CJ: Pepe Willie delves into Prince's past
C.J.
Star Tribune

Published Jul 16, 2002
Pepe Willie has photos and music from before Prince started wearing makeup, and Pepe knows how to use them. "I don't have [that] many pictures, but I have the information. You can believe that," Willie said, laughing. Willie is coming out with more never-released music from his group 94 East featuring Prince when he was 17. Symbolina plays a blistering guitar on the cuts "Fortune Teller' and "10:15." Willie expects this new untitled CD, co-produced by Ben Obi, to do as well as his 1995 CD collection featuring Prince, which sold about 250,000 copies, mostly in the UK. Throwing out more 1970s music featuring Prince begs the question of why Prince's former mentor is continuing to exploit their relationship. "This is a CD we wanted to do," he said. "This gave us an opportunity to do a CD the way we wanted to do it and at the same time we are giving the history of our relationship with Prince." The remaining members of 94 East, Kristie Lazenberry and Marcy Ingvoldstad, who work with Willie's music outfit Pepe Music Inc., also handled vocals. Some background vocals sung by Prince in this late 1970s recording session are not part of the package. "Just didn't fit the song today because we remixed," Willie said. "We're not trying to exploit him; at that point we'd put everything he did in there." Willie wants credit for the role he played in Prince's development, and naturally he's not going to get that from Symbolina. "I'm the one who gave him his start. I can't let anybody take that away from me," Willie said. "I've got a family to raise. My daughter [Danielle Willie, 14] is proud of her father. She wants to know the history." More history is probably coming; a Billboard Publications researcher working on a book about Prince interviewed Willie recently.

He's history

While cleaning out his garage, Pepe Willie found 30 book covers of Prince's youthful visage. Instead of selling them on eBay, Willie has given most of them to charities for auction. A lot of people say he looks like Michael Jackson in the photos, but Willie doesn't see that resemblance. Jackson was browner (before he became a white guy -- sorry M.J., but I'm not buying the Vitiligo story) and never had even had a peach-fuzz mustache. "Now he's trying to get back," said Willie of Jackson's recent discovery of racism in the music industry. "Did you hear what he said?" asked Pepe. Yes, and I'm not listening because Jackson's only ethnic when it suits him. But we disgress. Pepe got the Prince book covers from Warner Bros. back when Prince spoke kindly of WB. Can you imagine what one of covers would go for autographed? "I don't want his autograph," Willie said. "I tried to get in touch with him a few years ago through Londell McMillan [Symbolina's NYC attorney] and they wouldn't even answer us, which I thought was not cool at all. I'm not out here trying to destroy him. What did I do? What happened to our friendship? Things happen in business, but friendship should be there." In many cases, Prince seems to regard friendship as sooo yesterday.

july said:

As if Prince never would've made it without Pepe?! Prince had huge musical talent. It was always only a matter of time before he made it big -- no matter if others helped "develop" him or not! This is why it's biblical to never accept a favor from an ungodly man for they will always think you owe them something in return for it.

"july said" should be "CJ said" in my above post

I'm sick of Pepe Willie and his constant 94 East CDs,which he seems to re-release every few years.It's a shame that the only way he can make a living is by releasing old Prince demos from the 70s.

soulsplash said:

Because of the nature of such things you cannot say that Prince would or would not have made it without Pepe. (That section about the favor from an ungodly man I'm not even going to touch.) For those of you who haven't met Pepe, he is a very dear man and he's not out to screw Prince in any sense of the word. Anyone who is a musician would understand that if someone records with you that's part of the product, if they get famous and you don't it's still part of your product. Pepes' music may not be as good as Princes, but he still has a right to put it out. We all know "If You See Me" was a Pepe song and that song kicked ass! I for one will check out the new disc.

soulsplash said:

In all likelihood there are people who visit this site with huge musical talent who will never "make it." Prince is not the one-man success story you seem so desperately to want him to be. Put the Bible away, you flake. You know, it's also "biblical" to pay back the kindness of others, isn't it? Where's Prince ever done that for Mr. Willie? Hypocrite.

DavidEye said:

This, I'll agree with. While I bought 94 East on tape for a dollar, the last 2 CD set, which I bought out of curiosity & sold soon after, wasn't much worth releasing. And there's more coming? Oh joy.

