sara ( April 23, 2016 ). `` Jimmy Jam Opens Up About Prince 's Hip Issues ''. Your Daily Dish. Retrieved June 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Forder, Rachel ( October 19, 2005 ). `` When Hip Gives Way to Hip Replacement ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Prince death : Five strange stories about mysterious US musician ''. BBC News. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Einenkel, Walter ( April 23, 2016 ). `` The breadth and power of Prince 's activism begins to be revealed after his death ''. Daily Kos. Retrieved April 23, 2016. Jump up ^ Chipman, Melissa ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince made secret donation to support Louisville 's historic Western Branch Library in 2001 ''. Insider Louisville. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Melendez, Monique ( April 27, 2016 ). `` Prince Paid Off ' Funky Drummer ' Clyde Stubblefield 's Medical Bills ''. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016. Jump up ^ Guynn, Jessica ( April 21, 2016 ). `` Prince remembered as innovator, advocate for Black youth ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Coscarelli, Joe ( March 19, 2016 ). `` Prince Announces Coming Memoir at Performance ''. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Sources Austen, Jake ( 2005 ). TV - a-Go - Go : Rock on TV From American Bandstand to American Idol. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1556525729. Bream, Jon ( 1984 ). Prince : Inside the Purple Reign. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780020604105. Buckley, Peter ( 2003 ). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides Ltd. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84353 - 105 - 0. Cashmore, Ellis ( 1997 ). The Black Culture Industry. London : Routledge. ISBN 978 - 0415120821. Cole, George ( 2005 ). The Last Miles : The Music of Miles Davis, 1980 -- 1991. Ann Arbor, Michigan : University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978 - 0472032600. Corson, Keith ( 2016 ). Trying to Get Over : African American Directors after Blaxploitation, 1977 - 1986. Austin, Texas : University of Texas Press. ISBN 978 - 1477309087. Draper, Jason ( 2011 ). Prince : Chaos, Disorder, and Revolution. Milwaukee, Wisconsin : Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879309619. Draper, Jason ( 2008 ). Prince : Life & Times. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 906002 - 18 - 3. Gregory, Hugh ( 1995 ). Soul Music A -- Z. Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780306806438. Gulla, Bob ( 2008 ). Icons of R&B and Soul : An Encyclopedia of the Artists who Revolutionized Rhythm. 2. Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 0 - 313 - 34046 - 3. Hahn, Alex ( 2004 ). Possessed : The Rise And Fall Of Prince. Billboard Books. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7749 - 7. Hawkins, Stan ; Niblock, Sarah ( 2012 ). Prince : The Making of a Pop Music Phenomenon. Abingdon - on - Thames, UK : Routledge. ISBN 9780754668763. Heatley, Michael ( 2008 ). Where Were You... When the Music Played ? 120 Unforgettable Moments in Music History. Penguin Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7621 - 0988 - 3. Hill, Dave ( 1989 ). Prince : A Pop Life. Harmony Books. ISBN 9780517572825. Lavezzoli, Peter ( 2001 ). The King of All, Sir Duke : Ellington and the Artistic Revolution. New York : Continuum. ISBN 978 - 0826414045. Light, Alan ( 2014 ). Let 's Go Crazy : Prince and the Making of Purple Rain ( 2015 reprint ed. ). Atria Books. ISBN 978 - 1476776750. Matos, Michelangelo ( 2004 ). Prince 's Sign O ' the Times. 33 1 / 3. New York : Continuum. ISBN 9781441141767. Moskowitz, David V. ( 2015 ). `` Prince and the Revolution ( 1979 -- 1986 ) ''. In Moskowitz, David V. The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time : A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World. 