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Royal treatment

Prince will make his appearance at Essence tonight at his own appointed time, after some high-level diplomacy and a kingly sum

Friday, July 02, 2004

By Keith Spera
Music writer

The Essence Music Festival's Prince-ly courtship finally paid off.

For years Essence producers longed to book the elusive Prince Rogers Nelson for their festival, which purports to, and largely succeeds at, showcasing the marquee acts in urban music. But Prince was either unavailable or uninterested.



One year, after learning that Prince might make a surprise appearance with another artist at the Superdome, producers kept an extra Hammond B-3 organ at the ready, just in case. But the visit didn't materialize.

In 2003, Prince did attend Essence as a backstage guest. He watched Stevie Wonder's set from the wings, then accompanied Erykah Badu to Magic Johnson's late-night House of Blues after-party. The following night, a grinning Patti LaBelle acknowledged Prince's presence from the Dome stage.

Having experienced Essence firsthand, Prince finally decided to grace its stage. He and his New Power Generation band headline the Superdome tonight, the opening night of the 10th anniversary Essence Festival. His appearance coincides with his own triumphant tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his landmark "Purple Rain" movie and soundtrack.

"Purple Rain" elevated Prince to the pop world's pinnacle. A long run of perfectly crafted hits, chiseled from rock, funk and R&B and inspired by everyone from Little Richard to James Brown, flowed from his Paisley Park hit factory in Minneapolis. His mystique and sexual allure cultivated a cult of personality. Prince could do no wrong.

But then he lost his way. Alleged eccentricities, though far milder than Michael Jackson's, received more attention than his new music. Changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol and scrawling "slave" on his face while feuding with former label Warner Bros. indicated to some that the Paisley Park universe no longer intersected with any other.

Albums were not focused. Concerts were announced only days in advance. Old favorites, if performed at all, were reduced to medleys. Instead, Prince and his band stretched out on long jams that did not always lead to satisfying conclusions. After he became a Jehovah's Witness, sacred references largely replaced the profane.

All along he maintained a deeply loyal fan base. Frustrated with record labels' inability to accommodate his prolific output, he sold music directly to fans through his Web site, www.npgmusicclub.com.

Then in early 2004, Prince found his way back to the promised land by embracing his formidable legacy once again. He announced his return with a head-turning set with Beyoncé at the Grammy Awards and by tearing up George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at his Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction.

He then released his best-received album in years, "Musicology," and launched a tour that finds him selling out large arenas once again. Ecstatic reviews have described how his classic hits are aired out by a sharp band with renewed vigor.

It's as if Prince and his audience mutually agreed that the good times are back again. Estimates suggest the "Musicology" tour may gross close to $100 million and play to more than 1 million fans before it winds down in September. Ticket-holders -- though not, apparently, those attending Essence -- receive a "free" copy of his new "Musicology" CD, though the cost is built into the price of each ticket.

The "Musicology" stop at Essence resulted from years of lobbying. In early 2003, Essence magazine's Susan Taylor spoke with Prince at a New York party hosted by record mogul Clive Davis and again extended an Essence Fest invitation.

Prince finally decided to see what the festival was about by visiting last year.

"There's no way that you can explain to anyone the enormity of the Essence Music Festival and the opportunity that it is for artists," Taylor said. "Even though we had spoken to Prince about it, he needed to come and see it for himself. I respect that he took the time to hang out and really observe. He said, 'I have new music coming, and this is where I need to be.' "

Essence chairman Ed Lewis then negotiated a deal with L. Londell McMillan, Prince's longtime business partner, that reportedly pays Prince the largest fee in Essence history. Festival producers have also adjusted to the Prince organization's peculiar modus operandi. Set times for Essence acts are generally locked in weeks in advance. Early this week, Prince still had not settled on an exact performance time.

"It's been a creative evolution as to exactly what the structure is going to be, and it has evolved a little later than usual," said Quint Davis, whose Festival Productions Inc. produces the festival for Essence. "But it was nothing we couldn't handle."

Instead of the usual four musical acts on the main stage, only two are slated for tonight. Following a brief set by comedian Jonathan Slocum, Morris Day & the Time -- whose affiliation with Prince pre-dates "Purple Rain" -- kick off the show around 7:45 p.m. Prince is scheduled to hit the stage around 9:15 and play until midnight, joined by several surprise guests.

No other artist has ever warranted three hours of main stage time during Essence.

