Prince to be inducted into Hall of Fame
Jon Bream, Star Tribune
Published November 21, 2003 PRIN21

It was no surprise: Prince was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday. Equally unsurprising, the reclusive Minnesota rock star had nothing to say publicly about this momentous honor.

The shy kid from the north Minneapolis has been one of the most innovative musicmakers, dazzling performers and enigmatic music stars of the past 25 years. His induction was "automatic," said Bob Merlis, a member of the Hall nominating committee.

"He's everything you want in a rock star: Iconoclastic, great guitarist, great dancer, enigmatic, a rebel, everything -- and he makes great records," said Merlis, a Los Angeles publicist who worked with Prince at Warner Bros. Records for two decades.

Calls to Paisley Park, Prince's recording complex in Chanhassen, were not answered. His publicist, Ronnie Lippin of Los Angeles, said, at press time, that she had not received a statement from him.

Others, however, had plenty to say about this crowning of Prince, 45, who will be inducted March 15 along with the late George Harrison, Traffic, Bob Seger, ZZ Top, the Dells and Jackson Browne. Harrison, who already had been inducted in '88 as a member of the Beatles, was honored for his solo work.

Prince was the only one selected in his first year of eligibility. (An artist is eligible 25 years after the release of his first album). John Mellencamp also was on the ballot for the first time, but wasn't selected by the 700 music-industry executives, musicians and critics who voted this year.

"It's not a surprise; he deserves it," said Twin Cities producer Bobby Z, Prince's drummer from '78 to '88. "From the first day I met him in '75 or '76, I could see it immediately: He had a magical gift. One in a billion! Just oozing talent."

In 1976, Owen Husney quit his job running a Minneapolis advertising agency to become Prince's first manager and help him land a recording contract with Warner Bros.

Husney said Thursday that, after the deal was signed, Prince told him: "I gotta do my own album. Maurice White [of Earth, Wind & Fire] is not producing. You go tell the chairman of Warner Bros. that I'm producing."

Prince was 18 then. Warner chairman Mo Ostin told Husney: "We might have to risk losing an album on this guy. But he's got record sense."

Prince proved it on his 1978 debut album, "For You," writing, arranging and producing all the songs, and playing all the instruments. The record yielded a modest hit, the suggestive "Soft and Wet" -- a side of Prince that emerged full-blown in his provocative 1980 breaththrough "Dirty Mind."

He found mainstream success in '83 with the hits "Little Red Corvette" and "1999." His blockbuster was 1984's "Purple Rain," a semiautobiographical movie filmed in the Twin Cities that became an unexpected hit. The $7 million movie, with a first-time director and first-time star, grossed more than $65 million. Its soundtrack album sold more than 10 million copies, spent 24 weeks at No. 1 and earned Prince an Oscar and two Grammys.

He continued to have hits for another eight years. Then he started feuding with Warner Bros. about artistic freedom and the prolific pace at which he released albums. In '95, he changed his name to a glyph (real name: Prince Roger Nelson) and lost respect and record sales. He returned to using "Prince" in 2001 and now releases albums on his own. His latest CD, "N.E.W.S.," is an all-instrumental disc.

During his career, he has sold more than 36 million albums in the United States. He also has written or produced hits for the Bangles, Chaka Khan, Sheena Easton and Sinéad O'Connor, among others.

Prince joins Bob Dylan (class of '88) as the only Minnesota residents in the Rock Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland. Albert Lea-born Eddie Cochran was inducted posthumously in '87. Since 1986, 201 artists and industry figures have been enshrined.

The induction ceremony will be March 15 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Said one fan on the Web site prince.org: "I hope he doesn't do or say anything too weird."

http://www.startribune.co...24730.html

It's a "no-brainer"... Of course he's a first ballot HOF'er...

I just hope he show's up !!

I would beg to differ with the "lost respect" comment in this article.

I wish the official induction in nyc was open to the public...esp. since im a nyc resident...
He probably wont show up and have a respondent recite a paragraph downplayin' his skillz and his ambitions as a musician and conclude by saying thanks to all the people who inspired him...
He definetly deserves it.

Ironic or fate that the induction will take place on Sly Stone's Birthday?

This should be one kick ass show. I hope that george Clinton or lenny kratvitz gets to give his induction speech.Someone that has been with him for a long period of time.Congrat's.

this is Xcellent news! HATS OFF TO OUR HERO

But do you think he will perform during the "jam" that all the inductees do?...perhaps he'll stand there with a lollipop like he did on the American Music Awards during the anniversary of "We Are The World"! LOL!

I also would beg to differ with a certain comment - I hope he does do and say many weird things while being inducted. That's why we love him, right?

kellogg said:

It's ROGER...get it??? It seems like everyone on here is always insisting it is "Rogers"...nope.

acole said:But do you think he will perform during the "jam" that all the inductees do?...perhaps he'll stand there with a lollipop like he did on the American Music Awards during the anniversary of "We Are The World"! LOL



And perhaps he won't show up at all.

