larry is important to people like prince becuz of obvious reasons. sure he's a 101 years old but he CAN play bass like nobody else on earth.

milty said:

I totally agree. Who cares about his religion or its effect on Prince. Last I checked, he was a musician.

I do see the change in Prince's music since meeting him but at least hes inspired by a funk legend & not someone else with less to teach. Larrys ok really, but I did find myself in stitches when I first saw James' osama bin graham avatar lol.

Ive always admired his bass playing so I guess Im just biased.

Lewis

I have no problem with Mr. Graham. I met him once at Paisley Park and he is as nice as a person as he is bad on the bass.

However, I think that Prince fans view Larry as a guy who is destroying the rebel/shocker/rudeboy/rocker that is/was Prince. Prince used to be music that your momma didn't like and people see Larry as making Prince "tame".

Prince needed a father-figure, and Larry was there. Prince always had the spirituality in his music, but it never took the form of an organized religion until Larry introduced JW.

But if Larry had been around in '93, I doubt if Prince would've changed his name to , or written Slave on his face. He still would've battled WB for his masters, but I think Larry could've guided him into a more productive fight.

Larry is NOT P's Yoko Ono, but his influence is a little heavy-handed at times.

One of the most consistant complaints that I hear about Larry is that, while he was touring with prince, large chunks of the setlist were devoted to GCS/Family Stone songs. While Larry Graham's bass playing has never been in dispute, the rest of GCS was, to put it nicely, "not quite on the same level musically".So what you had was lot's of time being taken up at Prince concerts for music that many folks just didn't want to hear. One or two songs were fine, but they were hitting five - six full length songs.

Too be fair, that's not really Larry's fault. Prince bares the burden of deciding whats too little or too much.

As far as Larry's influence on Prince. I believe it to be positive overall. Prince has stated that as much as he respects Larry as a musician/funk icon, it was his friendship that had the biggest impact on him. Everybody needs friends, including Prince.

As for the JW thing. Well, the way I see it, Prince is a grown man, damn near 44 years old. He ought to have a decent idea of what right for him and what's not.

Plus, How much different is his life now than before? He's still touring and recording. So what if he doesn swear any more. When I went to his concert, there was plenty of music for him to perform that he didn't have to curse at all, but it was every bit as funky and jamming as if he'd done Erotic City or Head. It' not like anyone is likely to answer their door and find Prince standing in their doorway with an arm full of Watchtowers or anything.

Good question, and one I thought of posting myself. 4 2 days in Atlanta, I didn't meet ONE person who liked Larry, usually due to his alleged "brainwashing" of Prince re: religous beliefs. Anybody should know that Prince is one of the least impressionable artists around and could hardly be "brainwashed" by anyone, in my opinion. I think people over do the religous conversion thing or whatever it is. I never cared, and still don't, about Prince's own personal views and choices throughout his career, be it the name change, marriage, sexuality, reluctance to give interviews or whatever. Leave that stuff 2 the tabloids and let The Man do what he does.

Admittedly, the only things I've heard from the band that featured Larry are Rave Unto the Year 2000 and the 'Beautiful Strange" bootleg, but I liked them both...a lot. I thought he brought a lot to the band and, until I took note of her improved playing since the Hit N' Run tour, definitely preferred Larry's contributions 2 over Rhonda Smith's. She did, however, make me eat my words on the One Nite Alone shows.

For what it's worth, if Prince thinks Larry has taught him some things or opened up a few spiritual doors for him, who are we to say he hasn't or to question his choices in this matter? All of my friends don't always like each other either, leading many of them to wonder aloud sometimes what the hell I'm doing hanging out with so and so. Whatever gets u through the day, you know?

skywalker said:

I would have to agree with a lot of what has been written here in regards to Larry. These have been some great responses. I did and still view Larry as someone who has greatly contributed to the way Prince is today. I miss the "rebel/shocker/rude boy" and sex fiend that was or may still be Prince.

I saw him a couple of years ago on the show "Sinbad." Of course he brought in Larry and Chaka Kan with him and they all did their thing. They sang "The Cross" but from what I recalled the name of the song was changed . I thought,
" #%&*@!!! this is all Larry's doing."