Pepe is a leech

I have respect for Pepe.

He isn't forcing you to buy the cd he is just making it available.

It's the American way.

IrishEcho said:

I have heard Prince's guitar part on 10:15 and it is probably worth owning. As far as paying $15 (or whatever) hmmm... not sure.
[This message was edited Tue Jul 16 9:26:23 PDT 2002 by lovemachine]

..wonder if pepe willie has any aspirations of his own as far as a music career goes?

'...it's no fun to depend on other people for rides...'

Sorry. I don't know much about Pepe besides what I read in Prince biographies and that he wrote the great song "Do Yourself A Favor." I shouldn't have accepted CJ's comment about him. My statement was more general in nature regarding people wanting to take credit for other's talent. We're all products of life's experiences, our environment, and our choices. Pepe probably owes many people thanks as well for his own successes. How far do we want to take it? Or do we break it down to how much of Prince's success is because of his knowing Pepe? 0.005%? More? Less? There must have been more than a thousand factors that played a part in Prince's early success. I don't think Pepe should be claiming more than his fair share, if that is in fact what he's doing. And I have to wonder how much of a "friendship" they really had. I'm sure some of you will inform me. But think about his, how many of our friends from more than 20 years ago do WE still keep in contact with? WHY does Pepe still want to be friends when they haven't been in touch for so long? Just wondering.

DavidEye said:

Pound, Pound on that One MAN.I think He should Be acknowledged just as Sonny Thompson Should be for what they Taught&Showed Prince on His Musical Development&Structure, save that for the Book,however to keep dropping all these Albums are a Waste of time.and Somebody tell Pepe this Ain't 1985 this is almost 2005&While Prince still has a Solid Base of Fans folks Can Download or find ways to Burn a couple of songs here&there as to run down to the store&get it.

I think there have been many people who helped Prince throughout his life. When he was a child and needed a home, he is fortunate that there was family willing to take him into their home.

He was also fortunate that people early in his career spent their own money to help him get started. I think I read somewhere that Owen Husney paid out of his own pocket to have Prince's first press kits made.

Prince has a stepsister who took him in and let him live in her home when he was in NY.

Yes, Prince is very talented, but he did not achieve his success all by himself.

Having said that, I'm not quite sure what Pepe Willie is seeking. He says he wants credit for the role he played.

Does he want Prince to come out and say "thank you" or does he want some role in Prince's current career? It's just not clear what type of "credit" Pepe feels he is entitled to receive.

NikkiDarling said:

Good points...I think that, when you're there in the early stages of a career that takes off later, you tend to find more importance in every little thing you did, from loaning some money to offering advice to buyin' that person a cheeseburger...it all, in your mind, was instrumental in how this person became who and what they are today...However, if that same person went on to be a fry cook at Burger King, we instead don't say that any of the things we did had any effect on how they turned out...our contributions only matter when there's a huge positive at the end of them...when there's a huge negative, we played no role in the outcome...

wellbeyond said:

Yes, you are correct. If Prince's career has fizzled out, Pepe wouldn't care about those 70s demos. Pepe probably has a stash of other demos of Minneapolis musicians who didn't make it.

But I would say that someone like Owen Husney who spent his own money to get Prince his first press kits really did play a important role in his success. Paying for 100 color press kits probably wasn't cheap

NikkiDarling said:

I think I remember it being said that Owen only got 15 press kits made, at a cost of $1,500...not cheap, but not all that expensive either...not to mention he did(finally) get his financial due from Prince...As for Willie, I tend to look at a person's track record...and I'm not sure he's had much of a hand in any other even slightly successful music acts during his career, unlike, say, those producers and managers who have created one successful act after another...if Prince is the one and only successful act he's been associated with, then for him it could be a "right place at the right time" scenario as much as anything else...

CJ you are "BILLY JACK BITCH." Why are you giving Pepe Willie more fame? Can you say stupid? Stoopid!!!

Pepe when you gonna get a life and stop living off of Prince's fame? Isn't this old shit already ? He don't want to be bothered ! Get the hint Asshole!!! Stop living off of his Celebrity! He owes you nothing! Fuck Off already will ya!