I was wondering who has been associated with Prince in the past but is no longer living. Not family members or friends, or really even loosely associated people (such as contemporaries like Rick James or Michael Jackson), but people he has worked with directly in a musical sense, or onscreen or professionally in someway. The only ones I can think of are Boni Boyer and Big Chick. I think one of his mid 80's managers died, too.

Sorry for the morbid topic.

You should take a look here http://prince.org/msg/5/153901

Steve Fargnoli

Tony LeMans (Paisley Park recording artist)

Hairstylist Earl Jones (Jill's uncle)

Boni Boyer

Big Chick Huntsberry

Jonathan Melvoin - Wendy and Susannah's brother who played on the ATWIAD album (and wrote the title track)

David Coleman - Lisa's brother

Prince's own mother Mattie, and father John, have both passed away.

Does Rick James count?

missjay23 said:

But it has been five years since then. How many people have died SINCE that thread?

ernestsewell said:

David Coleman wrote and played on ATWIAD.

Brofie said:

I'd count him! They toured together, shared a girlfriend and were rivals.

DesireeNevermind said:

Not even close to being a "Prince person". They hated each other. MJ was Prince's rival too, but MJ certainly isn't a Prince associate.

ernestsewell said:

MJ is superior in fame to Rick James and never toured with Prince nor bedded one of Prince's women; big enough difference between him and Rick. The actual association between Rick and Prince is not the same as the perceived association between Prince and MJ.

DesireeNevermind said:

He's not a Prince associate though. He never worked with Prince in the studio, they never made music together.

ernestsewell said:

Yeah but on a technicality (albeit small one), Prince opening for Rick back in the early 80s could qualify as a work relationship. Prince supposedly stealing Vanity from Rick (not that she was ever going to stay) could, on a technicality, qualify as a love triangle. While Rick is not a "prince person" as we typically call folk who have been in the studio with Prince, he was still associated. We have had threads dedicated to their rivalry and Rick's long time obsession with P.

I'm still counting him.

DesireeNevermind said:

Then you'll have to count Miles Davis, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Nona Hendryx, Chaka Khan, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, The Bangles, that Japanese chick, Graham Central Station, Kenny Rogers, and others as being associates.

ernestsewell said:

Ok!





what Japanese chick?

Is Billy Sparks still alive?

wow i didnt know about Tony

uPtoWnNY said:

No.

dandeeland said:

He died while working on a second CD for Paisley Park. It was a motorcycle accident if I remember correctly.

ernestsewell said:

But MJ didnt tour with him a the pivotal point in his career or share the same girlfriends - so the MJ analogy is just dumb.

Brofie said:

Your act hasn't changed much.

HonestMan13 said:

How did he die? ' No one understands your music except you'

I think Billy Sparks is still alive.

SoulAlive said:

Yeah I think he is as well.

Billy is alive. We discussed this recently, someone saw him at one of Prince's shows in Vegas or something.