2. Santa Barbara, California : Greenwood Press. ISBN 978 - 1440803390. Nilsen, Per ( 2003 ). Dance Music Sex Romance : Prince : The First Decade. SAF. ISBN 0 - 946719 - 64 - 0. Perone, James E. ( 2006 ). The Sound of Stevie Wonder : His Words and Music. Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0 - 275 - 98723 - X. Reynolds, Simon ( 1990 ). Blissed Out : The Raptures of Rock. Serpent 's Tail. ISBN 1 - 85242 - 199 - 1. Ro, Ronin ( 2011 ). Prince : Inside the Music and the Masks. St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 312 - 38300 - 8. Touré ( 2013 ). I Would Die 4 U : Why Prince Became an Icon. New York : Atria Books. ISBN 978 - 1476705491. Uptown ( 2004 ). The Vault -- The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince. Nilsen Publishing. ISBN 91 - 631 - 5482 - X. Werner, Craig ( 2006 ). A Change is Gonna Come : Music, Race & the Soul of America. Ann Arbor, Michigan : University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0 - 472 - 03147 - 3. White, Charles ( 2003 ). The Life and Times of Little Richard : The Authorized Press. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80552 - 9. Further reading Jones, Liz ( 1998 ). Purple Reign : The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. Birch Lane Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55972 - 448 - 7. Ro, Ronin ( 2016 ). Prince : Inside the Music and the Masks. St. Martin 's Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 250 - 12754 - 9. Wall, Mick ( 2016 ). Prince : Purple Reign. Trapeze. ISBN 978 - 1 - 409 - 16920 - 8. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prince. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Prince ( musician ) Prince at Encyclopædia Britannica Prince on IMDb Prince at the TCM Movie Database Prince at Find a Grave Prince at AllMusic Prince at Billboard.com Performance at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at his induction in 2004 Preceded by Funky 4 + 1 More Saturday Night Live musical guest ( with Todd Rundgren ) February 21, 1981 Succeeded by Delbert McClinton Preceded by The Strokes Saturday Night Live musical guest February 4, 2006 Succeeded by Fall Out Boy Preceded by Iggy Azalea Saturday Night Live musical guest November 1, 2014 Succeeded by Kendrick Lamar Prince Discography Albums Singles Videography Unreleased projects Awards and nominations Associates Concert tours Prince Tour Dirty Mind Tour Controversy Tour 1999 Tour Purple Rain Tour Parade Tour Sign o ' the Times Tour Lovesexy Tour Nude Tour Diamonds and Pearls Tour Act I and II Interactive Tour The Ultimate Live Experience Love 4 One Another Charities Tour Jam of the Year Tour New Power Soul Tour Hit n Run Tour A Celebration One Nite Alone... Tour World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Per4ming Live 3121 21 Nights in London : The Earth Tour 20Ten Tour Welcome 2 Live Out Loud Tour Hit n Run Tour Piano & A Microphone Tour Filmography Purple Rain Under the Cherry Moon Sign o ' the Times Graffiti Bridge Videography Prince and the Revolution : Live Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection The Hits Collection 3 Chains o ' Gold Rave Un2 the Year 2000 Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas Video games Prince Interactive Stage productions Glam Slam Ulysses Billboards Associated companies Paisley Park Records NPG Records Related articles The Revolution The New Power Generation 3rdeyegirl The Time Vanity 6 Apollonia 6 The Family Madhouse Mazarati John L. Nelson Mayte Garcia Manuela Testolini NPG Music Club Minneapolis sound Purplish Rain Book : Prince Prince albums Studio albums 1970s For You Prince 1980s Dirty Mind Controversy 1999 Purple Rain Around the World in a Day Parade Sign o ' the Times Lovesexy Batman 1990s Graffiti Bridge