Prince's music is timeless, but so is his persona. I always hear people (not just Prince fans) make just as many comments about his image as they do his music, so I have to ask. If Prince wasn't the 'pretty man', but still had the same musical genius, would you still be in his corner?

***I know, the music is all that really matters, but image will always be an important factor to take into consideration for any artist.***

It's a package deal.....

I think the music of Mozart and Bach is genius - and I never lusted after either of them.

estelle81 said:

The music is the main thing, but a flashy look to go with it sure doesn't hurt! The first time I ever saw Prince I thought his sound and look were both something that stood out to me. The music was funk/R&B with rock and pop elemets...and he had flashy "glam" look. The band looked pretty wild, too (except for Bobby Z,since he wore a suit). Dez and Andre looked like rock guys, Lisa wore underwear, and Fink reminded me of Devo the way he did these robotic moves while he played the keys.

P-Funk was the only thing I had seen in supposed funk/R&B music who was wilder than this at the time. Rick James was close...but not the same

As a music lover, There isn't any way Prince would escape my collection. We can't help but to know Prince as the handsome guy he is.

Prince was fine back in the day, and still is.

estelle81 said:

Before I even noticed the musical genius and stage presence, I heard great music

I still would support him no matter what he looked like

I heard his music before I knew what he looked like and I was intrigued or rather interested since I was still a kid. When I saw him, it all made sense. Only a man that fine could sing that lovely and make such a funky rock/R&B/soul mix and do it with such swagger but such gentile at the same time. And the fact that his band and proteges were good looking too was the cherry on top of the sundae.

I would still dig Prince's music if he was fugly, but I'd be less inclined to buy posters, books, pay money to see him live and up close versus a video/DVD and I certainly wouldn't want to shag him. His good looks help take the extra step on the road of fan/friend. But the persona that goes with the music and the looks keeps me coming back even when I want to leave. The only other genius of his caliber is Stevie and I love Stevie but I will jump over him to get to Prince. Sorry Stevie Ya Dig?

estelle81 said:

Yes, it's very important - would the movie Purple Rain have such a success if Prince hadn't looked the way he did? No! The music would still have been amazing, Purple Rain would always have been a classic, but his image is so tied in with the music, it's hard to separate the two. Prince has played the image game very cleverly in order to get his music out there!

However! I fell in love with the 12" of Purple Rain, and both God's on the b side before I ever really knew what he looked like, I used to sit and stare at the cover wondering who he was, I liked what I saw, but it was just one picture you know? And, those are the songs that are enduring to me, in my love of Prince, the ones that really captured my heart so... maybe it's not so important after all.

'However' edit
[Edited 10/23/08 7:16am]

Ok, here's a question for everyone.

If Prince completely altered his face with plastic suregery like Mike, would you still be a fan?

Now take your time to answer that, cause I know that is a tough question.

LizaWoman08 said:

That's a very good question.

I still liked MJ after he had all the work done, but was less inclined to want to stare directly at him and started thinking about how scary it would be to see him walking towards me in a dark alley...he'd probably glow in the dark, but it would still be scary. I have to keep the memory of what MJ used to look like when I listen to his music. I think the fact that Prince has kept his private life out of the spotlight for the majority of his career is what keeps me intrigued by him. MJ just got to involved with all the media attention and that bothered me more than his many plastic surgeries.

If Prince was as much in the spotlight as Madonna and MJ and releasing albums with material like PE (not his best by far IMO), than, like Madonna and MJ, I wouldn't be that big of a fan anymore. I used to love me some Madonna and MJ up until the mid-90s when their images and antics started to take a frontseat and pushed their music to the backseat. People started talking more about what they did off-stage than what they did onstage and that's not 100% the media's fault all the time. If you don't give them something to talk about than they aren't going to waste their time on you, plain and simple.

How does Prince stay in the spotlight yet you don't see several tabloid stories about what he does when he's offstage, unlike some other celebrities? Apparently, Prince was able to separate his private life from his professional life a long time ago and chose to keep it that way. The media whoring is something that really kills my love for an artist. I'll still love their music, but all the attention whoring is a huge turn off for me when it comes to any celebrity, but that's just me. Prince could be the least attractive man on the earth with all this musical genius and as long as he doesn't start suffering from AWS (Attention Whore Syndrome), than his music will always be more important to me than his looks.

Genesia said:

True, but these musical greats didn't put lyrics to their masterpieces.

