Best known as the attractive waitress Prince kept dissing in Purple Rain, the Ohio native was discovered by Prince when she was a 17-year-old back-up singer for white chocolate singer Teena Marie, who was like a sister to her. Jones was supplying backgrounds for the Prince camp since the early days. Serving as background singer on the brilliant 1999 album, she soon became Prince’s own Darlene Love as he juggled productions for his pop posse. Still, it wasn’t until sitting in the audience on opening day of Purple Rain that I actually saw Jill Jones for the first time.

While The Kid was busy chasing around the scantily clad Apollonia throughout the imaginary cyberfunk landscape that was Purple Rain, cutie-pie Jill was on the sidelines, her presence, which reminded me of the sweet dejected dames in noir flicks, was overshadowed by the other woman. According to Alan Light’s must-read Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain, the role was supposed to be bigger and include a song (“Wednesday”), but was cut down considerably in the final script.

Unfortunately, Jones’ screen drama foreshadowed her career at Paisley Park as Prince laced his genius on others’ projects while literally pushing her into the background. If the man-wonder would’ve released Jill’s album afterPurple Rain, it would’ve been a smash. But, instead he was off sculpting Sheena Easton’s sweet “Sugar Walls,” helping his old buddy Andre Cymone dig “The Dance Electric” and making the scene with The Bangles for the “Manic Monday” sessions. Since most of Prince’s history is a mystery, there are more than a few stories circulating about his relationship with Jill Jones. While engineer Susan Rodgers has maintained that Jones was in love with Prince, in a 1987 Ebony magazine feature “Prince’s Women,” Jones clarified that “I’ve never been his girlfriend. We’re basically really good friends.” Later, she’d confess that working with the genius was filled with many “trials and tribulations.”

[Edited 7/13/15 20:10pm]

Jill is a very talented singer,but she got a raw deal.She had been in the Prince camp since 1982,but her album didn't come out until 1987.Prince should have given her the songs "Sugar Walls" and "Blue Limousine" and released her album in late 1984 or early 1985.With those two songs as the singles,she would have been a huge success.

SoulAlive said:

Jill is a very talented singer,but she got a raw deal.She had been in the Prince camp since 1982,but her album didn't come out until 1987.Prince should have given her the songs "Sugar Walls" and "Blue Limousine" and released her album in late 1984 or early 1985.With those two songs as the singles,she would have been a huge success.

mmm hmmm

1982-1986 period 2 albums she would have been very popular

Once he saw that Apollonia wasn't committed beyond the role/PR connection
He should have at least released an album with Sex Shooter on it but did songs using Jill Jones & Brenda as lead, Susan Moonsie following and Apples additional

Sex Shooter
Blue Limousine
A Million Miles
Manic Monday
Sugar Walls
Wednesday
Kiss Me Quick

G Spot duet with Prince

* Spanish Villa

It just seemed like Jill wasn't a priority,even though she was more talented than some of those other ladies.Unlike Vanity or Apollonia,Jill could really sing.