Diamonds and Pearls Love Symbol Album Come The Black Album The Gold Experience Chaos and Disorder Emancipation Crystal Ball The Truth The Vault : Old Friends 4 Sale Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic 2000s The Rainbow Children One Nite Alone... Xpectation N E W S Musicology The Chocolate Invasion The Slaughterhouse 3121 Planet Earth Lotusflow3r MPLSound 2010s 20Ten Plectrumelectrum Art Official Age Hit n Run Phase One Hit n Run Phase Two Live albums One Nite Alone... Live ! One Nite Alone... The Aftershow : It Ai n't Over ! C - Note Indigo Nights Remix albums Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic Compilation albums The Hits 1 The Hits 2 The Hits / The B - Sides Girl 6 The Very Best of Prince Ultimate Prince 4Ever The NPG albums Goldnigga Exodus Newpower Soul The NPG Orchestra albums Kamasutra Madhouse albums 8 16 Prince singles 1970s `` Soft and Wet '' `` Just as Long as We 're Together '' `` I Wanna Be Your Lover '' 1980s `` Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad ? '' `` Still Waiting '' `` Sexy Dancer '' `` Bambi '' `` Uptown '' `` Dirty Mind '' `` Do It All Night '' `` Controversy '' `` Let 's Work '' `` Do Me, Baby '' `` Sexuality '' `` 1999 '' `` Little Red Corvette '' `` D.M.S.R. '' `` Delirious '' `` Automatic '' `` Let 's Pretend We 're Married '' `` When Doves Cry '' `` Let 's Go Crazy '' `` Purple Rain '' `` I Would Die 4 U '' `` Take Me with U '' `` Paisley Park '' `` Raspberry Beret '' `` Pop Life '' `` America '' `` Kiss '' `` Mountains '' `` Anotherloverholenyohead '' `` Girls & Boys '' `` Sign `` O '' the Times '' `` If I Was Your Girlfriend '' `` U Got the Look '' `` I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man '' `` Alphabet St. '' `` Glam Slam '' `` I Wish U Heaven '' `` Batdance '' `` Partyman '' `` The Arms of Orion '' `` Scandalous ! '' 1990s `` The Future '' `` Thieves in the Temple '' `` New Power Generation '' `` Gett Off '' `` Cream '' `` Diamonds and Pearls '' `` Money Do n't Matter 2 Night '' `` Insatiable '' `` Thunder '' `` Sexy MF '' `` My Name Is Prince '' `` 7 '' `` Damn U '' `` The Morning Papers '' `` Pink Cashmere '' `` Nothing Compares 2 U '' `` Peach '' `` Pope '' ( remix ) `` Come '' `` Letitgo '' `` Space '' `` The Most Beautiful Girl in the World '' `` P Control '' `` Dolphin '' `` Endorphinmachine '' `` I Hate U '' `` Gold '' `` Dinner with Delores '' `` Betcha by Golly Wow ! '' `` The Holy River '' `` Somebody 's Somebody '' `` Face Down '' `` The Truth '' `` Extraordinary '' `` The Greatest Romance Ever Sold '' 2000s `` U Make My Sun Shine '' ( with Angie Stone ) `` When Will We B Paid ? '' ( with Audio Stepchild ) `` Supercute '' `` The Work, pt. 1 '' `` Days of Wild '' `` Musicology '' `` Cinnamon Girl '' `` Controversy ( Live in Hawaii ) '' `` S.S.T. '' `` Te Amo Corazón '' `` Black Sweat '' `` Fury '' `` Guitar '' `` F.U.N.K. '' `` Dance 4 Me '' 2010s `` Extraloveable '' `` Rock and Roll Love Affair '' `` Screwdriver '' `` Fixurlifeup '' `` Breakfast Can Wait '' `` Pretzelbodylogic '' `` Fallinlove2nite '' `` Breakdown '' `` Clouds '' `` Baltimore '' `` Hardrocklover '' `` This Could B Us '' `` Free Urself '' Promotional singles `` When You Were Mine '' `` D.M.S.R. '' `` Another Lonely Christmas '' `` Erotic City '' `` Hot Thing '' `` Trust '' `` Willing and Able '' `` Nothing Compares 2 U '' `` Pope '' `` Love Sign '' ( with Nona Gaye ) `` Come '' `` P. Control '' `` Dolphin '' `` Endorphinmachine '' `` Slave '' `` Somebody 's Somebody '' `` Face Down '' `` The Rest of My Life '' `` 5 Women '' `` It 's About That Walk '' `` Baby Knows '' `` Man'O'War '' `` She Loves Me 4 Me '' `` Last December '' `` One Nite Alone... Live EP '' `` Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas '' `` Call My Name '' `` The Song of the Heart '' `` Beautiful, Loved & Blessed '' ( with