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Forums > Associated artists & people > Trumpeter "Atlanta Bliss" Recalls 'Pinch-Me' Moments Touring With Prince
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Thread started 06/21/16 6:33pm

FlyOnTheWall

Trumpeter "Atlanta Bliss" Recalls 'Pinch-Me' Moments Touring With Prince

Pittsburgh-Area Trumpeter Recalls 'Pinch-Me' Moments Touring With Prince

By MIKE KOVAK | ASSOCIATED PRESS • JUN 18, 2016
  • Peters Township graduate Matthew Blistan, deep right, toured and recorded with Prince through the mid-to-late 1980s under the name Atlanta Bliss.
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    Peters Township graduate Matthew Blistan, deep right, toured and recorded with Prince through the mid-to-late 1980s under the name Atlanta Bliss.

Pittsburgh-Area Trumpeter...ith Prince

...Eric Leeds, a former classmate at Duquesne who played with Blistan in On the Corner, joined The Revolution as saxophonist in 1985. Prince, coming off the release of "Purple Rain," wanted a trumpet player, so Leeds called his longtime friend.

"He said, 'You're booked tomorrow for an audition with Prince,'" Blistan said. "I said, 'OK, I haven't played in six months.' I oiled the valves and prayed a whole lot. Well, Eric called back and said the audition was off. My first thought was it wasn't meant to be. Then, he said it's actually a recording session with Prince."

Blistan, then 33, arrived in Minneapolis and recorded "Mountains" with Prince and The Revolution. Things moved quickly, and he stayed for six years, lending his talents to some of Prince's most popular albums, "Parade," ''Sign O' The Times," ''Black Album," ''Lovesexy," ''Batman," and "Graffiti Bridge." Blistan and Leeds toured the world with the energetic frontman...

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Reply #1 posted 06/22/16 1:54am

LIBRA

great article!

Everybody's lookin 4 the ladder, it's in the garage
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Reply #2 posted 06/22/16 8:06am

SPYZFAN1

That was a great read. Thanks for posting.

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Reply #3 posted 06/22/16 12:34pm

OldFriends4Sal
e

Thanks 4 sharing this.
I always thought Atlanta's trumpet added a crucial sound to many Prince songs that I have never heard again.

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Reply #4 posted 06/22/16 2:13pm

journalism16
Such a nice article.
Erin Smith
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Reply #5 posted 06/22/16 7:55pm

FlyOnTheWall

OldFriends4Sale said:

Thanks 4 sharing this.
I always thought Atlanta's trumpet added a crucial sound to many Prince songs that I have never heard again.

I agree. I was surprised to read that he only plays occasionally these days. Maybe he will participate in the big August tribute. I must say that I've really been enjoying reading and sharing all the articles about Prince and his band members. It is the silver lining to this unthinkable tragedy. I am becoming addicted to The Org.

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Forums > Associated artists & people > Trumpeter "Atlanta Bliss" Recalls 'Pinch-Me' Moments Touring With Prince