**estelle wondering what Beethoven's 5th Symphony would sound like accompanied with lyrics ***

I wonder if anyone has ever considered putting lyrics with many of these classical masterpieces, since soo many artists now like to sample everything they can get their hands on? Why not sample the best instrumental there is in that case?

DerekH said:

The first time I actually saw Prince was on some award show (I think the VMAs) and when I heard him start talking I was like .

After hearing him sing in falsetto for soo long, I was surprised how deep his speaking voice was...and how tiny he was even with those heeled boots on.

Prince: more than meets the eye

LizaWoman08 said:

That's the key right there. Complete alteration of ones face in the manner that MJ did it is not plastic surgery but mutilation. There is something psychologically wrong with a person that repeatedly hacks their face to the point that their health might be compromised and they are no longer a reflection of what their family and friends and fans once loved. If you look in the mirror and surgery after surger you still feel ugly then therapy is in order.
With that said, I would lose respect for Prince if he did that to himself and I would not be as big of a fan. Sorry to any MJ fans but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now...would I still be a fan of the music? Yes. Music is an entity unto itself and I can enjoy a song and not think at all about the artist who created it but of course some songs are more enjoyable with a visual in mind. Fortunately Prince is physically beautiful in my eyes so I'm content.

estelle81 said:

I'm reminded of Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve. That didn't bode so well for them but it was a helluva song - moves my spirit when i hear it.

estelle81 said:

Are you kidding? Lots of people have. "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys is Bach's Minuet in G Major. (They changed the time signature from 3/4 to 4/4 - but the melody is the same). "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen was a huge hit - and was lifted from the Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff. "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow is based on the Prelude in C Minor by Chopin. The final movement of the Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven (The Ode To Joy) has a choral section.

I could go on and on.

Genesia said:

I'm glad to see that some artists know greatness when they hear it. I think it's great because classical music is phenomenal. I wish artists who direct their music to younger audiences would follow these artists examples so that classical can be admired by young people who would probably never consider listening to it in it's original form. I've heard a lot of songs with samples and loved the sampled material soo much that I chose to look up the original and usually end up like the original 10 times more. I'll have to look these songs up...thank you for dropping some knowledge on me

it´s all about him... musical genius and image, never repeat in the humanity alive Let´s enjoy him

Its the music, the look is a bonus.

When I 1st started liking Prince he was just a boy, without much of a musical history, now he's got both so yes I would have hung in there no matter what.

Most of these people probably wouldn't be on a messageboard dedicated to him if he was more 'black looking' in their eyes.
[Edited 10/23/08 18:08pm]

curioso said:

What a stupid thing to say.

estelle81 said:

you're absolutely right, image sells nowadays as well as music... my story of how I became a Prince fan is right on this.. cause when I 1st saw Prince, I wasn't impressed and although he was fine, I wasn't moved by the 1999 video (and I wasn't) .. but later on when I heard 'Lady Cab Driver' .. my whole world and perception of Prince changed so.. to answer your question ..for me, his music grabbed me and that's what has kept me a fan and I would still be a fan regardless of his looks.....his looks are an added bonus, but I was not caught up with him because of his looks... .. there are some fans who want 'eye candy' and then there are others who truly want 'ear candy'.. and I know I'm an 'ear candy' type fan...
[Edited 10/23/08 18:28pm]

Genesia said:

Sure, but would you be more or less likely to lust after Mozart if he had written the following lyric to his compositions: "I wanna fuck the taste out of your mouth"?

Genesia said:

CO SIGN!!! how the hell does curioso know what all these orgers find attractive? And what the heck does "more black looking" mean anyway? Next somebody will say Prince is not manly looking enuf. dumb as rocks!!

4 me it's about the music 1st and 4most. the image or i should say his stage presence is the solidifying fact. it's great 2 c how he has grown in his artistry.

now 4 his visual styling..some of those outfits r flat out hot mess

L4OATheOriginal said:

I'll agree cause I wasn't a fan of his wardrobe in the 90's ..

Flowers2 said:

i was talking about some of those outfits during purple rain well his typhoon of 1992 was a hot mess moon crescent shaped shit ..lol

You didn't like the typhoon. It wasn't that bad.



The do-rag is funny too.
[Edited 10/24/08 16:06pm]

estelle81 said:

look at the typhoon pics from the diamonds and pearls tour

L4OATheOriginal said:

That look was phuckin beautiful!!!