I HAVE LOVED PRINCE RIGHT BEFORE PRINCE CAME OUT IN PURPLE RAIN. I SAW HIM IN A MAGAZINE AND STARTED LUSTING AND STARTED DEVELOPING A LIFE LONG OBSESSION WITH MY BABY PRINCE SO IN 1983 WOW I WAS 9.....LOL LET ME KNOW

it's been a long strange trip. i was first aware of him when i was 9 too, when i first saw the "i wanna be your lover" video...i didn't match that guy up as the same person when i started getting into "purple rain" in '84, but when i made the connection, i realized i'd been interested in this guy's music for a long time - it took a minute for me to realize he was the same guy who did "i wanna be your lover", "1999", etc. so it kinda built over the years as i became more conscious of music.

23 YEARS

I'm still waiting to be able to love prince.

I was about the same as you all.....i think i was 9 years old and had to hide the tapes ny friends would buy me in my heater duct in my room...untill my parents found them...i think i was 9. When I turned 16 my mother gave me a box for my birthday, it had been all the Prince stuff she had taken from me so many years ago!!!I have it still to this day....my birthday.

Since I saw him on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. I was Transfixed at this Gorgeous Man playing a Mean Guitar. I just wanna Cheat with him so bad,although I do like /Respect Mani. Can't help if I Love Purply Man....He's Sooo HOT!

I was 9 as well. I grew up in a very religious atmosphere.
I had to sneak to the local department store to buy a vinyl
copy of 1999. It really changed my life, or maybe it
was just life affirming. I've always been very sexual and
spiritual. Much like our little friend. He helped me feel
ok about myself.

do see a religious child trend here?

I think I post on every thread that poses that question because I love telling the story!!

Prince hooked me as a babe also. The song was "It's Gonna Be Lonely". The passion that he presented as he sang these words...

We've been together for quite some time
I'd think by now you'd know
It would take forever to get you off my mind
If ever you decide to go
I guess I got a little insecurity when it's concerning you
I guess I'm just afraid that if you ever leave
I'd be in a messed-up state of blue
And I'd be so lonely

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

Whatever's in your kiss, it really turns me on
'til I go right out of my mind
And who could ever resist your accent from gay Paree
It gets me every time
I betcha thatcha never knew that in my dreams you are the star
The only bummer is that you always want to leave
Who do you think you are

Don't you know it's gonna be lonely
Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
Giving me everything that I need
Oh pretty baby, can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
I know, I know it's gonna be lonely
Oh, whatever's in your kiss
I never could resist
Oh, baby don't go!

We've been together for quite some time
It'd take forever to get you off my mind
Oh, girl!

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you by my side
Don't you know that I could die, baby

Without you loving me
Can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

It's gonna be lonely, baby
So lonely, baby

turned my little young ass out!! I truly believe hearing him sing this song for the first time was orgasmic for me because at the time I didn't who he was or what he looked like. I just knew that he was someone special and he'd set up residence in my heart! His music has been there with me to celebrate my good times and his music had been there to get me through my bad times! I don't give a damn if he NEVER has another HIT, the musical joy he has given me through the years is enough to sustain me for the rest of my life and for that I will ALWAYS be grateful and is why I will ALWAYS love him!!

very cool song, "It's Gonna Be Lonely"
i wish he'd perform this live sometime soon
when was the last time???
i love this song

for me, i was 12 years old
all i remember is that a girl with a butterfinger between her legs
was sitting in class with this 1999 album on top of her desk
she told me that Prince was her favorite artist
i was like... hmm, i gotta check this out
MTV came to town, and i saw the videos for 1999 & Little Red Corvette
i was hooked, bad!
i loved the music, the style, the attitude -- everything!
i finally found someone i could relate to, i felt
the funny thing is, not one of my friends even knew who this Prince guy was
only that girl with the candybar sitting between her legs
i asked for the 1999 album for Christmas
and i got it!
i played that tape to death, literally
over and over and over
it broke
so then i scotched taped it together
finally bought the vinyl records
played those over and over and over
then... what do you know
the man comes out with a whole movie!
i thought he did one song, "When Doves Cry"
but no... the guy's got a whole freakin' movie about him!
and just filled to the brim with his own music and performances
a time it was upon a once

In 1983 at the age of 11 I bought 1999 on cassette. From that day on I was hooked and had to own everything he did. After persuading my parents to buy me Purple Rain on vinyl (I had no disposable income then!} my friends at school all clubbed together to buy me Parade and so it continued until I could afford my own records! So, in all I've been a fan for 23 years and I can't imagine my life without him.

when purplerain came out!

Ever since i first laid eyes on him,my lover!

Since around 1979-1980

1979---- "I wanna be your lover"

1st prince song i can remember hearing was 'delirious' in the year 1999 was released. i was 11 at the time. ya'll know what happened after Purple Rain

The first thing I remember is sitting in the cafeteria in junior high with a bunch of us girls looking through a music mag. We were all drooling over this picture of Prince -- big afro, bare chest and an ankh around this neck. "Ooooo! He's sooooo CUTE!!!" we all cooed.

Had no idea about his music. I was a classical music snob at that time and didn't pay much credit to "pop" music. Felt it didn't have much to offer.

The next album came out and he had what we called a California Curl -- relaxed hair with the psuedo Farrah 'do. I hated that look and pretty much forgot about him.

Fast forward to 1984. My boyfriend and I went to see Purple Rain. Cool movie, but it didn't grab me particularly.

Then I got hold of the soundtrack. Listened to it continually on the headphones until 4:00 am. I heard something I'd never heard before. I could tell there was a great talent, depth and intelligence here. I wanted to hear more.

So I finally connected him to the guy in Tiger Beat years ago. And to the guy who did LRC, DMSR, S&W, 1999, International Lover, Do Me Baby -- all songs I had heard on the radio, but, again, didn't pay too much attention to since it wasn't Bach or Chopin.

Bought all his back catalog and every 12" I could find.

Them I saw him live. That capped it.

Then ATWIAD came out. That sealed it. Because the guy obviously wasn't in it just for hits. If he was, he would have stuck to the Purple Rain formula.

And his music has been a part of my life's soundtrack ever since.

That was a great account of how u grew to love Prince. I totally agree with what u said about the intelligence in his music. I enjoyed reading your post.

SexyBeautifulOne said:

You echo my sentiments ! I wouldn't care if he decided to never record again.

I felt this way about the song "With You". It was love at first listen.

I must've been about 16 and the song had already been around for a few years.

I only had a copy of it and there was a tiny glich in the middle that just added to it's realness.

When I listened to it on my headphones it was like Prince was in the room (my bedroom!!) . It blew my mind - so pure, so innocent.

I was like "Wow - who is this guy ???"
[Edited 1/16/06 16:57pm]

the 1999 video. it was like omg wow who is that!! mum just brought a VCR(the thing was a size of microwave) taped the vid and played it over and over..... ive never looked back!

I started loving him March 21, 1983 when I saw him during the 1999 tour. Have been loving him ever since.