Prince clips (in one video) on his religion and transformation.

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NCLZBixxYw

GeniusLuv said:

Prince clips (in one video) on his religion and transformation.

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NCLZBixxYw

Thanks

GeniusLuv said:

I was just looking at some videos on YouTube where Prince is talking about his religion, jehovah and how different he is now, not the crazy guy who made mistakes (compared to his younger life) thanks to religion.

.

This video shows him several different times talking about this, he reminds me of Denise, the way she preaced the word, accept..he's more quiet, centered and doesn't do the dramatics....she i think was more theatrical and really just fired up.

.

What the most intersting thing is, how Prince chose a religion as intense and as all encompassing but yet COMPLETELY WITH OPPOSITE BELIEFS regarding God/Jesus!

.

Its almost as if he wanted to do what she did, find peace, be religious, change for the better, but make sure it was the total opposite of what she believed, followed, preached..ON PURPOSE

.

Maybe do knock horns again, like in the old days?? Can you imagine these two preaching THEIR WORD AND TRUTH to each other later in life, before they both passed away>?

.

Your thoughts???

Denise has always been dramatic, lol. She was so over the top when it came to something that she was passionate about. Prince was more reserved and shy even so it was hard to tell when he was fired up about something but I do think he kind of followed in her footsteps, not consciously, in my opinion. They always felt like they were one so it was like the other one was destined to do what the other one did. It seemed like they both found peace when they turned to God and I think if they did preach to each other it would be crazy, lol. They already butted heads so I can only imagine......

SunnyGirl8 said:

kellyna said:

Okay I have a question about Prince's music (just cause we've been talking about various songs on this thread). I have never used Tidido before and I see where you can sign up and listen to music - but it is just to listen to on your computer? You can't download it or add it an IPOD etc is that correct?

Hiya Kellyna sorry I missed this before. I'm listening on my computer - I'm not sure if you can listen in other ways. I know you can't rip a copy of the songs off of it though. If you just copy this link into a new webpage it should open up for you http://tidido.com/a351843...695/albums

I've just realised this link is pink so you should be able to click on it and it will open directly to the page then scroll down and click on whatever you want to listen to. If it's an album it will show all the tracks. If it's a single, you'll see that too. It's a bit of a mess the list as there are singles and albums on there and there seem to also be other artists with the same name. There's no registration needed.

[Edited 5/27/16 14:53pm]

[Edited 5/27/16 15:34pm]

Hi SunnyGirl,

Thanks for the tips. I have signed up for it and I have figured out how you can search for different songs and albums - I haven't figured out how you can as you say "rip a song or download it to your computer."

cng89 said:

GeniusLuv said:

I was just looking at some videos on YouTube where Prince is talking about his religion, jehovah and how different he is now, not the crazy guy who made mistakes (compared to his younger life) thanks to religion.

.

This video shows him several different times talking about this, he reminds me of Denise, the way she preaced the word, accept..he's more quiet, centered and doesn't do the dramatics....she i think was more theatrical and really just fired up.

.

What the most intersting thing is, how Prince chose a religion as intense and as all encompassing but yet COMPLETELY WITH OPPOSITE BELIEFS regarding God/Jesus!

.

Its almost as if he wanted to do what she did, find peace, be religious, change for the better, but make sure it was the total opposite of what she believed, followed, preached..ON PURPOSE

.

Maybe do knock horns again, like in the old days?? Can you imagine these two preaching THEIR WORD AND TRUTH to each other later in life, before they both passed away>?

.

Your thoughts???

Denise has always been dramatic, lol. She was so over the top when it came to something that she was passionate about. Prince was more reserved and shy even so it was hard to tell when he was fired up about something but I do think he kind of followed in her footsteps, not consciously, in my opinion. They always felt like they were one so it was like the other one was destined to do what the other one did. It seemed like they both found peace when they turned to God and I think if they did preach to each other it would be crazy, lol. They already butted heads so I can only imagine......

I had thought about the opposites too! That girl was on FIRE when she got into the preaching. BUT.. maybe them preaching to each other, or witnessing would be different. There would really no reason for her to get theatrical on a one to one.

GeniusLuv said:

I was just looking at some videos on YouTube where Prince is talking about his religion, jehovah and how different he is now, not the crazy guy who made mistakes (compared to his younger life) thanks to religion.

.

