HELLO ALL!

This is my first post on this site. I've been a fan since 1984 and have loved the man since then. I've had a question to ask for such a long time but have never got around to posting on here.

When I logged on I wasn't sure if I was a member of the site, typed in my details and sure enough I logged on MANY MOONS ago - I've been a member for over 5 years! And this is my first post! In that time there have been 5,112,270 posts!

Well, now I'm posting I can ask the question...

Many many years ago I remember reading an article about Prince that he was a huge Muhammad Ali fan. Such a big fan was he that back in the mid-80s he bought the film rights to the Muhammad Ali story. However, any time that I try to log on to websites to verify that story I can't find any information. The original press piece was a bit of a jab at Prince saying something along the lines of 'we hope he doesn't plan on playing Ali himself'.

Anyway... are there any fans on here who remember this story? Or can verify this story? If so, did he stand to gain when Michael Mann made the Ali (with Will Smith) biopic a few years ago???

Many thanks for your help

In the mid-1990s (Emancipation era) Prince was somehow linked to Ali via charity work (was it Love4oneanother charities or something else). They appeared at a press conference together around 1996/1997 promoting some charity or another. "Style" also has the lyric "style is Ali's jab".

As for the film rights in the mid-1980s I am not sure. I've never heard that story myself.

I vaguely remember this story, but all I have is a vivid memory of it.
I also remember a story I once read about Prince claiming that the Bee Gees stole one of his songs, but could never find any information on that too.

Perhaps back in the days when Prince didn't talk to anyone lots of made up stories were printed about him just because information on Prince was in high demand and the press didn't have anywhere to go.

KeithyT said:

I remember this story.I'm sure its not true. Where does one buy this kind of movie right? Would it be on the back of an autobiography

It's one of those stories that I WISH was true. It makes such a great piece of trivia. I know he helped fund Spike Lee's Malcolm X film some years back.

No idea how you go about buying such rights. That's a good point.

Theres a picture of these 2 2gether taken during the Emancipation era. Can anyone post it ? please

That would be fantastic if someone could. LOVE Ali. Ali's daughter Maryum (May-May) recounts a story of how Prince came to visit her father and she sat there trying to take it all in "Prince is sitting there telling my father how great he was". It was only then that it sunk in how big her father was!

Ali is the truth.I've been a boxing journalist for 7 years now and i've yet to write anything on him. I've brushed topics but i believe devoting an article to him would be too emotional. As a prince fan and former "scrapper" i've often seen it as a conflict, but when i was growing up there were only two cats i wanted to be and those two guys were prince and Sugar Ray Leonard.I used to believe that Prince, a true artist, all about love was never into combative sports but at fights i've covered in Vegas i always hoped he would pop up. Prince is 51, was growing up when Ali was makin it do what it do and probably related the the champs pride and willingness to say "i am". In the past he would shadow box a little live and make it clear that he (and his band) were competitive-and boxing is the truest form of putting it out there. I was encouraged when P used an anology of Jack Johnson when speaking to Tavis, i didnt know he even knew of Papa Jack. I love the picture of Ali and Prince, because it captures so much of what i've always admired.

Ali is most definitely the 'truth'. Yes, loved Prince talking about Jack Johnson and namechecking him in 'Family Name'. Have you read Unforgivable Blackness?

yep.The PBS Documentary is awesome. I'm currently reading about Sam Langford, an uncrowned champion who fought Jack when he was essentially a middleweight. Langford was so dangerous that Dempsey wouldnt fight him at age 44 and blind in one eye!.

Man! I'm a HUGE boxing fan. Yeah, Sam followed Jack around trying to have professional bouts with him but Jack wasn't interested. They had some exhibitions which Sam used to dominate I think.

What I could never work out was that Mike Tyson's boxing hero was Jack Dempsey yet Jack Dempsey was the most racist champion of that era!?! Could never work that out.

What's the Langford book you're reading? I'll get a copy.

^ INCREDIBLE! THANK YOU!!! This is circa 96 right?

Silly me - it's captioned 1997. Brilliant!

samhabib said:

Actually come to think of it, he also namechecks Ali - Cassius Clay - in 'Family Name'.

The picture of Prince and Ali is perhaps one of the few times i've ever seen the purple one look genuinely humbled. He obviously loved meeting one of his childhood heroes and he is smiling like a little kid, Its a very natural picture.

That photos is sweet - I agree, Prince is humbled. A true fan. Too bad the concert, charity event never materialized.

^ NO WAY! Even better!

You can see that he can't quite control his smile! Brilliant

This is from a Spanish magazine, (And obviously stolen by me from HQ) Sorry but I don't speak the language so I can't translate.

I think the look on his face in the last pic was when Ali found out Prince was gonna sue his ass 4 laying hands on Prince's divine greatness.



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[Edited 8/14/09 9:14am]

Amazing pics! Am I being dumb... but who is the girl in the pics - so familiar but I can't think...

I love the one of Prince standing above Ali. What is he doing? Floating like a butterfly?

samhabib said:

Hanna, Ali's daughter.

comegetwild said:

The top picture lol.
"Fuck yo couch ni**a"

thedance said:

I simply love this photo. Prince's expression says it all. So nice.

sweething said:

Aww! that's a great photo.

samhabib said:

no he did not get the rights. his family have this. sorry dood.

Nice pics.

missjay23 said:

Ah! Of course! My most rized possession is my copy of Soul Of A Butterfly... Signed by both Hana and Muhammad