independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince and his father
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Page 1 of 3 123>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 07/27/17 9:12am

Superfan1984

Prince and his father

Does anyone know why Prince and his father had such issues? In Mayte's book she said that they went years without speaking even though John lived in Prince's house (and I'm sure Prince paid his bills) , so, what was the deal? It seemed Prince wanted a relationship with him, so, why such long periods of no contact?

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 07/27/17 9:30am

BillieBalloon

Prince talked about his father on Tavis Smiley. He told Tavis that his father was very strict with with him and Tyka. There were times when P collaborated with father on songs, and Lisa said Prince looked up to his father a lot.

John L was a strict disciplinarian and Prince being a free spirit clashed with him. If you look you can find comments from Prince himself about his father in various interviews.


As for the years without speaking maybe Sharon will touch on that when she answers.

.
[Edited 7/27/17 9:32am]
Baby, you're a star.

Meet me in another world, space and joy
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 07/27/17 9:38am

Superfan1984

yes! I hope she does. I meant to ask her about this but forgot. I would also like to know how John felt about the way he was portrayed in Purple Rain (and Graffiti Bridge) as a failed musician? That had to hurt...

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 07/27/17 9:51am

BillieBalloon

Superfan1984 said:

yes! I hope she does. I meant to ask her about this but forgot. I would also like to know how John felt about the way he was portrayed in Purple Rain (and Graffiti Bridge) as a failed musician? That had to hurt...




This is what Prince had to say about it:

"That stuff about my dad was part of [director-cowriter] Al Magnoli's story," Prince explains."We used parts of my past and present to make the story pop more, but it was a story. My dad wouldn't have nothing to do with guns. He never swore, still doesn't, and never drinks." Prince looks in his rearview mirror at the car tailing him."He don't look sixty-nine, do he? He's so cool. He's got girlfriends, lots of 'em."

And he also said this:

"Nearing the turnoff that leads from Minneapolis to suburban Eden Prairie, Prince flips in another tape and peeks in the rearview mirror. John Nelson is still right behind. "It's real hard for my father to show emotion," says Prince, heading onto the highway. "He never says, 'I love you,' and when we hug or something, we bang our heads together like in some Charlie Chaplin movie. But a while ago, he was telling me how I always had to be careful. My father told me, 'If anything happens to you, I'm gone.' All I thought at first was that it was a real nice thing to say. But then I thought about it for a while and realized something. That was my father's way of saying 'I love you.'"

Neal Karlen RS 1985
Baby, you're a star.

Meet me in another world, space and joy
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 07/27/17 10:15am

carmela3

We know very little about his parents.
Much has been made over small, decades old snippets.
I'm pretty sure if strangers knew as little about our relationships with our parents they would get a ton of their theories wrong.
From the outside looking in.
His father was an artist who apparently needed alone time. It no doubt was challenging for such a temperament to work in a factory & live the wife & 2.4 kids life.
There's much we don't know, but we do know Prince looked after them till the end & they never sold him out, like other famous people's parents have.
I've found a lot of the things said about his parents over the years to frankly be in bad taste.
They messed up in his youth in certain areas, they are far from alone there. The clock couldn't be turned back but obviously there was mutual love there.
Also it is interesting to note that whenever an associate etc has been asked about his parents, the majority have had nice things to say. The latest being Wally.
[Edited 7/27/17 10:18am]
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 07/27/17 11:10am

leadline

avatar

All families have issues of some type, especially when money and/or fame is involved.

"You always get the dream that you deserve, from what you value the most" -Prince 2013
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 07/27/17 11:11am

Superfan1984

They seem to be so much alike-- it's a shame that so many years they were estranged.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 07/27/17 11:16am

TrivialPursuit

avatar

Alpha males. Ego. The pride and the passion.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 07/27/17 11:55am

precioux

My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 07/27/17 12:57pm

Superfan1984

precioux said:

My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.

I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 07/27/17 1:17pm

precioux

Superfan1984 said:

precioux said:

My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.

I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.

No, it really wasn't a "tell all". Sharon called Prince the "prince of darkness" because he always kept windows covered up (dumb), besides, Ozzy was called that-so she obviously got her "celebrities" mixed up. I think he was offended with his father because JL was insinuating (while being interviewed and playing the piano) that he had came up with the Purple Rain song...and the fact that they both (S&JL)were even going to a tabloid show like that when Prince was so private, chapped his ass royally booty!

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 07/27/17 1:28pm

carmela3

Superfan1984 said:



precioux said:


My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.