This video shows him several different times talking about this, he reminds me of Denise, the way she preaced the word, except..he's more quiet, centered and doesn't do the dramatics....she i think was more theatrical and really just fired up.

.

What the most intersting thing is, how Prince chose a religion as intense and as all encompassing but yet COMPLETELY WITH OPPOSITE BELIEFS regarding God/Jesus!

.

Its almost as if he wanted to do what she did, find peace, be religious, change for the better, but make sure it was the total opposite of what she believed, followed, preached..ON PURPOSE

.

Maybe to knock horns with her again, like in the old days?? Can you imagine these two preaching THEIR WORD AND TRUTH to each other later in life, before they both passed away>?

.

Your thoughts???

.

[Edited 5/27/16 17:45pm]

Well I read in one of the articles after his death, that one of the reasons he converted to JW was that his mother was a devoted member of the church and wanted him to follow suit. I'm not sure when he joined the JW, but the article implied that it was something that it was promise he made to her before she died (which I think was 2000). But in any case, her influence and experience with the religion might have been what made him turn to it as well.

purplegirl00 said:

cng89 said:

Denise has always been dramatic, lol. She was so over the top when it came to something that she was passionate about. Prince was more reserved and shy even so it was hard to tell when he was fired up about something but I do think he kind of followed in her footsteps, not consciously, in my opinion. They always felt like they were one so it was like the other one was destined to do what the other one did. It seemed like they both found peace when they turned to God and I think if they did preach to each other it would be crazy, lol. They already butted heads so I can only imagine......

I had thought about the opposites too! That girl was on FIRE when she got into the preaching. BUT.. maybe them preaching to each other, or witnessing would be different. There would really no reason for her to get theatrical on a one to one.

I think deep down they both related to crazy in each other I hope they aren't arguing too much in heaven

Goddess4Real said:

purplegirl00 said:

I had thought about the opposites too! That girl was on FIRE when she got into the preaching. BUT.. maybe them preaching to each other, or witnessing would be different. There would really no reason for her to get theatrical on a one to one.

I think deep down they both related to crazy in each other I hope they aren't arguing too much in heaven

HA! His former bodyguard/best friend Chick is up there too so Denise better not be arguing too much with the Purple One or she'll be thrown in the Holy Pool up there. I think Prince and Denise are somewhere butting heads but also loving each other like crazy, lol.

cng89 said:

GeniusLuv said:

I was just looking at some videos on YouTube where Prince is talking about his religion, jehovah and how different he is now, not the crazy guy who made mistakes (compared to his younger life) thanks to religion.

.

This video shows him several different times talking about this, he reminds me of Denise, the way she preaced the word, accept..he's more quiet, centered and doesn't do the dramatics....she i think was more theatrical and really just fired up.

.

What the most intersting thing is, how Prince chose a religion as intense and as all encompassing but yet COMPLETELY WITH OPPOSITE BELIEFS regarding God/Jesus!

.

Its almost as if he wanted to do what she did, find peace, be religious, change for the better, but make sure it was the total opposite of what she believed, followed, preached..ON PURPOSE

.

Maybe do knock horns again, like in the old days?? Can you imagine these two preaching THEIR WORD AND TRUTH to each other later in life, before they both passed away>?

.

Your thoughts???

Denise has always been dramatic, lol. She was so over the top when it came to something that she was passionate about. Prince was more reserved and shy even so it was hard to tell when he was fired up about something but I do think he kind of followed in her footsteps, not consciously, in my opinion. They always felt like they were one so it was like the other one was destined to do what the other one did. It seemed like they both found peace when they turned to God and I think if they did preach to each other it would be crazy, lol. They already butted heads so I can only imagine......

Genius I picked up on that too. Prince was a Seventh Day Adventist when he was growing up. In 1997 after his child died and he was more or less separate from Mayte, he meets up with Larry Graham and they begin discussing religion deeply. When Prince's parents died in 2001/2 Prince converts formally.

.

I think its very strange given his earlier 'taunting' of Vanity during the album Come. And why go to an equal but different religion?

.

We heard a report that Denise also saw him at a concert in 1997. I am sure she tried to witness to him. Yet he rejects her path. I wonder if it had to do with trying to find a way to continue to do music yet become more religious. And that Denise's way rejected the showbiz lifestyle while

Graham had found a way to do both.

.