Tamar Davis ) `` Chelsea Rodgers '' `` Future Baby Mama '' `` The One U Wanna C '' `` U 're Gonna C Me '' Airplay - only songs `` International Lover '' `` Shhh '' `` Satisfied '' `` Better with Time '' Internet downloads `` One Song '' `` Cybersingle '' `` Bataclan '' `` Glass Cutter '' `` Live from Paisley Park '' `` Strange Relationship '' ( Live in Minneapolis ) `` Guitar ( original `` demo '' version ) '' `` Love '' ( acoustic version ) `` Rock and Roll Love Affair '' ( Remix 7 ) `` Screwdriver '' ( Remix ) `` Boyfriend '' ( Demo ) `` That Girl Thang '' `` Live Out Loud '' `` Ai n't Gonna Miss U When U 're Gone '' `` Extraloveable Reloaded '' `` Menstrual Cycle '' `` Octopus Heart '' `` Groovy Potential '' `` The Sweeter She Is '' `` Something in the Water '' ( Paisley Park Rehearsal ) `` Da Bourgeoisie '' `` What If '' `` The X 's Face '' Streams `` U 're Still the One '' `` Xylophone '' `` In a Large Room with No Light '' `` Purple and Gold '' `` Cause and Effect '' `` Hot Summer '' `` Rich Friends '' `` Same Page Different Book '' `` Stare '' EPs The Beautiful Experience 1999 : The New Master Other songs `` I Feel for You '' `` When You Were Mine '' `` Private Joy '' `` How Come U Do n't Call Me Anymore ? '' `` 17 Days '' `` The Beautiful Ones '' `` Computer Blue '' `` Darling Nikki '' `` Baby I 'm a Star '' `` 4 the Tears in Your Eyes '' `` Sometimes It Snows in April '' `` Adore '' `` Do n't Talk 2 Strangers '' `` I Ca n't Make U Love Me '' `` La, La, La Means I Love U '' `` One of Us '' `` Everyday Is a Winding Road '' `` A Case of U '' Academy Award for Best Original Score 1930s Louis Silvers ( 1934 ) Max Steiner ( 1935 ) Leo F. Forbstein ( 1936 ) Charles Previn ( 1937 ) Erich Wolfgang Korngold / Alfred Newman ( 1938 ) Herbert Stothart / Richard Hageman, W. Franke Harling, John Leipold, Leo Shuken ( 1939 ) 1940s Leigh Harline, Paul J. Smith, Ned Washington / Alfred Newman ( 1940 ) Bernard Herrmann / Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace ( 1941 ) Max Steiner / Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld ( 1942 ) Alfred Newman / Ray Heindorf ( 1943 ) Max Steiner / Morris Stoloff and Carmen Dragon ( 1944 ) Miklós Rózsa / Georgie Stoll ( 1945 ) Hugo Friedhofer / Morris Stoloff ( 1946 ) Miklós Rózsa / Alfred Newman ( 1947 ) Brian Easdale / Johnny Green and Roger Edens ( 1948 ) Aaron Copland / Roger Edens and Lennie Hayton ( 1949 ) 1950s Franz Waxman / Adolph Deutsch and Roger Edens ( 1950 ) Franz Waxman / Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin ( 1951 ) Dimitri Tiomkin / Alfred Newman ( 1952 ) Bronisław Kaper / Alfred Newman ( 1953 ) Dimitri Tiomkin / Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin ( 1954 ) Alfred Newman / Robert Russell Bennett, Jay Blackton and Adolph Deutsch ( 1955 ) Victor Young / Alfred Newman and Ken Darby ( 1956 ) Malcolm Arnold ( 1957 ) Dimitri Tiomkin / Andre Previn ( 1958 ) Miklós Rózsa / Andre Previn and Ken Darby ( 1959 ) 1960s Ernest Gold / Morris Stoloff and Harry Sukman ( 1960 ) Henry Mancini / Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal ( 1961 ) Maurice Jarre / Ray Heindorf ( 1962 ) John Addison / Andre Previn ( 1963 ) Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman / Andre Previn ( 1964 ) Maurice Jarre / Irwin Kostal ( 1965 ) John Barry / Ken Thorne ( 1966 ) Elmer Bernstein / Alfred Newman and Ken Darby ( 1967 ) John Barry / Johnny Green ( 1968 ) Burt Bacharach / Lennie Hayton and Lionel Newman ( 1969 ) 1970s Francis Lai / The Beatles ( John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr ) ( 1970 ) Michel Legrand / John Williams ( 1971 ) Charlie Chaplin, Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell / Ralph Burns ( 1972 ) Marvin Hamlisch / Marvin Hamlisch ( 1973 ) Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola / Nelson Riddle ( 1974 ) John Williams / Leonard Rosenman ( 1975 ) Jerry Goldsmith / Leonard Rosenman ( 1976 ) John Williams / Jonathan Tunick ( 1977 ) Giorgio Moroder / Joe Renzetti ( 1978 ) Georges Delerue / Ralph Burns ( 1979 ) 1980s Michael Gore ( 1980 ) Vangelis ( 1981 ) John Williams / Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse ( 1982 ) Bill Conti / Michel Legrand, Alan and Marilyn Bergman ( 1983 ) Maurice Jarre / Prince ( 1984 ) John Barry ( 1985 ) Herbie Hancock ( 1986 ) Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne and Cong Su ( 1987 ) Dave Grusin ( 1988 ) Alan Menken ( 1989 ) 1990s John Barry ( 1990 ) Alan Menken ( 1991 ) Alan Menken ( 1992 ) John Williams ( 1993 ) Hans Zimmer ( 1994 ) Luis Enríquez Bacalov / Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz ( 1995 ) Gabriel Yared / Rachel Portman ( 1996 ) James Horner / Anne Dudley ( 1997 ) Nicola Piovani / Stephen Warbeck ( 1998 ) John Corigliano ( 1999 ) 2000s Tan Dun ( 2000 ) Howard Shore ( 2001 ) Elliot Goldenthal ( 2002 ) Howard Shore ( 2003 ) Jan A.P. Kaczmarek ( 2004 ) Gustavo Santaolalla ( 2005 ) Gustavo Santaolalla ( 2006 ) Dario Marianelli ( 2007 ) A.R. Rahman ( 2008 ) Michael Giacchino ( 2009 ) 2010s Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross ( 2010 ) Ludovic Bource ( 2011 ) Mychael Danna ( 2012 ) Steven Price ( 2013 ) Alexandre Desplat ( 2014 ) Ennio Morricone ( 2015 ) Justin Hurwitz ( 2016 ) Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song 1960s `` Town Without Pity '' Lyrics by Ned Washington, Music by Dimitri Tiomkin ( 1961 ) `` Circus World '' Lyrics by Ned Washington, Music by Dimitri Tiomkin ( 1964 ) `` Forget Domani '' Lyrics by Norman Newell, Music by Riz Ortolani ( 1965 ) `` Strangers in the Night '' Lyrics by Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder, Music by Bert Kaempfert ( 1966 ) `` If Ever I Would Leave You '' Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe ( 1967 ) `` The Windmills of Your Mind '' Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Music by Michel Legrand ( 1968 ) `` Jean '' Music & Lyrics by Rod McKuen ( 1969 ) 1970s `` Whistling Away the Dark '' Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Music by Henry Mancini ( 1970 ) `` Life Is What You Make It '' Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Music by Marvin Hamlisch ( 1971 ) `` Ben '' Lyrics by Don Black, Music by Walter Scharf ( 1972 ) `` The Way We Were '' Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Music by Marvin Hamlisch ( 1973 ) `` I Feel Love '' Lyrics by Betty Box, Music by Euel Box ( 1974 ) `` I 'm Easy '' Music & Lyrics by Keith Carradine ( 1975 ) `` Evergreen '' Lyrics by Paul Williams, Music by Barbra Streisand ( 1976 ) `` You Light Up My Life '' Music & Lyrics by Joseph Brooks ( 1977 ) `` Last Dance '' Music & Lyrics by Paul Jabara ( 1978 ) `` The Rose '' Music & Lyrics by Amanda McBroom ( 1979 ) 1980s `` Fame '' Lyrics by Dean Pitchford, Music by Michael Gore ( 1980 ) `` Arthur 's Theme ( Best That You Can Do ) '' Music & Lyrics by Peter Allen, Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, & Carole Bayer Sager ( 1981 ) `` Up Where We Belong '' Lyrics by Wilbur Jennings, Music by Jack Nitzsche & Buffy Sainte - Marie ( 1982 ) `` Flashdance... What a Feeling '' Lyrics by Irene Cara, Keith Forsey, Music by Giorgio Moroder ( 1983 ) `` I Just Called to Say I Love You '' Music & Lyrics by Stevie Wonder ( 1984 ) `` Say You, Say Me '' Music & Lyrics by Lionel Richie ( 1985 ) `` Take My Breath Away '' Lyrics by Tom Whitlock, Music by Giorgio Moroder ( 1986 ) `` ( I 've Had ) The Time of My Life '' Lyrics by Franke Previte, Music by John DeNicola & Donald Markowitz ( 1987 ) `` Let the River Run '' Music & Lyrics by Carly Simon / `` Two Hearts '' Lyrics by Phil Collins, Music by Lamont Dozier ( 1988 ) `` Under the Sea '' Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken ( 1989 ) 1990s `` Blaze of Glory '' Music & Lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi ( 1990 ) `` Beauty and the Beast '' Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken ( 1991 ) `` A Whole New World '' Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Alan Menken ( 1992 ) `` Streets of Philadelphia '' Music & Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen ( 1993 ) `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Elton John ( 1994 ) `` Colors of the Wind '' Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, Music by Alan Menken ( 1995 ) `` You Must Love Me '' Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber ( 1996 ) `` My Heart Will Go On '' Lyrics by Wilbur Jennings, Music by James Horner ( 1997 ) `` The Prayer '' Music & Lyrics by David Foster, Tony Renis, Carole Bayer Sager, Alberto Testa ( 1998 ) `` You 'll Be in My Heart '' Music & Lyrics by Phil Collins ( 1999 ) 2000s `` Things Have Changed '' Music and lyrics by Bob Dylan ( 2000 ) `` Until... '' Music and lyrics by Sting ( 2001 ) `` The Hands That Built America '' Music and lyrics by Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge & Larry Mullen Jr. ( 2002 ) `` Into the West '' Music and lyrics by Annie Lennox, Howard Shore & Frances Walsh ( 2003 ) `` Old Habits Die Hard '' Music and lyrics by Mick Jagger & David A. Stewart ( 2004 ) `` A Love That Will Never Grow Old '' Lyrics by Bernie Taupin, Music by Gustavo Santaolalla ( 2005 ) `` The Song of the Heart '' Music and lyrics by Prince Rogers Nelson ( 2006 ) `` Guaranteed '' Music and lyrics by Eddie Vedder ( 2007 ) `` The Wrestler '' Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen ( 2008 ) `` The Weary Kind '' Music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett ( 2009 ) 2010s `` You Have n't Seen the Last of Me '' Music & Lyrics by Diane Warren ( 2010 ) `` Masterpiece '' Music & Lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry ( 2011 ) `` Skyfall '' by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth ( 2012 ) `` Ordinary Love '' by U2 and Danger Mouse ( 2013 ) `` Glory '' by Common and John Legend ( 2014 ) `` Writing 's on the Wall '' by Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes ( 2015 ) `` City of Stars '' by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul ( 2016 ) Complete List ( 1960s ) ( 1970s ) ( 1980s ) ( 1990s ) ( 2000s ) ( 2010s ) Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director 1980 -- 2000 Robert Greenwald ( 1980 ) Michael Cimino ( 1981 ) Ken Annakin / Terence Young ( 1982 ) Peter Sasdy ( 1983 ) John Derek ( 1984 ) Sylvester Stallone ( 1985 ) Prince ( 1986 ) Norman Mailer / Elaine May ( 1987 ) Blake Edwards / Stewart Raffill ( 1988 ) William Shatner ( 1989 ) John Derek ( 1990 ) Michael Lehmann ( 1991 ) David Seltzer ( 1992 ) Jennifer Lynch ( 1993 ) Steven Seagal ( 1994 ) Paul Verhoeven ( 1995 ) Andrew Bergman ( 1996 ) Kevin Costner ( 1997 ) Gus Van Sant ( 1998 ) Barry Sonnenfeld ( 1999 ) Roger Christian ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Tom Green ( 2001 ) Guy Ritchie ( 2002 ) Martin Brest ( 2003 ) Pitof ( 2004 ) John Asher ( 2005 ) M. Night Shyamalan ( 2006 ) Chris Sivertson ( 2007 ) Uwe Boll ( 2008 ) Michael Bay ( 2009 ) M. Night Shyamalan ( 2010 ) Dennis Dugan ( 2011 ) Bill Condon ( 2012 ) Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Peter Farrelly, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Brett Ratner, and Jonathan van Tulleken ( 2013 ) Michael Bay ( 2014 ) Josh Trank ( 2015 ) Dinesh D'Souza and Bruce Schooley ( 2016 ) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2004 Performers Jackson Browne The Dells ( Verne Allison, Chuck Barksdale, Johnny Carter, Johnny Funches, Marvin Junior, Michael McGill ) George Harrison Prince Bob Seger Traffic ( Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood ) ZZ Top ( Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill ) Lifetime achievement Jann Wenner VIAF : 256968961 LCCN : n84079379 ISNI : 0000 0001 2096 4892 GND : 118866060 SELIBR : 209581 SUDOC : 027754596 BNF : cb13898683x ( data ) ULAN : 500354776 MusicBrainz : 070d193a - 845c - 479f - 980e - bef15710653e NDL : 00621318 ICCU : IT ICCU LO1V 028378 BNE : XX892031 IATH : w60t20hk Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prince_(musician)&oldid=809184511 '' Categories : Prince ( musician ) 1958 births 2016 deaths 20th - century American male actors 20th - century American singers 21st - century American singers 20th - century American guitarists 21st - century American guitarists Accidental deaths in Minnesota African - American male actors African - American film directors American film directors African - American drummers African - American guitarists African - American male singers American male singers African - American singer - songwriters African - American pianists African - American rock musicians American baritones American funk bass guitarists American funk drummers American funk guitarists American funk keyboardists American funk singers American Jehovah 's Witnesses American male drummers American drummers American male film actors American male guitarists American guitarists American male singer - songwriters American multi-instrumentalists Record producers from Minnesota American record producers American rhythm and blues bass guitarists American rhythm and blues guitarists American rhythm and blues keyboardists American rhythm and blues singers American rock bass guitarists American rock drummers American rock guitarists American rock keyboardists American rock pianists American soul guitarists American soul keyboardists American soul singers American singer - songwriters Arista Records artists Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Brit Award winners Columbia Records artists Converts to Jehovah 's Witnesses Drug - related deaths in Minnesota EMI Records artists Film directors from Minnesota Funk rock Grammy Award winners Guitarists from Minnesota Keytarists Lead guitarists Louisiana Creole people Male actors from Minneapolis Musicians from Minneapolis Paisley Park Records artists People from Chanhassen, Minnesota People with epilepsy Rhythm and blues drummers Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Singers from Minnesota Songwriters from Minnesota Soul drummers The New Power Generation members The Revolution ( band ) members Universal Records artists Warner Bros. Records artists 20th - century African - American people Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Use mdy dates from March 2017 Use American English from January 2017 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016 Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from April 2016 Articles with hAudio microformats Articles with unsourced statements from May 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2016 Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Turner Classic Movies person ID not in Wikidata Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with ULAN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with SBN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Afrikaans Alemannisch Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Bikol Central Bislama Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar Malagasy മലയാളം मराठी مصرى Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Shqip Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Ślůnski Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt ייִדיש Zazaki Zeêuws 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 7 November 2017, at 16 : 54. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what year did prince's sign of the times come out
Answer: March 31, 1987