I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.


John was cool, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't duped into that by Sharon. She was the one who was disrespectful in that interview.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 07/27/17 1:32pm

precioux

carmela3 said:

Superfan1984 said:

I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.

John was cool, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't duped into that by Sharon. She was the one who was disrespectful in that interview.

+1

AND...I don't think Prince and Sharon have spoken since then FOR SURE. SOOO...why all the "respect" demanded be given Sharon is BEYOND me.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 07/27/17 1:42pm

laurarichardso
n

Superfan1984 said:



precioux said:


My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.



I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.


--There was also s law suit. I believe Lorna said Prince inspected lyrics for her song. "What Is Cooking In My Book" for "You Got The Look" I believe Duane and his dad sided with Lorna. Lorna list the case and suspect this along with that embarrassing "Current Affair" interview may have been the last straw. The interview included Sharon saying he had a fine body. I am sorry but that is creepy and weird.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 07/27/17 1:44pm

laurarichardso
n

precioux said:



carmela3 said:


Superfan1984 said:


I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.



John was cool, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't duped into that by Sharon. She was the one who was disrespectful in that interview.

+1

AND...I don't think Prince and Sharon have spoken since then FOR SURE. SOOO...why all the "respect" demanded be given Sharon is BEYOND me.


I do not get it either. People can read some of the comments in the court file when John died and her behavior was noted by Comerica.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 07/27/17 1:44pm

anangellooksdo
wn

BillieBalloon said:

Superfan1984 said:

yes! I hope she does. I meant to ask her about this but forgot. I would also like to know how John felt about the way he was portrayed in Purple Rain (and Graffiti Bridge) as a failed musician? That had to hurt...




This is what Prince had to say about it:

"That stuff about my dad was part of [director-cowriter] Al Magnoli's story," Prince explains."We used parts of my past and present to make the story pop more, but it was a story. My dad wouldn't have nothing to do with guns. He never swore, still doesn't, and never drinks." Prince looks in his rearview mirror at the car tailing him."He don't look sixty-nine, do he? He's so cool. He's got girlfriends, lots of 'em."

And he also said this:

"Nearing the turnoff that leads from Minneapolis to suburban Eden Prairie, Prince flips in another tape and peeks in the rearview mirror. John Nelson is still right behind. "It's real hard for my father to show emotion," says Prince, heading onto the highway. "He never says, 'I love you,' and when we hug or something, we bang our heads together like in some Charlie Chaplin movie. But a while ago, he was telling me how I always had to be careful. My father told me, 'If anything happens to you, I'm gone.' All I thought at first was that it was a real nice thing to say. But then I thought about it for a while and realized something. That was my father's way of saying 'I love you.'"

Neal Karlen RS 1985


Yes Prince was very aware of how important saying I love you was early on and very sensitive.
But he also recognized his father's way - and that was enough.

It was a very mature attitude on Prince's part Especially for a young man.

I have always felt he wanted his father's approval very much and never really got as much as he wanted from him, and therefore he worshipped his father (if you guys can understand that) but accepted and forgave any of his father's shortcomings.

Back in the LK interview prince wasn't really acknowledging to himself or us that his father's "strictness" was abnormal. I think he struggled with the parent thing like most of us.

The fact that he gave his father a place to live and took care of his needs later in life shows me a LOT about Prince's spiritual growth.

He gave the love he didn't get.
Cuz when we give love we feel it back, even if we don't get it back.
[Edited 7/27/17 13:56pm]
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 07/27/17 1:49pm

carmela3

laurarichardson said:

Superfan1984 said:



precioux said:


My understanding is that after sister Sharon and his father John Nelson did that "tell all" interview with A Current Affair, Prince didn't want to have anything to do with either one of them afterwards...I'm not sure if anything was completely patched up after that incident.



I've seen that and as far as a "tell all," they sure didn't tell much (if anything) so I don't know why he would have been upset with that.


--There was also s law suit. I believe Lorna said Prince inspected lyrics for her song. "What Is Cooking In My Book" for "You Got The Look" I believe Duane and his dad sided with Lorna. Lorna list the case and suspect this along with that embarrassing "Current Affair" interview may have been the last straw. The interview included Sharon saying he had a fine body. I am sorry but that is creepy and weird.

