On touring with Prince: I was... opening for him at Wembley in London and he had given me this band. So these guys... One night I was starting and I said, "Hit it! ... Hit it! ... Hit it!" And nothing happened. They wouldn't hit. The next day [during soundcheck], Prince got all the way in the back of that huge venue and he had his little gold microphone shaped like a gun. He said, “Billy, what was on your mind last night? I heard Mavis say 'Hit it' and you didn’t. What were you thinking about? What was on your mind?” There was this one guy in the band, I called him 'Hollywood.' Prince said to him, "Just because Mavis calls you Hollywood, don't think you’re that.” ... Now I had never heard him talk like that... I felt like a queen!

On Prince and religion: He wrote a song called "Blood is Thicker than Time." [Singing the hook:] "As sure as Moses' staff parted the water/ As sure as Cain had to pay for his crime/ As sure as no one wants to be broken hearted/ That's how sure I am that blood is thicker than time." ... Pops said, “What does this little old guy know about Cain and Abel?” I said, “Pops, the Bible is one of the kid’s favorite books!” ... We still talk every now and then. He’ll call. But he’s on a different journey now. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness. I’m a Baptist. But he seems to have needed me for something back then. He looked at me with love in his eyes. He admired me for the person that i was.

On working with a very timid Prince: Prince was just the most beautiful little guy you’d ever want to meet. Everybody don't know that... He stayed shy with me for the longest [time], but he’d talk to my sister, Yvonne. I couldn't get him to talk to me! Yvonne said, "Mavis, I think it’s because he loves you so much. Girl, he is painfully shy." ... He was like a little kid. You know how kids shy away from you when they first meet you?

On her influence on Micheal Jackson and the origin of "shamone": My mother called me one day. She said, “Mavis, this little Michael Jackson done stole your word!” I said, "What?” She said, "Turn on channel two." And he was [on television, singing the song "Bad."]: “I’m bad, you know it, shamone, shamone.” See, I said "shamone" in “I'll Take You There.” It’s just a word I made up! Instead of saying "come on," I said "SHA-mone." You know, trying to be slick. And he picked up on it. And it made me feel so good. Some disc jockeys would ask me, "Mavis, has Michael paid you any money for 'shamone'?" I said, "No, he hasn’t paid me one red cent. But it’s alright."

Her Prince album, "Time Waits For No One"... is great!!

I haven't listened for many many years tho.

The video to the title track includes an appearance of Prince playing guitar.. very cool.

Here's a source for these quotations:

Chris Richards - Washington Post - blog

http://blog.washingtonpos...ks_pr.html

langebleu said:

Here's a source for these quotations:

Chris Richards - Washington Post - blog

http://blog.washingtonpos...ks_pr.html

Thanks

[Edited 7/22/11 3:11am]

Mavis is the truth.

i remember reading somewhere that mavis didn't want to talk to prince because he was a jehovah's whitness now.

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

i remember reading somewhere that mavis didn't want to talk to prince because he was a jehovah's whitness now.

i talked to her a few months ago and that is not true. they just grew apart, she is still admiring him, said "he is doing really well, and is in shape". she sounded very lovingly.

dawntreader said:

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

i remember reading somewhere that mavis didn't want to talk to prince because he was a jehovah's whitness now.

i talked to her a few months ago and that is not true. they just grew apart, she is still admiring him, said "he is doing really well, and is in shape". she sounded very lovingly.

what i said wasnt accurate. here's what was said

Humo magazine, may 18, Belgium.

interview excerpt:

...
Prince just kept on going, hours on end, all through the night.
By the time we left the studio it would already be dawn. When i asked
him if he ever slept, he said: 'Mavis, sleeping is a complete waste of time'.
Then I replied: 'Well then with your permission I'm goig to waste at least
eight hours of my time.'

HUMO: When was the last time you saw Prince?
recently at the Superbowl. And before that, in Las Vegas.
If i'm not mistaken it was the 19th of January. He owns a
club and a restaurant, so he invited Yvonne and I. We stayed a
couple of nights. We had a good dinner and saw a brilliant performance
in his beautiful club. Yeah man, Prince is painting Las Vegas purple.

HUMO: Do you think you're ever gonna collaborate again?
(shakes her head) Whenever he's playing in Chicago I sing a few
songs with him. But, cut a record together? I don't think so. He's
a Jehovah's witness now. That makes things difficult. Because I am not
a Jehovah's witness he's not even supposed to hang out with me. They are their
own people. Although, I really wonder if his faith still means that much to him.
Recently, in Vegas, he seemed very much like the old Prince.