Its definitely another mirroring going on, but strange because Denise's religion required an acceptance of Christ as Savior and God while JW I believe they accept Jesus as Savior but not as God. And the two are not compatible to each other.

cng89 said:

Goddess4Real said:

I think deep down they both related to crazy in each other I hope they aren't arguing too much in heaven

HA! His former bodyguard/best friend Chick is up there too so Denise better not be arguing too much with the Purple One or she'll be thrown in the Holy Pool up there. I think Prince and Denise are somewhere butting heads but also loving each other like crazy, lol.

Yuuuuup

beachy said:

It kinda sealed their fate.

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

cng89 said:

beachy said:

It kinda sealed their fate.

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

i don't know the answer but my guess would be not immediately prior to her death, and maybe they hadn't spoken for a long time. I think he might have been aware of her health decline starting in Sept last year because she posted on facebook and gofundme. She was using her facebook to sell jewelry in order to make money right up until her death. It kinda makes me think they had disconnected but who knows maybe they talked. . I don't really think it means anything. People who have managed to ice over their emotions like Prince did cannot handle the emotions that come with direct contact with illness and death of a loved one and they avoid it. I've seen it in my own family. . I think Prince was able to express his emotions in music because music 'depersonalized' the emotions enough, if that makes any sense. . I actually think he was too sensitive to deal with things directly. He put on a strong show..

.

The other thing that makes me think they didn't is because Denise's pastor made sure to say that Denise loved and respected him up until the day she died. If they had talked she would have been able to tell him that directly. It seemed to be said in such a way that Denise made her pastor promise to give him that message. So maybe Denise missed the deathbed scene where he tells her he's always loved her, but delivered to him what she would have said.

[Edited 5/27/16 18:58pm]

cng89 said:

Goddess4Real said:

I think deep down they both related to crazy in each other I hope they aren't arguing too much in heaven

HA! His former bodyguard/best friend Chick is up there too so Denise better not be arguing too much with the Purple One or she'll be thrown in the Holy Pool up there. I think Prince and Denise are somewhere butting heads but also loving each other like crazy, lol.

cng89 said:

beachy said:

It kinda sealed their fate.

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

Cng89 - I had a post on the previous pages where I was asking the same thing - did Prince know how very sick Denise was and had he talked to her recently. And I said that I thought that his emotional reaction when he got the news while in Australia, might have meant that her death had surprised him - that he hadn't expected it to happen. That while he knew that she was continually battling health issues, he might have assumed that she would once again beat the odds and live for years and years more. And one of the reasons he might have been so emotional is that he didn't really get the chance to say goodbye to her and to tell her just how much she meant to him and continued to mean to him.

I can only imagine how sad it would have made him if he had not spoken to or seen her in recent years - it would have made the loss of her even more profound and I'm sure he would be full of regret. Even though they weren't still involved, she was still someone that he cared about, someone that he had shared a very special part of his life with and I know if it were me I'd want to tell them that before they died.

purplegirl00 said:

cng89 said:

HA! His former bodyguard/best friend Chick is up there too so Denise better not be arguing too much with the Purple One or she'll be thrown in the Holy Pool up there. I think Prince and Denise are somewhere butting heads but also loving each other like crazy, lol.

hilarious. I wonder if they have decided whose religion is the correct one? I wish they could tell us!

beachy said:

cng89 said:

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

i don't know the answer but my guess would be not immediately prior to her death, and maybe they hadn't spoken for a long time. I think he might have been aware of her health decline starting in Sept last year because she posted on facebook and gofundme. She was using her facebook to sell jewelry in order to make money right up until her death. It kinda makes me think they had disconnected but who knows maybe they talked. . I don't really think it means anything. People who have managed to ice over their emotions like Prince did cannot handle the emotions that come with direct contact with illness and death of a loved one and they avoid it. I've seen it in my own family. . I think Prince was able to express his emotions in music because music 'depersonalized' the emotions enough, if that makes any sense. . I actually think he was too sensitive to deal with things directly. He put on a strong show..

.

The other thing that makes me think they didn't is because Denise's pastor made sure to say that Denise loved and respected him up until the day she died. If they had talked she would have been able to tell him that directly. It seemed to be said in such a way that Denise made her pastor promise to give him that message. So maybe Denise missed the deathbed scene where he tells her he's always loved her, but delivered to him what she would have said.