"This is what Prince wanted to do," Davis said. "We talked to him about putting other acts on the show. But this is the 20th anniversary of 'Purple Rain' -- he is intending to play for two-and-a-half to three hours. Once Morris Day & the Time were confirmed, and once Prince had decided how long he wanted to play, that was it."

Tonight's show is an unprecedented creative partnership between the Essence producers and an artist, as Prince took an active role in plotting out the performance.

"It's the festival's infrastructure, and we're producing it," Davis said. "But Prince had a vision of what he wanted this night to be musically, and we evolved with that. It's his show."

In the latest wrinkle, Prince canceled four shows scheduled through June 30 at Chicago's Allstate Arena, following a death in New Power Generation drummer John Blackwell's family. So tonight's Essence gig will be his first after an unexpected weeklong break in the tour.

Whatever the backstage drama, the scramble for tickets had already reached a fever pitch last week, as last-minute buyers and VIPs realized that few good seats remained.

Prince, meanwhile, seems relatively unfazed by the hoopla. His meticulously groomed countenance graced Rolling Stone's May 27 cover, his first such appearance in many years. He's made himself more accessible than ever, chatting amicably with Jay Leno and other interviewers.

"I feel at peace," he told Rolling Stone. "I knew it would take time, and I had to deal with a lot of ridicule. But this feels like peace right now. Spiritually I feel very different from the way I used to, but physically? Not at all. I don't look at time that way, and I don't believe in age. When you wake up, each day looks the same, so each day should be a new beginning.

"I don't have an expiration date."



Does anybody out there love me? More than 40,000 fans will celebrate with Prince in the Superdome tonight.

,,,,,COOL



-MoneyMade

Does anyone know if the Essence Awards will be aired on television?

Is John Blackwell back or is there another drummer?

David

THERE WILL BE A DVD OF THIS SHOW, YOU CAN BET ON IT, AND I'M DYIN' TO HEAR WHO SHOWED UP! PRINCE FINALLY REDEEMED HIMSELF. IT TOOK LONG ENOUGH YO, I THOUGHT IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AFTER ALL THE o(+> BULLSHIT BUT HERE IT IS. I HOPE HE KNOWS IF HE DROPS ALL THESE GREAT SONGS FROM THE SETLIST HE'S GONNA TURN INTO THE ARTIST FORMERLY AGAIN!

is this something that will be proffesionally shot and hopefully leaked and turned into a bloody great dvd.

What a beautiful show.

May God bless John Blackwell and his wife during this very sad time. John played that show from his heart.

Wendy and Mike Scott played guitar. Shelia was there, Chaka Khan, Larry Graham, Doug E. Fresh. The Time were great. And Prince? Good lawd. The man is simply amazing.

The whole band was great.

I'll get out of the way and let some folks post reviews.

FrankieDJ said:

What makes you think there will be a DVD for this. There has never been one before.....has there ?

It wouldn't surprise me if Prince cancelled this appearance, what with John Blackwell and all.

This media blurb was written before current events transpired.

I guess I will post a report somewhere.

.
[This message was edited Sat Jul 3 2:32:16 2004 by SensualMelody]

cranshaw62 said:

AAAAAHHHHH

I WISH I WAS THERE!!!!!

How can Blackwell play right after his baby dies? This aint right,.

FrankieDJ said:

WHAT IN THE HELL R U TALKING ABOUT?

2freaky4church1 said:

Here you go... Go fetch something.

I wish that i was there also. I've always wanted 2 see P at afestival setting like the Jazz Festival/Coor'slite festival that use 2b in Cincinnati. The R&B crowd needed 2 see P do his thang bcuz it's been along time. I knew P would turn it out! And again i'm amazed at Mr. John Blackwell...he has my total respect!

TheBluePrince said:

People grieve in their own way, everyone is diffrent!

2freaky4church1 said:

funny they didn't mention that the time, wendy and lisa, and sheila e. all performed with prince yesterday...



Prince Reunites With the Time, Sheila E.

1 hour ago

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer

NEW ORLEANS - Anniversaries often bring reunions. And to mark the 20th anniversary of "Purple Rain," Prince reunited with some of the players in his musical past _ Morris Day and The Time, guitarist Wendy Melvoin and former protege Sheila E.

"This hasn't been done like this in a long time," said veteran musician Larry Graham, who performed at Friday's Essence Music Festival show at the Superdome in New Orleans. "This is just right on time."

