{{{C.J.: The Prince 'Purple House' in Chanhassen is leveled
C.J., Star Tribune
Published April 2, 2003 CJ02

Prince has razed a piece of purple real estate history.

The "Purple House" on Lake Riley, where his father, John L. Nelson, spent his final years, is gone. It was bulldozed about two weeks ago, according to neighbors.

Chanhassen building official Steve Torell reviewed the paperwork Monday: "It says the owner is Paisley Park Enterprises. A demolition permit was issued on January 14th."

Those are the just facts, said Torell, who's heard what neighbors told me about who formerly lived at the now-razed residence. "I think everyone thought his father lived there," said Torell.

The demo permit is good for six months. "To my knowledge, they haven't done anything yet," Torell said.

Au contraire. }}}

Monday afternoon I viewed the back part of the property as the guest of a neighbor.

There is no longer a house there, only a basketball backboard and one of those older, gigantic satellite dishes. The remote-control privacy gate, with heart and peace signs on it, is chained and padlocked.

The demolition of this piece of Prince's legacy leaves some wondering whether this has anything to do with a court battle initiated by a sibling seeking to share in John Nelson's estate. Prince seemed to think he alone had claim on his father's estates, which included musical instruments, etc., until his sister Lorna Nelson went to court with her claim that John Nelson had promised her financial help.

Lorna's attorney Mike Padden said, "The estate issues are finally wrapped. It got pretty ugly. I'm not on the short holiday greeting card list of either Prince or his attorneys, so I don't know what this is all about. This is really something. He's probably going to build a nicer house there."

The destruction may be a tangible sign that Prince is indeed cutting ties with his home state and perhaps, as rumored in the local music world, relocating to Toronto, home of his "wife" Manuela Testolini, who may be pregnant. He owns a second residence in Chanhassen as well as residences in Toronto and places elsewhere around the world.

The August 2001 death of his father and the February 2002 death of his mother, Mattie Baker, may be causing Prince to feel less connected to the Twin Cities; he did not attend his mom's funeral. There was lots of sibling wrangling over what Prince wanted to do with his father's remains.

The Lake Riley neighbor who invited me out, asking to be identified only as Janet K., said her family has lived there 10 years and "Dad has lived there for as long as we've lived here. I should thank [Prince] because now we have a really, really nice view of the lake."

While that was a joke, Janet also had the same sickened reaction as another neighbor who gave the name Jackie. "It's gone!" said Jackie. "What a waste. A perfectly good house. Nothing wrong with it."

Janet K. said there were signs of life at the Tudor-style house made of stucco and painted Prince's signature color. "We saw lights this past fall, like somebody was staying there," Janet K. said. "Nothing beyond that. There haven't been any lights all winter long. Nobody's talked to him. Nobody really has a clue why he did it. I figured if anybody could find out you could."

Ha. A call and e-mail to Prince's lawyer firm du jour, Blackwell Igbanugo, have not been answered.

Guess we'll have to wait until Prince deigns to explain himself to his PP buddy or on a national interview, if ever. Knowing Prince's manner, he probably thought it's HIStory so he can do with it what he likes. He's right, although historically speaking, capricious as always.

Just to be sure, I also checked to see whether Paisley Park was still standing Monday. It was, although it looked very deserted, only two cars in the lot closest to a side entrance. Instead of a moving van, perhaps neighbors should be on the lookout for a bulldozer at the other piece of Chanhassen lake property where Prince has lived.

Janet now wishes she'd taken a photo of the Purple House. "You know, when I saw the bulldozer pull in over there I thought, "What's he doing!' But by the time I got home that night it was dark and I couldn't see anything. In the morning the house was just in shambles. Wasn't no point in taking a picture."

Neighbor Jackie said that after all of the resentment she engendered for Prince fans who clogged the street by pulling into the drive of the property and generally milling about whenever Prince was in town, she would've been the last to take a photo.

Janet has been mulling over several theories for why Prince razed the house. Maybe he's actually moving, "but you know you pay less taxes if there's no house there," she said.

Perhaps Symbolina just didn't want anybody else living there?

"It was our understanding that 'Purple Rain" was filmed there; portions of it," Janet said.