[Edited 5/27/16 18:58pm]

I wonder what went through Prince's head when he heard her pastor say that and I believe it was in the program too so he had to have seen it since he was at the memorial service. I know that during his concert in Melbourne in the song 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore', he was begging for her to be brought back and to him. Ugh, I wish they got one more chance to say 'I love you' to each other before they passed. I wish I knew what their relationship was like in the end years.

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

kellyna said:

cng89 said:

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

Cng89 - I had a post on the previous pages where I was asking the same thing - did Prince know how very sick Denise was and had he talked to her recently. And I said that I thought that his emotional reaction when he got the news while in Australia, might have meant that her death had surprised him - that he hadn't expected it to happen. That while he knew that she was continually battling health issues, he might have assumed that she would once again beat the odds and live for years and years more. And one of the reasons he might have been so emotional is that he didn't really get the chance to say goodbye to her and to tell her just how much she meant to him and continued to mean to him.

I can only imagine how sad it would have made him if he had not spoken to or seen her in recent years - it would have made the loss of her even more profound and I'm sure he would be full of regret. Even though they weren't still involved, she was still someone that he cared about, someone that he had shared a very special part of his life with and I know if it were me I'd want to tell them that before they died.

It's heartbreaking to me because so many people wait until it's too late and I think both he and she did. I wish he could have been right there with her at the end. I don't believe he got to say goodbye to her.

kellyna said:

cng89 said:

Beachy, did Prince know she was dying? If so, did he talk to her or see her before she passed?

Cng89 - I had a post on the previous pages where I was asking the same thing - did Prince know how very sick Denise was and had he talked to her recently. And I said that I thought that his emotional reaction when he got the news while in Australia, might have meant that her death had surprised him - that he hadn't expected it to happen. That while he knew that she was continually battling health issues, he might have assumed that she would once again beat the odds and live for years and years more. And one of the reasons he might have been so emotional is that he didn't really get the chance to say goodbye to her and to tell her just how much she meant to him and continued to mean to him.

I can only imagine how sad it would have made him if he had not spoken to or seen her in recent years - it would have made the loss of her even more profound and I'm sure he would be full of regret. Even though they weren't still involved, she was still someone that he cared about, someone that he had shared a very special part of his life with and I know if it were me I'd want to tell them that before they died.

Yeah I am sure he felt huge loss. I am not sure he would have galloped to her side to pour out his soul. I think guys are different in that way.

And anyway, he had. He wrote Adore. For whatever reason she didn't accept it. There's a line in WDC that says, Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride. By the way he acted from 1987 on, I got the impression he either felt rejected (because of her engagement choosing it over him) or he realized he wasn't ready to settle down anyway and went on one hell of a sex bender.

beachy said:

purplegirl00 said:

hilarious. I wonder if they have decided whose religion is the correct one? I wish they could tell us!

Oh, goodness, I can hear them now trying to get the other one to listen. They both had to be right, lol.

beachy said:

kellyna said:

Cng89 - I had a post on the previous pages where I was asking the same thing - did Prince know how very sick Denise was and had he talked to her recently. And I said that I thought that his emotional reaction when he got the news while in Australia, might have meant that her death had surprised him - that he hadn't expected it to happen. That while he knew that she was continually battling health issues, he might have assumed that she would once again beat the odds and live for years and years more. And one of the reasons he might have been so emotional is that he didn't really get the chance to say goodbye to her and to tell her just how much she meant to him and continued to mean to him.

I can only imagine how sad it would have made him if he had not spoken to or seen her in recent years - it would have made the loss of her even more profound and I'm sure he would be full of regret. Even though they weren't still involved, she was still someone that he cared about, someone that he had shared a very special part of his life with and I know if it were me I'd want to tell them that before they died.

Yeah I am sure he felt huge loss. I am not sure he would have galloped to her side to pour out his soul. I think guys are different in that way.

And anyway, he had. He wrote Adore. For whatever reason she didn't accept it. There's a line in WDC that says, Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride. By the way he acted from 1987 on, I got the impression he either felt rejected (because of her engagement choosing it over him) or he realized he wasn't ready to settle down anyway and went on one hell of a sex bender.

I think Denise knew he wouldn't change back then. That superstar lifestyle always seems to break couples especially young ones. The fame really changed Prince I think and Denise wasn't the one to take the new Prince. All those women coming and going was really disrespectful and it was like he didn't even try to hide them from her. I think she would have stayed if he could keep it in his pants but then again, in the 90s and 00s he was still messing around it seems. Mayte and Manuela anyone?

