Implicit in the question is that you ARE a fan currently.

While you've been a fan, have you ever had periods were you were no longer a fan of Prince, but then some how came back to being a fan of his?

I"ve been a fan now since about '83 and there have been times when I perhaps haven't dug him as much as other times (NewPowerSoul era maybe) but I never stopped being a fan.

Y'all?
[Edited 5/28/10 15:47pm]

Never stopped being a fan

i guess that depends on how you describe the word 'fan'.

i've been following his releases since the I Wish U Heaven single
and have listened to and purchased everything since, either on the
day it was released or very shortly after.

still, there have been periods when his music didn't do that much
for me anymore and i listened to a whole bunch of other people or
styles.

but in the end, no matter what he releases, i'll always want to
give it a listen and see if it's great or just another nice song.

as far as his antics of late go, i try to just ignore the personal
aspect of his life and focus only on the music.

Yep. I was away for about 2 years, trashed a lot of my music in general, including Prince stuff.

I don't think so. I think Prince fans in essence are born. It takes a special type of person to be truly interested in a musician such as P. I'm just not as interested anymore.

I think my ears will always perk up when I hear his name on tv or radio. Prince was a big part of my formative years, so he's kinda there for good, like a native language.

IstenSzek said:

I was a huge fan in the early 80s, quit listening for a few years...tuned back in in the early 90s, and then after The Gold Experience, I didn't listen for 15 years... But I've always loved most of his music, and continue to enjoy discovering what I didn't know about before. A 30 year treasure trove, whatever you think of his more recent offerings. As far as his personal life goes, I didn't know anything about it until I joined this site...and although it is interesting at times, it doesn't really mean anything to me--it has always been about the music!

i am a fan even if I do not care for his last few albums. Well there is always a song or two that are good. But I am old and spoiled by so much great prince songs any new song has a hard floor to meet in order for me to take much notice.

As for his personal/political/religious garbage some of it I like the rest I ignore. He can not really be expected to have any grasp of reality having lived in Prince Land for so long.
[Edited 5/28/10 16:33pm]

OnlyNDaUsa said:

I wish more of the posters on here expressed their thoughts in such a rational, well-balanced way.

i've been a fan always since the summer of 84.

not one day goes by without me playing his music, not one!

OceanOfViolets said:

I'll give you a Bunny Tail award for Most Devoted Fan!

No!

never been a fan....
I'm a purple politician...
Fo' Life

luv4u said:

Me neither. He wasn't on my mind, however, when I went into labor.

Most of The Artist era.

Elle85n09 said:

HAH! How you thought about anything but pushing baby out I don't know! All I wanted to do was clobber Daddy over the head at that point!

poetcorner61 said:

why thank u very much! lol
i have the habit of playing music right before i go to sleep and also when i wake up....
i'm a pretty devoted *wiggle wiggle*

I never stopped being a fan but thought about quitting in 1998 with all the shit going on about that time (crystal ball fiasco, fan site harassment, L4OA bullshit, becoming a JW, censoring his lyrics).

I've never stopped being a fan, but there were times where I felt that his music was veering off of what I thought was "my" social consciousness, but the man is truly before his time.
[Edited 5/29/10 8:51am]

Even if I consider him one of the most despicable individuals I've ever read about, I've been always able to separate the man from the music.

I got on the Prince train with Parade and even if I keep on buying all his releases and grabbing all his boots, his musical output since Musicology (both live and studio-wise) has split my 'fandom' into 2 different stages.

Since 2004 I'm still here and there because of the old stuff (both live and studio) that fortunately keeps on surfacing, but I can't stand any of his albums or his concerts since then.

And, honestly, I've lost every hope that I can like his future production. He's no longer involved with art, just with money.

sro100 said:

I've been hardcore since 1996 and nothing's changed ...

I've been a fan since 93 when I heard the "love symbol" album.. and been like the same ever since..

Nope.

Nyet.

a little while after MJ died.

They were like yin/yang to me. cant have one without the other. I felt that i was left with a guy that-altho has awesome music- acts like a total douche! lol

never, i learned alot about hero worship from him. That is not to expect much just because a person is talented. Big part of growing up right there really for me. As a musician i couldn't ask for a better role model. No other superstar has handled that kind of success and remained productive in the way he has, that's a miracle in itself.

Of the albums? Yes.

Of the live performances? No. He's still unbelievably good.

no

I recognized his tremendous talent early on, and I was a big fan. Then he started manipulating his audience and playing games with Warner Bros, releasing crap while his true musical fans suffered. He just doesn't really do it for me musically anymore. Of course I get excited listening to the oldies and I remember the genius that he once was but the last 14 years or so of his career has been like "life immitating art". As in the movie Purple Rain where the guy who played the manager / owner of First Avenue says to him something to the effect of "You just don't have it anymore". At this point in Prince's life I don't think he really cares. I think he's all about making money by any means necessary and can give a crap about proving anything to his fans as to whether he's still "got it".

Not since I started, but I got through phases where I just don't listen to him for one reason or another.

Right now, I've been listening to a lot of Tears for Fears because I got tix for their August show in NYC.

Before that, it was Maxwell in heavy rotation because I was trying to familiarize myself with his music before the June 19th show.

I'll always be a fan, but there are so many other things to listen to...