A 1984 Star Tribune series on Prince mentions First Avenue as a movie scene, reporting: "Our Royal Rocker lives in a bright purple house on the shores of a lake west of the Twin Cities. Not too long ago a black fence, the gate to which is operated electronically from the house, went up around the property. Because of his diminutive physical stature and huge artistic stature, Prince has been accompanied by a bodyguard . . . "

While the article doesn't mention the Purple House's role in the 1984 movie, Prince-a-philes will recall one memorable "Purple Rain" scene with Apollonia, obviously shot on a lake.

Prince's high-heel-wearing-motorcycle-riding autobiographical character was taunting Apollonia with threats of desertion; she takes an ill-advised dip in the lake, and he doesn't. Someone who was on the movie set tells me that that was not Lake Riley, but a body of water farther out. This source also does not believe any of "Purple Rain" was shot at the Purple House.

This year is the 20th anniversary of the filming of "Purple Rain." In a way it's the anniversary of Prince begging us to notice him, only later coming to detest the attention.

Like me, Janet imagines that Prince will not appreciate anyone noticing that he bulldozed the Purple House. My take is that Symbolina tries too hard to be weird, when he's plenty strange without much effort. "That's a very good take," Janet said. "You don't have to try that hard when you're weird." And since we've repeatedly noticed the weirdness, mission is accomplished, and he can stop any minute now.

Symbolina's rumored departure from the Minneapolis area, which is a quick flight from Toronto, would mean his oddness perhaps would be of even less interest to most of us. Then again, maybe not, for he'll always be a Minnesotan.

Stan Lucas, who describes himself as a concierge for Clear Channel, is a regular at Bunkers. A week ago at the nightclub "I was just talking to some of the musicians and [was told] Prince has moved to Toronto. A lot of people he used to connect with feel alienated because he doesn't talk to anybody any longer. I guess he's just kind of disassociating himself with Minneapolis right now," said Lucas. "My take on it is that since his parents died that he doesn't have a reason to be here anymore."

If that's the case, Prince we'll miss ya'.

When cockatiels fly

John L. Nelson once had a bird companion, but it wasn't a dove. Neighbor Janet K. told a sweet story about the cockatiel that got away. Nelson's health care workers drove around looking for the bird and knocking on doors asking neighbors whether they had seen it. They said, We're taking care of the guy who lives there; we brought this bird over. We don't want to give his name. Wise, as that assured their continued employment. "They wouldn't tell who, but we knew," said Janet K. There are lots of hawks in the area, so the cockatiel's fate may not have been pleasant.

C.J. is at 612-332-TIPS or at cj@startribune.com, where she never opens attachments. So don't even try.

It's sad to see this house gone, but luckily there are many pictures of it.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 2 9:02:26 PST 2003 by LaVisHh]

CJ's level of obsession is rising.

Has she EVER spewed out such a lengthy pile of *** about Prince before?

She's obviously secretly very, very worried P won't be/isn't living in MN anymore ,or she wouldn't have dedicated this much effort to writing such a long piece about him. SCARY.

I do feel kinda bad about the purple house being gone, tho. I have pictures of it I took on a very sunny, summery day back in the 80s. It was a pretty house.

So this was Prince's father's house? Amethyst you should post your picture! I'd love to see it.

Poor CJ, she really doesn't have a life huh? At least she keeps us entertained, even though if most of it is crap.

Goddamn, this is one long post. Must have been a slow gossip day for her CJ

Rudedog

What it looked like THEN:


What it looks like NOW:
http://www.startribune.co...cj03.l.jpg

The evidence is stacking up. Doesn't look good.

Hopefully all the changes of recent are just misleading

eh, somethin else might get built there, i s'pose...




raze the edit
[This message was edited Wed Apr 2 9:34:36 PST 2003 by Handclapsfingasnapz]

Janet K. said there were signs of life at the Tudor-style house made of stucco and painted Prince's signature color. "We saw lights this past fall, like somebody was staying there," Janet K. said. "Nothing beyond that. There haven't been any lights all winter long. Nobody's talked to him. Nobody really has a clue why he did it. I figured if anybody could find out you could."

...lawd, like cj's some super-heroine of the prince world or sumfin...

EVERYBODY EMAIL CJ AND SAY HI

Why not call the construction company?