[Edited 7/22/11 16:17pm]

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

dawntreader said:

i talked to her a few months ago and that is not true. they just grew apart, she is still admiring him, said "he is doing really well, and is in shape". she sounded very lovingly.

what i said wasnt accurate. here's what was said

Humo magazine, may 18, Belgium.

interview excerpt:

...
Prince just kept on going, hours on end, all through the night.
By the time we left the studio it would already be dawn. When i asked
him if he ever slept, he said: 'Mavis, sleeping is a complete waste of time'.
Then I replied: 'Well then with your permission I'm goig to waste at least
eight hours of my time.'

HUMO: When was the last time you saw Prince?
recently at the Superbowl. And before that, in Las Vegas.
If i'm not mistaken it was the 19th of January. He owns a
club and a restaurant, so he invited Yvonne and I. We stayed a
couple of nights. We had a good dinner and saw a brilliant performance
in his beautiful club. Yeah man, Prince is painting Las Vegas purple.

HUMO: Do you think you're ever gonna collaborate again?
(shakes her head) Whenever he's playing in Chicago I sing a few
songs with him. But, cut a record together? I don't think so. He's
a Jehovah's witness now. That makes things difficult. Because I am not
a Jehovah's witness he's not even supposed to hang out with me. They are their
own people. Although, I really wonder if his faith still means that much to him.
Recently, in Vegas, he seemed very much like the old Prince.

[Edited 7/22/11 16:17pm]

Poor mavis is is a little mis-informed about the JW's only Hang with Jw's.

metallicjigolo said:

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

what i said wasnt accurate. here's what was said

Humo magazine, may 18, Belgium.

interview excerpt:

...
Prince just kept on going, hours on end, all through the night.
By the time we left the studio it would already be dawn. When i asked
him if he ever slept, he said: 'Mavis, sleeping is a complete waste of time'.
Then I replied: 'Well then with your permission I'm goig to waste at least
eight hours of my time.'

HUMO: When was the last time you saw Prince?
recently at the Superbowl. And before that, in Las Vegas.
If i'm not mistaken it was the 19th of January. He owns a
club and a restaurant, so he invited Yvonne and I. We stayed a
couple of nights. We had a good dinner and saw a brilliant performance
in his beautiful club. Yeah man, Prince is painting Las Vegas purple.

HUMO: Do you think you're ever gonna collaborate again?
(shakes her head) Whenever he's playing in Chicago I sing a few
songs with him. But, cut a record together? I don't think so. He's
a Jehovah's witness now. That makes things difficult. Because I am not
a Jehovah's witness he's not even supposed to hang out with me. They are their
own people. Although, I really wonder if his faith still means that much to him.
Recently, in Vegas, he seemed very much like the old Prince.

[Edited 7/22/11 16:17pm]

Poor mavis is is a little mis-informed about the JW's only Hang with Jw's.

Why is that? I used to live near one but I still dont know. Very nice, but they were all very very very insular. (I mean in the sense of if i invited someone to go have a drink with me id never get a yes... not in the sense that if it were sunday they wouldn't try and convert me).

[Edited 7/22/11 17:25pm]

lezama said:

metallicjigolo said:

Poor mavis is is a little mis-informed about the JW's only Hang with Jw's.

Why is that? I used to live near one but I still dont know. Very nice, but they were all very very very insular. (I mean in the sense of if i invited someone to go have a drink with me id never get a yes... not in the sense that if it were sunday they wouldn't try and convert me).

[Edited 7/22/11 17:25pm]

You lived near 1..And all of them were very.....insular?

Oh Boy;.

thedance said:

Her Prince album, "Time Waits For No One"... is great!!

I haven't listened for many many years tho.

The video to the title track includes an appearance of Prince playing guitar.. very cool.

Love that album, but someone stole it and I haven't been able to find it since.

I hate that I can't listen to it!

"Shamone"! Thanks. Love Mavis, it's cool to hear her POV of Prince.

metallicjigolo said:

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

what i said wasnt accurate. here's what was said

Humo magazine, may 18, Belgium.

interview excerpt:

...
Prince just kept on going, hours on end, all through the night.
By the time we left the studio it would already be dawn. When i asked
him if he ever slept, he said: 'Mavis, sleeping is a complete waste of time'.
Then I replied: 'Well then with your permission I'm goig to waste at least
eight hours of my time.'

HUMO: When was the last time you saw Prince?
recently at the Superbowl. And before that, in Las Vegas.
If i'm not mistaken it was the 19th of January. He owns a
club and a restaurant, so he invited Yvonne and I. We stayed a
couple of nights. We had a good dinner and saw a brilliant performance
in his beautiful club. Yeah man, Prince is painting Las Vegas purple.