Where are you getting John & Duane sided with Lorna from? This is the first I've heard of it.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #17 posted 07/27/17 1:54pm

carmela3

anangellooksdown said:

BillieBalloon said:




This is what Prince had to say about it:

"That stuff about my dad was part of [director-cowriter] Al Magnoli's story," Prince explains."We used parts of my past and present to make the story pop more, but it was a story. My dad wouldn't have nothing to do with guns. He never swore, still doesn't, and never drinks." Prince looks in his rearview mirror at the car tailing him."He don't look sixty-nine, do he? He's so cool. He's got girlfriends, lots of 'em."

And he also said this:

"Nearing the turnoff that leads from Minneapolis to suburban Eden Prairie, Prince flips in another tape and peeks in the rearview mirror. John Nelson is still right behind. "It's real hard for my father to show emotion," says Prince, heading onto the highway. "He never says, 'I love you,' and when we hug or something, we bang our heads together like in some Charlie Chaplin movie. But a while ago, he was telling me how I always had to be careful. My father told me, 'If anything happens to you, I'm gone.' All I thought at first was that it was a real nice thing to say. But then I thought about it for a while and realized something. That was my father's way of saying 'I love you.'"

Neal Karlen RS 1985


Yes Prince was very aware of how important saying I love you was early on and very sensitive.
But he also recognized his father's way - and that was enough.

It was a very mature attitude on Prince's part Especially for a young man.

I have always felt he wanted his father's approval very much and never really got as much as he wanted from him, and therefore he worshipped his father (if you guys can understand that) but accepted and forgave any of his father's shortcomings.

Back in the LK interview prince wasn't really acknowledging to himself or us that his father's "strictness" was abnormal. I think he struggled with the parent thing like most of us.

The fact that he gave his father a place to live and took care of his needs later in love shows me a LOT about Prince's spiritual growth.

He gave the love he didn't get.
Cuz when we give love we feel it back, even if we don't get it back.
[Edited 7/27/17 13:49pm]

Most father's of John's generation were 'strict'.
Or more to the point what some would label strict now.
How do you know he was given no love back? Were you privy to father & son's private times?
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #18 posted 07/27/17 2:18pm

laurarichardso
n

carmela3 said:

laurarichardson said:


--There was also s law suit. I believe Lorna said Prince inspected lyrics for her song. "What Is Cooking In My Book" for "You Got The Look" I believe Duane and his dad sided with Lorna. Lorna list the case and suspect this along with that embarrassing "Current Affair" interview may have been the last straw. The interview included Sharon saying he had a fine body. I am sorry but that is creepy and weird.

Where are you getting John & Duane sided with Lorna from? This is the first I've heard of it.

--John and Duane testified in the court case. I remember reading about back at the time.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #19 posted 07/27/17 2:26pm

carmela3

laurarichardson said:

carmela3 said:


Where are you getting John & Duane sided with Lorna from? This is the first I've heard of it.

--John and Duane testified in the court case. I remember reading about back at the time.


Do you have a link or screenshot?
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #20 posted 07/27/17 3:39pm

laurarichardso
n

carmela3 said:

laurarichardson said:


--John and Duane testified in the court case. I remember reading about back at the time.


Do you have a link or screenshot?

Use the search key. There has been a lot discussion about Duane and his antics. I will look on some other forums to see what I find. He was a very troubled person and so was Lorna.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #21 posted 07/27/17 3:55pm

carmela3

laurarichardson said:

carmela3 said:



Do you have a link or screenshot?

Use the search key. There has been a lot discussion about Duane and his antics. I will look on some other forums to see what I find. He was a very troubled person and so was Lorna.

Cool. Yes, I know.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #22 posted 07/27/17 4:34pm

PeteSilas

Superfan1984 said:

Does anyone know why Prince and his father had such issues? In Mayte's book she said that they went years without speaking even though John lived in Prince's house (and I'm sure Prince paid his bills) , so, what was the deal? It seemed Prince wanted a relationship with him, so, why such long periods of no contact?

all families have issues, that's the simplest answer, to go deeper, John seemed to be marred by the same thing many americans are, the quaker's streak, he caught prince with a girl and booted him, but Prince believes that the main reason was that a musician had a hard time living with anyone, that it's a distraction, as a musician myself i can go with that, but if you have a child, you are responsible, you don't throw them away like that. Just dysfunction. I'm sure someone else here has already mentioned the tv interview which john took part in, ironically, the controlling aspect that john had rubbed off on prince, so he didn't like his dad talking about him publicly.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #23 posted 07/27/17 4:37pm

PeteSilas

mostly agree, we don't really know much. and for all the talk of not being close, i've heard things that contradict that.

carmela3 said:

