St. Paul talked to OKAYplayer about Prince's passing. It's a l-o-n-g article, but definitely worth the read through. I was always amazed in more recent years (since the internet) how so many of Prince associates stayed in touch and were friends. So many, even me, assumed that once someone is not around anymore, that it's just all bad blood, and no one's talking to anyone. (That's probably media manipulation, etc.) Yet you hear about Paul and Susannah staying friends with Eric (whom he calls a best friend now), Gerry (Jellybean), and Sheila E., etc. He even touches base with Andre and Jerome, moreso in recent weeks.

The article was done via phone. Paul's playing bass on tour with Peter Frampton right now.

Here's a teaser of the article (page 2 is much longer than page 1):

OKP: Obviously Eric and Susannah and you are, are sort of actively working together with fDeluxe and making music…but has this moment, caused you to reconnect with anybody from that camp so to speak, that you’ve just been out of touch with or estranged from?

St. Paul: We’ve never really been estranged from, from anyone, it’s just life happens. I reached out to, people like Jerome and Andre, who I was in a band with, and we’ve been in contact. Yeah. You know, we’re just checking in, seeing how everybody’s doing. … It is really cool to watch this community come together and just lift each other up.

OKP: I have to ask, I think in some ways, the main question that’s been on my mind this … You know, it’s impossible to get away from this word, Family. This was a man who obviously in some ways, uh, not to assume or to speak ill of him, but he obviously in some ways struggled with the idea of family. And yet, he brought all these people together and he named his band, The Family. and in some ways, you know, creating community, not just picking talent…

St. Paul: (laughs) Yeah.

OKP: Do you see that in him, that he was trying to surround himself with a family?

Wonderful.
Thank U 4 sharing this. Will read when I get home.

I'm trying to locate the interview where he called what he had back then a Community

And it definately represents the people from that period.
Vanity Brenda Susan Jill etc all these people stayed in touch

Prince's band members and protege band members

OldFriends4Sale said:

Wonderful.
Thank U 4 sharing this. Will read when I get home.

I'm trying to locate the interview where he called what he had back then a Community

And it definately represents the people from that period.
Vanity Brenda Susan Jill etc all these people stayed in touch

Prince's band members and protege band members

It's my fav period, and I love The Family album

[Bait snip - luv4u]

Brenda Bennett, Apollonia, Jill Jones, Jamie Shoop, (Susan's sister), Susan Moonsie

[Edited 6/13/16 8:22am]

Apollonia Sheila E Carmen Electra

[Edited 6/13/16 8:23am]

Thanks Old Friends...Great pics!!

Cute story about the 'wreck a stow' skit being real!

paisley keyboard section — with Morris Hayes, Paul Peterson, Monte Moir, Lisa Kanclerz Coleman, Matt Fink and Tommy Barbarella.

[Edited 8/26/16 19:46pm]

BrownMark Mayte Hucky Austin

[Edited 6/9/16 8:59am]

Lisa Coleman, Rhonda Smith, Sheila E, Wendy Melvoin

the 1980s crew has always been the glue that connected everyone who worked with Prince

Bobby Z at Paisley Park studios listening to some of the new stuff Prince was doing. And Cassandra(keyboardist) took a picture of him with Blackwell, Shelby, Ida & herself

fDeluxe performed at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis last night and before it was all over, 2 of Prince's band members from the NPG joined fDeluxe for the encore which turned into an all out jam session!

Morris Hayes sporting a little longer doo nowadays took a spot behind the keyboards while the talented drummer John Blackwell took his place behind the drum kit.

Prince rented out the whole upstairs for his “family” his band was there, he was there, Bobby Z showed up. Ohh the privilege of living in Minneapolis…anything can happen. Cool night!

I love that picture of Bobby Z and John Blackwell. Total class and respect.

These lyrics are a beautiful description of Prince's community in 1985

Around the world in a day {repeat to fade}
Oh yeah!
All the little babies sing around the world
A government of love and music boundless in its unifying power {fade out}
A nation of art 2 production
Sharing ideas, a shower of flowers

Andre Dr Fink Dez Bobby Z a few years ago @ First Avenue and in the studio

Sheila E Lisa Wendy Rhonda Katt Cassandra...

OldFriends4Sale said:

Brenda Bennett, Apollonia, Jill Jones, Jamie Shoop, (Susan's sister), Susan Moonsie

[Edited 6/13/16 8:22am]

Who is the man & blonde/grey haired woman? How bored does Jill look.

jungleluv said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Brenda Bennett, Apollonia, Jill Jones, Jamie Shoop, (Susan's sister), Susan Moonsie

[Edited 6/13/16 8:22am]

Who is the man & blonde/grey haired woman? How bored does Jill look.

idk about the man, the lady is Jamie Shoop

Shoop was a part of Prince's camp / assistant etc
She was originally a part of the Hookers until Vanity came and she decided to just assist

[Edited 6/15/16 11:44am]

OldFriends4Sale said:

Brenda Bennett, Apollonia, Jill Jones, Jamie Shoop, (Susan's sister), Susan Moonsie

How recent is this picture? It's so good to finally see Susan Moonsie again!

I agree. She looks so young in that pic.

The more I read Paul's interviews the more respect I have for him, he seems to be such a kind soul

SoulAlive said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Brenda Bennett, Apollonia, Jill Jones, Jamie Shoop, (Susan's sister), Susan Moonsie

How recent is this picture? It's so good to finally see Susan Moonsie again!

This was during Vanity's memorial/funeral

St. Paul: Mostly, a lot of unspoken things. I think just being in the presence of each other, helps us deal with the shock of it. You know, lots of funny stories and things like that, we are memorializing him with those kinds of things, you know. It’s just like you do with anybody else in the family; through each other you kind of get through these kinds of things. One thing I will say about my encounter with him so long ago is that he put me in touch with and introduced me to people who have been my lifelong friends.
I mean, Eric Leeds and I are like best friends. We make music together. We have made music together for over 30 years. Susannah is part of our family. She’s stays here, I’ve stayed at her house. It goes with everybody else. Wendy, Lisa, Sheila, so many of these friendships have outlasted I think anything what anybody would ever have imagined and that’s, that’s what I think impacts us the most. He was not only was he an incredible person, Prince was able to put, you know, pick talent out. Through those relationships, or through those bands, we became really lifelong friends because there’s a specific bond [chuckles] that we all share, an experience that you can’t explain to anybody. No matter how hard you try. Being through the, uh, the Prince camp, it is a, it’s a very exclusive club, you know, not a lot of people had the opportunity to go through. And those of us that did, I think it really bonded us for life.

St. Paul: We’ve never really been estranged from, from anyone, it’s just life happens. I reached out to, people like Jerome and Andre, who I was in a band with, and we’ve been in contact. Yeah. You know, we’re just checking in, seeing how everybody’s doing. … It is really cool to watch this community come together and just lift each other up.