HUMO: Do you think you're ever gonna collaborate again?
(shakes her head) Whenever he's playing in Chicago I sing a few
songs with him. But, cut a record together? I don't think so. He's
a Jehovah's witness now. That makes things difficult. Because I am not
a Jehovah's witness he's not even supposed to hang out with me. They are their
own people. Although, I really wonder if his faith still means that much to him.
Recently, in Vegas, he seemed very much like the old Prince.

[Edited 7/22/11 16:17pm]

Poor mavis is is a little mis-informed about the JW's only Hang with Jw's.

Patronising much?

Seems to me she's just going off the one's she knows, Prince being one of them. To me she seems sad that they can no longer be friends like they used to be. There's a reason she feels that, as the rest of the article shows only love and happiness towards Prince.

"Prin! Prin!"

What an awful image......

TrueFunkSoldier2 said:

dawntreader said:

i talked to her a few months ago and that is not true. they just grew apart, she is still admiring him, said "he is doing really well, and is in shape". she sounded very lovingly.

what i said wasnt accurate. here's what was said

Humo magazine, may 18, Belgium.

interview excerpt:

...
Prince just kept on going, hours on end, all through the night.
By the time we left the studio it would already be dawn. When i asked
him if he ever slept, he said: 'Mavis, sleeping is a complete waste of time'.
Then I replied: 'Well then with your permission I'm goig to waste at least
eight hours of my time.'

HUMO: When was the last time you saw Prince?
recently at the Superbowl. And before that, in Las Vegas.
If i'm not mistaken it was the 19th of January. He owns a
club and a restaurant, so he invited Yvonne and I. We stayed a
couple of nights. We had a good dinner and saw a brilliant performance
in his beautiful club. Yeah man, Prince is painting Las Vegas purple.

HUMO: Do you think you're ever gonna collaborate again?
(shakes her head) Whenever he's playing in Chicago I sing a few
songs with him. But, cut a record together? I don't think so. He's
a Jehovah's witness now. That makes things difficult. Because I am not
a Jehovah's witness he's not even supposed to hang out with me. They are their
own people. Although, I really wonder if his faith still means that much to him.
Recently, in Vegas, he seemed very much like the old Prince.

[Edited 7/22/11 16:17pm]

It's unfortunate Prince is not as close with Mavis Staples anymore. She is amazing! Also I did not know she created the "Shamone" that is SO cool! I hope Prince's "Faith" (Jehovah Witness..That is) Means less to him. During 'Lovesexy' around the time him and Mavis hooked up, His spirituality was right where it should have been. IMO. Jehovah's witness's now close down too many people, and are just close minded a lot ways. I want the old Prince! BY old Prince..I mean the one where GOD means the ultimate to him, but not in a way that he is organized and trapped by a paralyzing set of doctrines, that are furthest from the truth. I mean this in True Love!

EyeJester7 said:

It's unfortunate Prince is not as close with Mavis Staples anymore. She is amazing! Also I did not know she created the "Shamone" that is SO cool! I hope Prince's "Faith" (Jehovah Witness..That is) Means less to him. During 'Lovesexy' around the time him and Mavis hooked up, His spirituality was right where it should have been. IMO. Jehovah's witness's now close down too many people, and are just close minded a lot ways. I want the old Prince! BY old Prince..I mean the one where GOD means the ultimate to him, but not in a way that he is organized and trapped by a paralyzing set of doctrines, that are furthest from the truth. I mean this in True Love!

Prince gets knocked on this board for choosing to be a Jehovah's Witness, a personal journey that isn't our business.

A lot of times, he's characterized as having been brainwashed by a strong-willed person in exchange for emotional validation.

I say this respectfully: Were he to convert to another personal, belief system to please you or someone with similar emotional longings for a familiar, public Prince, he'd be guilty of the spiritual weakness people ascribe to his JW conversion.

Now, there's irony.

ThreadBare said:

EyeJester7 said:

It's unfortunate Prince is not as close with Mavis Staples anymore. She is amazing! Also I did not know she created the "Shamone" that is SO cool! I hope Prince's "Faith" (Jehovah Witness..That is) Means less to him. During 'Lovesexy' around the time him and Mavis hooked up, His spirituality was right where it should have been. IMO. Jehovah's witness's now close down too many people, and are just close minded a lot ways. I want the old Prince! BY old Prince..I mean the one where GOD means the ultimate to him, but not in a way that he is organized and trapped by a paralyzing set of doctrines, that are furthest from the truth. I mean this in True Love!

Prince gets knocked on this board for choosing to be a Jehovah's Witness, a personal journey that isn't our business.

A lot of times, he's characterized as having been brainwashed by a strong-willed person in exchange for emotional validation.