OuzoPower said:

AmethystAngelMN said:

Xactly! She even went through the effort of going out to a neighboring house to look at the destruction herself! Would you waste that much time & effort on something you claim to not give a damn about?
Bottom line is if P moves away, she's got less to write about.
And also: I didn't know that this year is the 20th anniversary of Purple Rain. All this time I thought that PR was released in '84. Silly me.

As a Minnesotan I truly, truly hope Prince does not leave us. I know Minneapolis is proud of him.

XtrueX said:

i bet cj's freakin out and like, "shit, he can't be leavin! there goes me bread n' butta!!!" but 2 be honest, ain't no way p's movin outta minny.

a brotha who gives his hometown/state as much props as he does really can't leave.


mine!!!

ShyBaby said:

i'm not originally from here (only lived here 4 almost two years), but i know the folks here are proud of 'im.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Yes, they look at him as a hometown kid who made it.

It would surprise me, mainly because he's owned homes in many different places - but always came back to Minnesota. Sometimes though, we need a change of pace and lifestyle, so it's always possible.

OuzoPower said:EVERYBODY EMAIL CJ AND SAY HI

That might not be a bad idea! But lets do it after she writes something really offensive about him!

LaVisHh said:

Thanks for the pics Lav!

CarrieLee said:

You're welcome!

And again I´m impressed of how unbelievably full of shit CJ is.

Such history in that house... a lot of 1999, Purple Rain, etc. was recorded in the basement studio. He probably intends to sell the property and didn't want its new owner giving tours or whatever.

Let's get someone in Minneapolis to follow CJ around and go harass (oh sorry... "interview") all her friends and family about her life, and then write snide, daily columns about her and everything she does, and dissect and analyze every single move she makes or thing she says.


CJ

AmethystAngelMN said:

oooh, memememe i wanna bug cj!!!

CJ was seen coming out of a public bathroom in Uptown today. Sources tell me that the bathroom was unuseable for a good 20 minutes after she left.

Maybe Stinkorena needs some colon cleansing.

...how'd i do?



juicy gossip-like edit
[This message was edited Wed Apr 2 11:53:22 PST 2003 by Handclapsfingasnapz]

wow.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Excellent work, Scoop Handclaps.

Now continue following her around and documenting her every move. Be sure to go interview/interrogate anybody who was in the bathroom with her at the time of the INCIDENT, and don't be afraid to interject copious amounts of editorial commentary in your reports, or to embellish for maximum dramatic effect.

Also, dig up lots of background information on why CJ is such a bitch. That'd be good.

Back to work you go now! Check in hourly so we all know what CJ is up to.



And oh yes -- Stinkorena is PERFECT! (be sure to overuse that nickname ad nauseum in everything you write about her... that'll be our kind of our little, um, tribute...to her writing technique.)


SMELLY EDIT!!
[This message was edited Wed Apr 2 12:05:27 PST 2003 by AmethystAngelMN]
[This message was edited Wed Apr 2 12:34:28 PST 2003 by AmethystAngelMN]

AmethystAngelMN said:

!!!

latest scoop:

[color=deep pink:5774c6dc11]Remember how I told you about how CJ blew an Uptown public bathroom with her funkiness (and I don't mean with a bassline!)? Well, a witness to this latest potty blowout--who wishes to be identified only as Dansa--seen it all...and smelt it all.

"Yeah, I seen her go in there," Dansa said. "She looked like she was in one helluva rush, too. Not to mention she had on these hideous shoes and this t-shirt with 'Prince is my baby daddy' on it. Anyway, I ended up going to Calhoun Square for a while to go look at stuff--I'm broke, all's I can afford is window shopping--and I go outside and I see this huge crowd of folks standing out in front of the street by Davanni's! Made me wonder...then I saw the Hazmat crew pull up and CJ being handcuffed by some policeman. Some chick told me that CJ had a serious case of the shits and, well..."

Stinkorena's still in jail, because ain't nobody willin to pay her bail money. Funny thing: my source at the Hennepin County Jail tells me that CJ was overheard asking the guards, "Any of you have Prince's phone number? I gotta call him!"

Hope that cat got caller ID and a restraining order.

whew!

Dansa is baaad!

Billy Jack Bitch