Paxi said:

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

wow Paxi thanks for the info. Yes it fits! She's saying Jesus is God. I believe the JW do not believe that.

.

Abut the Caress. From the lyrics to Prince's songs written at the time he was together with Vanity, they all have the bathing references. Even WDC video has him in a bathtub, getting out and extending his hand (to her...). Perhaps Caress was one of the washes they used together!

.

WDC says 'Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride...'

I have this sense that Denise left him and he was incredibly hurt by it. And perhaps a little bitter.

.

Did she say she had talked to him in the near past? Did she say anything about why she married that man Smith?

Paxi said:

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

THANK YOU for sharing your encounter with Denise! I think your article was discussed here earlier in this thread because the Caress Body Wash somehow rings a bell.

cng89 said:

kellyna said:

Cng89 - I had a post on the previous pages where I was asking the same thing - did Prince know how very sick Denise was and had he talked to her recently. And I said that I thought that his emotional reaction when he got the news while in Australia, might have meant that her death had surprised him - that he hadn't expected it to happen. That while he knew that she was continually battling health issues, he might have assumed that she would once again beat the odds and live for years and years more. And one of the reasons he might have been so emotional is that he didn't really get the chance to say goodbye to her and to tell her just how much she meant to him and continued to mean to him.

I can only imagine how sad it would have made him if he had not spoken to or seen her in recent years - it would have made the loss of her even more profound and I'm sure he would be full of regret. Even though they weren't still involved, she was still someone that he cared about, someone that he had shared a very special part of his life with and I know if it were me I'd want to tell them that before they died.

It's heartbreaking to me because so many people wait until it's too late and I think both he and she did. I wish he could have been right there with her at the end. I don't believe he got to say goodbye to her.

I am not so sad because I think the way they resolved it was to go into eternity. They both had a very strong sense of spirituality that transcended time.

beachy said:

Paxi said:

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

wow Paxi thanks for the info. Yes it fits! She's saying Jesus is God. I believe the JW do not believe that.

.

Abut the Caress. From the lyrics to Prince's songs written at the time he was together with Vanity, they all have the bathing references. Even WDC video has him in a bathtub, getting out and extending his hand (to her...). Perhaps Caress was one of the washes they used together!

.

WDC says 'Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride...'

I have this sense that Denise left him and he was incredibly hurt by it. And perhaps a little bitter.

.

Did she say she had talked to him in the near past? Did she say anything about why she married that man Smith?

Wow, Paxi! Thank you for sharing that. I don't think they stood a chance at that time. Too much fame, ego and women. Their love wasn't enough to keep them together.

beachy said:

cng89 said:

It's heartbreaking to me because so many people wait until it's too late and I think both he and she did. I wish he could have been right there with her at the end. I don't believe he got to say goodbye to her.

I am not so sad because I think the way they resolved it was to go into eternity. They both had a very strong sense of spirituality that transcended time.

AGREED!

cng89 said:

beachy said:

Yeah I am sure he felt huge loss. I am not sure he would have galloped to her side to pour out his soul. I think guys are different in that way.

And anyway, he had. He wrote Adore. For whatever reason she didn't accept it. There's a line in WDC that says, Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride. By the way he acted from 1987 on, I got the impression he either felt rejected (because of her engagement choosing it over him) or he realized he wasn't ready to settle down anyway and went on one hell of a sex bender.

I think Denise knew he wouldn't change back then. That superstar lifestyle always seems to break couples especially young ones. The fame really changed Prince I think and Denise wasn't the one to take the new Prince. All those women coming and going was really disrespectful and it was like he didn't even try to hide them from her. I think she would have stayed if he could keep it in his pants but then again, in the 90s and 00s he was still messing around it seems. Mayte and Manuela anyone?

well just remember his father actually did tell him to never get married (or he would lose his career like the father had)...

.

he was terrified of commitment for that reason, also because of his abandonment issues could not trust anyone, needed to control them...

.

he already had a harem started before Vanity arrived...(Moonsie, Jill Jones..)

.

and it was the 80s, everyone was supposed to be 'relaxed' about sex...

.

Vanity slept with others too...

.

it seems easy to solve this, but it wasn't. In the end I think Vanity was so beautiful that guys were hitting on her all the time, in front of prince, and this triggered his insecurities and kept him banging other girls to keep some kind of control of the situation...

beachy said:

Paxi said:

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

wow Paxi thanks for the info. Yes it fits! She's saying Jesus is God. I believe the JW do not believe that.