I say this respectfully: Were he to convert to another personal, belief system to please you or someone with similar emotional longings for a familiar, public Prince, he'd be guilty of the spiritual weakness people ascribe to his JW conversion.

Now, there's irony.

Remember this is "IMO". I am not one to knock him, I have seen where others have, but not me. It's his choice to become whatever he wishes. I did not say this exactly how I wanted it to come out...But everything I said belongs to me. I don't wish for him to "Convert" to anything outside of his belief system. I said this in the CONTEXT that Mavis delivered it in. Such as; he can't even communicate with her, because they're on two different levels spiritually. I find that ironic and sad, that hel who once communicated with someone in many levels, has to diminish their friendship because a new set of rules which disqualifies one; that does not have the "Truth."

She can't invite him over in a discussion about "Truth" because she has not accepted it according to JW's because she is baptist. Yet he can come over and discuss "Truth" with her because she has not accepted it.? That is backwards to me...

For this I call it paralyzing, and being trapped within an organized set of values. I am speaking of in the context of "I wish U heaven". If eye see 11, You can say it's 7..still I wish U heaven. I believe that is where he comes across most balanced. I can say all of this, because he said it to us in 1+1+1 is 3. "This is how it's going to be, if you want to be with me, AINT NO ROOM FOR DISAGREE...cause 1+1+1 is 3.

If he can preach and tell us where he "Knows" we belong, I can use the same thinking where he seems most balanced. I don't believe he is brainwashed, but that he is not necessarily clear. BUT the good thing is that Mavis said.."He seemed like the old Prince". The Old Prince sounds bad..because I am not saying he was perfect then and now imperfect. However eye can see a major change from where he was then and now where he is..it's his choice, I am merely speaking my opinion on it. I respect him, and still learn from him. Irony is definitely within this though..

Much love and respect to you!

EyeJester7 said:

ThreadBare said:

Prince gets knocked on this board for choosing to be a Jehovah's Witness, a personal journey that isn't our business.

A lot of times, he's characterized as having been brainwashed by a strong-willed person in exchange for emotional validation.

I say this respectfully: Were he to convert to another personal, belief system to please you or someone with similar emotional longings for a familiar, public Prince, he'd be guilty of the spiritual weakness people ascribe to his JW conversion.

Now, there's irony.

Remember this is "IMO". I am not one to knock him, I have seen where others have, but not me. It's his choice to become whatever he wishes. I did not say this exactly how I wanted it to come out...But everything I said belongs to me. I don't wish for him to "Convert" to anything outside of his belief system. I said this in the CONTEXT that Mavis delivered it in. Such as; he can't even communicate with her, because they're on two different levels spiritually. I find that ironic and sad, that hel who once communicated with someone in many levels, has to diminish their friendship because a new set of rules which disqualifies one; that does not have the "Truth."

She can't invite him over in a discussion about "Truth" because she has not accepted it according to JW's because she is baptist. Yet he can come over and discuss "Truth" with her because she has not accepted it.? That is backwards to me...

For this I call it paralyzing, and being trapped within an organized set of values. I am speaking of in the context of "I wish U heaven". If eye see 11, You can say it's 7..still I wish U heaven. I believe that is where he comes across most balanced. I can say all of this, because he said it to us in 1+1+1 is 3. "This is how it's going to be, if you want to be with me, AINT NO ROOM FOR DISAGREE...cause 1+1+1 is 3.

If he can preach and tell us where he "Knows" we belong, I can use the same thinking where he seems most balanced. I don't believe he is brainwashed, but that he is not necessarily clear. BUT the good thing is that Mavis said.."He seemed like the old Prince". The Old Prince sounds bad..because I am not saying he was perfect then and now imperfect. However eye can see a major change from where he was then and now where he is..it's his choice, I am merely speaking my opinion on it. I respect him, and still learn from him. Irony is definitely within this though..

Much love and respect to you!

And to you, amigo!

I agree with you: Prince's shift from one sort of evangelism to another has been at times, IMO, grating. And, I'm someone who enjoys and benefits from good preaching. There's always an element of "this manna I share with you now, brothers and sisters, is for your betterment..." It's just that the more effective delivery of that is usually humility, even an admission that God's gracious condescension to impart wisdom to the wretched preacher is the only reason for the sermon in the first place.

Prince's delivery -- whether railing about chemtrails, Moors or the first "presidents" -- has devolved to: "I'm about to drop some knowledge on your heathen tail." I hope any recent changes on his part include him abandoning that posture.

But, hey, before it's all said and done, he'll probably start his own cult. Maybe he already has.

double-post edit

[Edited 7/24/11 22:29pm]