Entertainment Weekly just did a special issue about
"The 100 Greatest Entertainers, 1950-2000," and Prince was
ranked #60:



As freaky, fiercely talented musical geniuses go,
no one compares to him

by Rob Brunner



Prince--we're just gonna call him Prince, okay?--is 2 weird
4 his own good. There are the bizarre name changes (),
the bullheaded record-label battles, the word slave
written on his cheek. He annulled his marriage to wife Mayte
because he doesn't trust contracts. He's rerecording his
entire catalog so he can own the master tapes. The man born
Prince Roger [sic] Nelson is stubborn, ecentric, idealistic,
proud, sincere, and spiritual. He loves God and sex and music
and isn't ashamed of whatever impulses all three arouse in him.
These are good qualities. But somewhere between Paisley Park,
his Minnesota recording complex, and the outside world, the
41-year-old's personality gets muddled and misinterpreted,
making him seem only slightly less freakish than Michael Jackson.



But here's the thing: Behind all the eccentricity is a
breathtaking talent. A prodigy who put out his first album
when he was 19, he is among contemporary music's most
accomplished songwriters, penning as many of the last two
decades' great songs as anyone: "1999," "When Doves Cry,"
"Nothing Compares 2 U," to name a few. A true studio wizard,
he spent the early '80s crafting a distinctive combination of
screaming guitar, loose-limbed funk, and futuristic
electronics, both on his own records and on those of
protégés like Sheila E. While recording, he often
plays every instrument himself (if his virtuoso guitar solo on
"Purple Rain" doesn't make your heart pound, then you just
don't like electric guitar). And live? There is no more
arousing performer. "Here's a guy who's made some of
the most incredible records of the last I don't know how many
years--and he's still innocent whenever he picks up a guitar,"
says singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, who worked on Prince's
upcoming album. "After a while celebrity becomes a weight,
and it's hard to be reinspired everyday. But he shines every
time."