Prince's show, the kickoff to the three-day annual concert festival in the city, was a five-hour party attended by 50,000 people, the largest crowd for a concert in the festival's 10-year history.

The show started out on a bizarre note _ Prince, onstage in a disguise of a straight-haired wig, hat and beard, playing the guitar on inline stakes as relatively unknown performers danced or sang around him. The most famous person to come on stage at that point was Graham, formerly of Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station.

Then, the mysterious figure onstage announced Sheila E., and the audience erupted in cheers as she ran through her 1984 hit "The Glamorous Life."

Day and the Time, billed as the opening act to Prince, emerged later. Day, who starred with Prince in the groundbreaking film version of "Purple Rain," joined his preening sidekick Jerome as they sang old hits like "The Bird" and "Cool."

Prince didn't hit the stage until nearly 11 p.m., but the crowd didn't seem to mind _ middle-aged women squealed like schoolgirls and young men barely older than Prince's 25-year career bounced up and down as he performed classics like "Little Red Corvette," "Controversy" and "Adore," as well as material from his most recent album, "Musicology."

Sheila E. rejoined her former mentor onstage to perform along side him on "A Love Bizarre" and other tunes, while Melvoin _ who along with keyboardist Lisa Coleman were simply referred to as Wendy & Lisa in his old Revolution band _ also sat in with his New Power Generation band.

Other surprise guests included Chaka Khan, who joined Prince to sing "I Feel For You" _ a cover of his song that she made a monster hit in the 1980s; and old school rapper Doug E. Fresh.

The high-energy show ended on an emotional note as Prince performed "Purple Rain" and spotlighted drummer John Blackwell, whose 2-year-old daughter, Jia, accidentally drowned just days earlier. An emotional Blackwell pointed to the image of his little girl on his T-shirt, as Sheila E. embraced him and the band walked off the stage.


Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Man, that made me weepy without even actually seeing it for myself.

Still praying 4U, John...

Keith/Kacey

This is the kind of news I like to hear.

2freaky4church1 said:

Your moronic posts are barely tolerable on a normal basis when the subject is simple music... Commenting on this topic in such a way shows your total lack of class and intelligence.

So sad you have so little respect for Mr. Blackwell's choice in the middle of his unimaginable grief... Guess since you're "too freaky for church" then you're also "too stupid for compassion"... Maybe church is a place you should consider visiting.

Your post is the only thing that "ain't right" here...

jpav said:

jpav said:

2freaky4church1 said:

Your posts make me almost b ashamed that I live in the same city as U! U&I need 2 hookup so that we can see what your main problem is partna bcuz u r such a negative person. I don't know y u come 2the ORG in the 1st place. Do u need a hug or sumthin?
[This message was edited Sun Jul 4 10:51:27 2004 by ELBOOGY]

Amazing how there's always some 1 who turns a positive into a negative @ the Org Family .
John Blackwell chose 2 be happy,and he was given an excellent forum to distract himself and his family from grief.Focus on the positive was what he's trying to say to us all

No matter what JB decides to be doing in this time of grief and sorrow he will still be grieving right ?? So it dosen't matter what he chooses to do he'll STILL be grieving and in this way it may lighten the load to be out and around other people trying his best to move on because eventually that is what is required or he too will die u dig ?

PS: no offense to Freaxy though.....Some of us just wouldn't be able to do it like JB.We can't imagine having that kind of strenghth but,I am glad prayers have been heard and GOD has given this man and hopefully his wife stenghth as well.

I was so proud of John for showing up...and we have no idea what was going on behind the scenes.
He was supporting his friends and they were supporting him.
Much love was manifested by all.

I really had ball. He threw down . I'll post the pics later if no one beats me to it

"Essence chairman Ed Lewis then negotiated a deal with L. Londell McMillan, Prince's longtime business partner, that reportedly pays Prince the largest fee in Essence history. Festival producers have also adjusted to the Prince organization's peculiar modus operandi. Set times for Essence acts are generally locked in weeks in advance. Early this week, Prince still had not settled on an exact performance time.


in mpls about four years ago the yearly Mill City Festival went bankrupt because prince played and charged the highest fee on record. some of the other artists went without pay because prince insisted on being paid up front and his fee wiped out the bank account. hasn't been a Mill City Festival since then.


wonder why the guy feels a need to charge so much at the Essence festival? hasn't he made enough money yet?!