We know very little about his parents. Much has been made over small, decades old snippets. I'm pretty sure if strangers knew as little about our relationships with our parents they would get a ton of their theories wrong. From the outside looking in. His father was an artist who apparently needed alone time. It no doubt was challenging for such a temperament to work in a factory & live the wife & 2.4 kids life. There's much we don't know, but we do know Prince looked after them till the end & they never sold him out, like other famous people's parents have. I've found a lot of the things said about his parents over the years to frankly be in bad taste. They messed up in his youth in certain areas, they are far from alone there. The clock couldn't be turned back but obviously there was mutual love there. Also it is interesting to note that whenever an associate etc has been asked about his parents, the majority have had nice things to say. The latest being Wally. [Edited 7/27/17 10:18am]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #24 posted 07/27/17 4:40pm

PeteSilas

precioux said:

carmela3 said:

Superfan1984 said: John was cool, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't duped into that by Sharon. She was the one who was disrespectful in that interview.

+1

AND...I don't think Prince and Sharon have spoken since then FOR SURE. SOOO...why all the "respect" demanded be given Sharon is BEYOND me.

you're right but if she comes to this place to speak, i don't think it's tasteful to criticize her as a guest of the org. I don't have much interest in what she has to say, she's already proved to be a bit of a fibber.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #25 posted 07/27/17 5:51pm

morningsong

PeteSilas said:

mostly agree, we don't really know much. and for all the talk of not being close, i've heard things that contradict that.

carmela3 said:

We know very little about his parents. Much has been made over small, decades old snippets. I'm pretty sure if strangers knew as little about our relationships with our parents they would get a ton of their theories wrong. From the outside looking in. His father was an artist who apparently needed alone time. It no doubt was challenging for such a temperament to work in a factory & live the wife & 2.4 kids life. There's much we don't know, but we do know Prince looked after them till the end & they never sold him out, like other famous people's parents have. I've found a lot of the things said about his parents over the years to frankly be in bad taste. They messed up in his youth in certain areas, they are far from alone there. The clock couldn't be turned back but obviously there was mutual love there. Also it is interesting to note that whenever an associate etc has been asked about his parents, the majority have had nice things to say. The latest being Wally. [Edited 7/27/17 10:18am]



Ditto.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #26 posted 07/27/17 6:47pm

Superfan1984

PeteSilas said:

precioux said:

+1

AND...I don't think Prince and Sharon have spoken since then FOR SURE. SOOO...why all the "respect" demanded be given Sharon is BEYOND me.

you're right but if she comes to this place to speak, i don't think it's tasteful to criticize her as a guest of the org. I don't have much interest in what she has to say, she's already proved to be a bit of a fibber.

Uuummm.... It looks like that sentence up there is attributed to me. I didn't say that. Anyway, I don't mind Sharon, she seems nice to me. I think, obviously she was just much closer to John than Prince, that's all.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #27 posted 07/27/17 6:52pm

PeteSilas

Superfan1984 said:

PeteSilas said:

you're right but if she comes to this place to speak, i don't think it's tasteful to criticize her as a guest of the org. I don't have much interest in what she has to say, she's already proved to be a bit of a fibber.

Uuummm.... It looks like that sentence up there is attributed to me. I didn't say that. Anyway, I don't mind Sharon, she seems nice to me. I think, obviously she was just much closer to John than Prince, that's all.

i won't take much interest in what she has to say, i'd like to know if "sister" is based on her though, that would really be a fucking awkward question, she has to be the one it's based on.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #28 posted 07/27/17 6:56pm

Superfan1984

PeteSilas said:

Superfan1984 said:

Uuummm.... It looks like that sentence up there is attributed to me. I didn't say that. Anyway, I don't mind Sharon, she seems nice to me. I think, obviously she was just much closer to John than Prince, that's all.

i won't take much interest in what she has to say, i'd like to know if "sister" is based on her though, that would really be a fucking awkward question, she has to be the one it's based on.

Oh God! eek Yes, I was wondering if anyone was going to ask that question in the Q and A thread.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #29 posted 07/27/17 8:09pm

Purplebflogirl

The fact that Prince provided a lovely home for his Dad seemingly even when they weren't talking,A home for his Mom and Step Dad( who as it's been reported wasn't so nice to Prince) and apparently let him stay in the house after his Mom passed shows Prince took care of people.. Aren't a few of his siblings still living in his properties too? He may of not had a close relationship with some if his relatives but he cared enough to keep a roof over their heads.
Until the end of time
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Page 1 of 3 123>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince and his father