.

Abut the Caress. From the lyrics to Prince's songs written at the time he was together with Vanity, they all have the bathing references. Even WDC video has him in a bathtub, getting out and extending his hand (to her...). Perhaps Caress was one of the washes they used together!

.

WDC says 'Don't make me chase you, even doves have pride...'

I have this sense that Denise left him and he was incredibly hurt by it. And perhaps a little bitter.

.

Did she say she had talked to him in the near past? Did she say anything about why she married that man Smith?

Hi, no she didn't say she and Prince had spoken recently. I was trying so hard to be respectful but oh my gracious there were so many questions I wanted to ask! This was the closest I'd ever get to Prince! lol. It was very evident though, she still had strong feelings.

No, she didn't comment on her husband. Maybe she did but who cares, I was trying to hear about Prince! lol. But no, she didn't.

Paxi said:

Hi everyone, I haven't been active on here in QUITE a while, I had to look up how long ago I joined and it's been 11 years! But I've been reading posts from you guys, as we deal with the loss of our Prince.

I have a story to share regarding Vanity. I was a writer with the D.C. City Paper back in 1997, and at that time Vanity (Denise) had become very active in her evangelism. She was coming to D.C. June 1st of that year to preach and I did a brief blurb to accompany the calendar event that went in the paper.

A portion of what I wrote follows:

"The Artist Formerly Known as Vanity" is now Denise Smith, and her past includes being the queen of nastiness and blatant sexuality, and the symbol man's lover and protegee during the early '80s. But too much partying, too much promiscuity, and way too much cocaine brought the diva to her knees and close to death. Rumor has it Smith's hearty drug abuse knocked her out of Prince's life and out of the role as his leading lady in Purple Rain. Now the sinner has been saved and is preaching against just such wicked ways in her newfound role as evangelist, proving nothing is stranger than real life."

Well...someone didn't like what I wrote. And that someone was Denise. She actually reached me at my newspaper office a couple of days after that piece was printed in the paper to tell me, "Your article is wrong! I left Prince, he didn't leave me!"

I was stunned. First off because it's Vanity on the phone. Like, really? This woman's photo was taped to my wall next to my many Prince posters when I was a kid. Now she's on the phone with me??

I apologized to her and the phone call ended up with an invitation for me to meet/interview her before her church event the following Sunday.

I met her in a hotel lobby (seriously) in Greenbelt, MD and she had her PR person waiting with her, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy or something, and once we made our introductions, the PR lady left.

I won't go into the whole thing but I spent about 5 hours with her; the majority of it being her relaying passages from the Bible; sitting with me with her Bible, telling me, "Jesus is God. Jesus is God." Over and over. But the one moment that stood out was when we went to CVS beforehand to get something she needed. For whatever reason, I picked up a bottle of that Caress body wash and out of nowhere she goes, "I can't look at that. That reminds me of Prince."

I didn't get the story behind it, I didn't pry, but I'm saying to myself, "It's 1997 and she's still hung up on Prince?"

I tell this long story just to say that yes their love was timeless (I feel). I have ALWAYS felt that she was his number one. His true desire, his true love. Just think about how young they were when they dated! Like, 22/23 or something? How can you have a mature relationship at that age? And being in the music business on top of that? Did they even have a chance?

Denise was little. I'm 5'10" and I towered over her. She was 5'3", 5'4" maybe? I just remember saying to myself that she and Prince were made for each other because not only were they friggin' STUNNING, she was little too! Lol. I could never tell from photos how big or little she really was. And just as pretty as ever. She smelled really good too and when I asked her what she was wearing, she smiled and told me it was a secret, that she mixed two kinds of perfume together. I wish I'd been a little more nosey and found out. lol.

Anyway, I hope this little memory provides something for you all. I stayed on the phone with my Mom all evening when I got home from work the day Prince passed. We stayed up watching CNN and all the news specials on him. I told her, "Mom, maybe I sound crazy but I just find it odd that he passed so soon after Vanity. It just...it's weird to me." She got what I was saying, and I'm so relieved to see this thread, to know that others understood my thinking. I think many things contributed to our Prince leaving this Earth, but I really feel this was a strong element.

[Edited 5/27/16 19:10pm]

Great story about meeting Vanity/Denise do u have any pics?

[Edited 5/27/16 19:28pm]