Prince Reunites With the Time, Sheila E.
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer

NEW ORLEANS - Anniversaries often bring reunions. And to mark the 20th anniversary of "Purple Rain," Prince reunited with some of the players in his musical past - Morris Day and The Time, guitarist Wendy Melvoin and former protege Sheila E.
"This hasn't been done like this in a long time," said veteran musician Larry Graham, who performed at Friday's Essence Music Festival show at the Superdome in New Orleans. "This is just right on time."

Prince's show, the kickoff to the three-day annual concert festival in the city, was a five-hour party attended by 50,000 people, the largest crowd for a concert in the festival's 10-year history.

The show started out on a bizarre note - Prince, onstage in a disguise of a straight-haired wig, hat and beard, playing the guitar on inline stakes as relatively unknown performers danced or sang around him. The most famous person to come on stage at that point was Graham, formerly of Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station.

Then, the mysterious figure onstage announced Sheila E., and the audience erupted in cheers as she ran through her 1984 hit "The Glamorous Life."

Day and the Time, billed as the opening act to Prince, emerged later. Day, who starred with Prince in the groundbreaking film version of "Purple Rain," joined his preening sidekick Jerome as they sang old hits like "The Bird" and "Cool."

Prince didn't hit the stage until nearly 11 p.m., but the crowd didn't seem to mind - middle-aged women squealed like schoolgirls and young men barely older than Prince's 25-year career bounced up and down as he performed classics like "Little Red Corvette," "Controversy" and "Adore," as well as material from his most recent album, "Musicology."

Sheila E. rejoined her former mentor onstage to perform along side him on "A Love Bizarre" and other tunes, while Melvoin - who along with keyboardist Lisa Coleman were simply referred to as Wendy & Lisa in his old Revolution band - also sat in with his New Power Generation band.

Other surprise guests included Chaka Khan, who joined Prince to sing "I Feel For You" - a cover of his song that she made a monster hit in the 1980s; and old school rapper Doug E. Fresh.

The high-energy show ended on an emotional note as Prince performed "Purple Rain" and spotlighted drummer John Blackwell, whose 2-year-old daughter, Jia, accidentally drowned just days earlier. An emotional Blackwell pointed to the image of his little girl on his T-shirt, as Sheila E. embraced him and the band walked off the stage.
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tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Aw, that hits me hard, the loss of such a young one...

gooeythehamster said:

Yes, this is this hardest thing imaginable. There is NOTHING harder. Yet these men, Prince & John, and their faith, have stood strong, and their love has shined on all of us. They're giving back the gifts they've been given and showing us that it's okay, everything is going to be all right one day.

Keep the faith and LOVE,
always
[This message was edited Sat Jul 3 14:27:04 2004 by mzflash]

I need a video of this!

he played before 50,000 people... did they all get a copy of 'musicology'?

You know, this article was freakin' me left and right till I got to the Doug E. Fresh part.

Still, it sounds like an amazing night.

camilleisfunky said:

I was informed by a person who attended the show said that they were giving away the cd's!

johnnyj said:

Me too!!

The show MUST go ON!!!

Wow! I hope this show was recorded. 1st I am suprised but glad that John Blackwell played since its so soon after such a horrible tragedy. I hope playing is helping him cope.

On a different note, its so cool to hear that Wendy was there. I am just wondering where is Lisa?

Nothing but good wishes for John and his family.

Wendy AND Lisa!?!?!? Fantastic news!

Pagey said:

Drumming can be an excellent, cathartic, way to release emotions. Good for John. My prayers are with him and his family.

David

When it was said that a member of John Blackwell's family had passed..never would've thought it would his his 2yr old baby...

Yeah, I was there last night. The experience was undescribable. Everybody there did get a copy of Musicology. So mow I just have a back up copy.

Now THIS is a moment I've paid money to see! Sheila E., Morris Day opening for Prince, with Wendy & Lisa playing in the band?!?! WHOA!!!!

Happy Dance!

Rico said:

No, just Wendy...

I feel so bad for John..What a Trooper. Why did This Happen? Why do Tragedies Happen? I Cannot get this Ev'er...Innocents..9-11. I Cannot get War,Strife,Pestilence and Hate. Maybe I'm too Idealic ..I cannot even get Racism.. I wish the world didn't have Sadness. I wish Love for John and his wife...

prince can very much rel8 2 what john is going through right now. remember th@ he & mayte lost their newborn also in a tragic way. is some1 says " eye can feel that u r going through right now" mostly it is just words. but when princes says these words, john knows th@ his words r true.

sleyestone.

CalhounSq said:

Fantastic news quand même

mzflash said:

Wow, what a way to come back...God bless you and your family John.

,,,,,WHERE'S THE BOOTLEG FOOTAGE?

-MONEYMADE

Yeah, right! All our lost ones are coming back from the dead and leave away this illusion called life... Based on this JW's make most of their profit. Not from me, of course!

mzflash said:

Sounds like an amazing time.Nothing will ever make John Blackwell's hurt go away; but hopefuly the memory of this night may help him and his family compensate his Daughter's loss.A wonderful experience to tag his thoughts, and balance the horror of the reality of death.

theAudience said:

Hope this shut everybody up about Chaka Khan beefing with Prince.

sleyestone said:

U're exactly right.

Actually, when you consider the amount of time they have spent together...John, Prince and the band and Larry.....he was really with his family, and they were with him.
I sorta feel like they were all there to support John. You could feel the love.

So John actually performed in light of his daughter's death?!

I've seen Prince a dozen times or more and this show was absolutely amazing.
I will admit that I was surprised to see John Blackwell perform, but people handle things differently so props to him for being able to make through the show.
The highlight for me was Chaka Khan performing I Feel For You and Sweet Thing, and of course seeing Wendy Melovin onstage for most of the show. I was praying that Prince and Wendy performed Sometimes it Snows in April as a closer, but his performance and dedicating Purple Rain to John Blackwell and his family was amazing and it was really heartfelt. Sheila E. was in tears, and Prince damn near cried himself.

Simply Amazing Show.

Taurus said:

What songs did W&L perform with Prince?