When I hear about the 'Hall of Fame' I always get a vision of a big castle floating on a cloud full of ageing musicians. Like they have a room with glass cages, when you get inducted you have to go live there and play your greatest hit over and over while the general public file past watching you through the glass.

Is it like that?

undulatingacrobat said:

Might not be true for us, but he's been a joke to the masses ever since the name change.

metalorange said:When I hear about the 'Hall of Fame' I always get a vision of a big castle floating on a cloud full of ageing musicians. Like they have a room with glass cages, when you get inducted you have to go live there and play your greatest hit over and over while the general public file past watching you through the glass.

Is it like that?


I have been there a few times and they actually do have glass enclosures for exhibits and it sits over the water at the habour downtown. I have never caught sight of any of the musicians around there.

OK...Obviously he deserves this. Now, who will induct him and will his JW beliefs allow him to celebrate this? They don't celebrate anything else. Will he even show up?

ThunderCer

It's really going to be interesting to see how Prince handles this. I just hope he graciously accepts the induction. Prince really has done a lot, and he deserves to be recognized formally for all he has accomplished.

Congrats, & very well deserved *

this guy prince is music,the bottom line.why?because there is nothing he cant do or play.can write u any kind of song u could imagine.thats why we dont get some of his shit[like n.e.w.s.and other shit]he's musically over our head and im afraid sometimes he gets bored and does things that keeps him intrested.but by far the best living musician around today.

Congratulations!
Nice to see Prince and Zappa there..

kellogg said:

Okay, who's got the famous quote here?

I think Prince has gained back much of that lost respect because so much of what he has said about todays crappy music industry has come true.
The recording industry has turned into the big joke, and more and more people are recognizing Prince for the brilliant musician he is.
And thank God Prince isn't being lumped together with the likes of Michael Jackson, the live cadaver, anymore.

I agree. Prince has gained back sooo much respect lately. Especially after the ONA tours and his recent Aussie tour. Let's hope he performs and blows the roof off the Hall OF Fame Venue!!!

kellogg said:

THIS is wonderful news. It is, IMO, an award HE deserves more than ANY of the others joining him next yr. It makes one proud 2 know he was elected the FIRST time. AWESOME! I just hope prince feels HE deserves it as well, & accepts the award, shows up, and does "his thang" & DOESN'T decide 2 stoop as low as the music industry has (in the way they treated him) since he had his ongoing differences with WB. He is way "ABOVE" THAT. BEING THERE will show "THEM" that he has BEEN & ALWAYS knew WHERE he was headed & what he felt was right, "WAS" right & is now being done by many other artists, thanks 2 him. HE worked VERY hard & long 4 this, which will CARRY him through life & after with this "accomplishment" to be proud of & to leave his legacy, as well as the extreme LOVE we already had & will ALWAYS have for him. ---

---

Hopefully, after this prestigious event, prince's nemesis c j, at the tribune, will have something "positive to say about him, for a change. If he attends, I'm sure she'll find it difficult to flame him. However, she'll probably always "hunt" for something? She should just "gett off" of whatever she has weighing on her about him and GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. One cant blame him for not giving the paper "a statement"!

Reply to 'Prince to be inducted into Hall of Fame (Jon Bream, Star Tribune)'



It's been a long road and a beautiful road. If anyone deserves to be inducted into the hall of fame. It is you.

GustavoRibas said:

Hi Gustavo!
I agree. Zappa and Prince has alot incommon. Just listen to "Rock NRoll is alive", "Wedding Feast"...U can fell Zappa all over it!

Gustavo - how r u by the way?

Congrats!!! To the Royal Badness himself U deserve it.

even though I have
TOTALLY
removed myself from "the world of prince" as it has existed for the last 5-6 years
(except for the infrequent times I come to the org & the monthly LovesexyDC parties)
&
even as I haven't bought or listened to anything he's put out since '98..

I definitely agree he merits inclusion in "The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame"-

for his ENTIRE body of work from 1978-87
&
for about half of his work from 88-96.

(if the body of his work were all like the last 5-6 years, he'd never be nominated or inducted.)


I'm not surprised that he hasn't commented yet on his induction, & I'll be surprised if he shows for the ceremony in March. If he does show, be ready to hear something about Jehovah's Witness.

Speaking of which, is it a reasonable presumtion that
(IF he shows up)
he'll have Larry introduce him?
D'Angelo would be a good choice,
but then I remember how "Nce" invited him to Paisley Park to jam, then proceeded to "lecture" D'Angelo & then diss him during the "jam session" by playing stuff that D'Angelo didn't really know & couldn't follow.

Yeah, it's "stuff" like this that caused me to distance myself from Nce..


I'm sure there'll be pictures from the ceremony posted here;
that's as much as I'd want to "participate" in the induction.