OK, so the Subject Question sounds a little creepy, but bear with me ...

Basically, what year was it, and how old were you when you were the most into Prince and his music? I have a little theory I'm working on...

For me, I started getting into Prince in the mid/late 1990s, during my mid/late teens, and I slowly grew more and more into it with each year. But 2004 was the year for me. I was 22. Man, I was so obsessed with it all then. I flew all the way to the US to see 3 shows, was going to regular fan-meetups while living in London, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't listen to some song, or some album. It's quite funny looking back on it.

Since then things have calmed down. A little and little more each year it seems. Life has a funny way of moving on. Nowadays I'm still right in the thick of all things Princely, but it just seems more of a hobby now. Something for a fun and community.

[Edited 4/3/12 18:29pm]

The year was 2007, and I was 13.

well ive only been a fan for about 2 years, so i would say probably right now. lol

It would have been 1993-1996 and I would have been 16-20

and since then it has sort of come and gone at varying levels....

[Edited 4/3/12 20:17pm]

I went completely nuts over Prince's music back when my boyfriend gave me the 1999 album in '82. Up until then I was only a casual fan of his. He is only a couple of years older than me, so that's all I'm gonna say about that.

I didn't pay much attention to Prince after ATWIAD. I was a young wife with kids to raise and Prince seemed to be acting and sounding rather silly to me around that time. I didn't have either the time or the money to indulge him.

In 2004 I rediscovered him with a vengeance when I saw him live for the first time after lovng his earlier works so much and not being able to afford concert tickets. When I tell you I made up for lost time, it is an understatement! I completely immersed myself in his music and lyrics for the next several years and have seen a dozen live performances to date including the Empire Ballroom show, where I met and spoke to him for a few minutes in '06, the Superbowl Halftime show, where I was out on the field with him, and the 777 event where I saw him three times in one day...

The only thing I regret missing out on is the celebrations at Paisley Park.

These days I keep an eyeball out in case he does something special but his most recent shows have not been something I would incur the expense and inconvenience of travel to see.

^Cool. That seems a very unique story.

when i was a tennager/early 20's

naturally.

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

jonylawson said:

when i was a tennager/early 20's

naturally.

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

Nonsense, I have been to lots of them and I'm way older than you are,

jonylawson said:

when i was a tennager/early 20's

naturally.

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

Not at all. When I used to go to the London fan meetups there were many people in their late 30s/early 40s. Even 1 or 2 older still!

jonylawson said:

when i was a tennager/early 20's

naturally.

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

No, You're fine.

I should be the one feeling that way as I'd be more comfortable if it were the other way around.

2008-present. I'm 20 now, turning 21 in July.

Growing up in Minneapolis, it seems I've always been at least aware of Prince. But as most early talk about hm dealt with whispers about his sexual orientation (did he really kiss his guitarist on American Bandstand?!) I paid little attention... until 1999, first the song, then the album. I was fourteen, a budding musician and aspiring libertine (but what fourteen year old boy isn't?)

My interest tapered in the 90s. Why? Take your pick: Graffit Bridge, the silly battle with Warner Bros, uneven quality of music. But I suppose the main thing was I wasn't 14 anymore.

It was 2008, and I was 16. I didn't discover Prince until 2007, and throughout 2008 I bought a new Prince album every month, and he was seriously all I listened to, all day long. I'd listen to one album non-stop until I got the next one; and now I'm so sick of some of those albums that I can't stand listening to them anymore.

1994/1995 I was 18/19 & every waking moment of my life was Prince filled. Lol The folders I ruined at college drawing symbols!!!

And presently, I suppose. Seeing him live last summer was like being given an injection of the world's most potent & pleasurable drug. The high I had seeing him perform live again, u would not believe. He took me to the moon & left me there! ha ha I feel like one of the many poor heroin addicts I see where I live, going to get their methadone at the chemist. Lol, this place is like my methadone, a quick fix until I am lucky enough to witness Prince making Live magic once more

Since I saw the movie "Purple Rain" on CCTV-6(China Central Television) in 2006.

Let's see, I got heavily into Prince in 1996. I'm not a hundred percent certain but I believe by the end of 1997/beginning of 1998 I had acquired all of the albums (excluding satellite/protege's, that took a bit longer) and I would say that summer, 1996 up to the release of Newpower Soul was when my obsession was at its peak. I was very excited for Newpower Soul/GCS2000/Come 2 My House and after being very disappointed with them, and with Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic the following year, I thought that maybe Prince was washed up. Circa summer 1998 till the end of 2003 my interest in his music, particularly his new music, really dwindled. Musicology kind of rekindled things and I have been quite happy with most of his new music since then.

I was bought up around Prince as my mom likes his music shes not obsessed or anything just likes certain albums (sign 'o the times, parade, purple rain, gold etc) so I've always heard Prince's music but it was untill last year I really got into his whole image and music and I love everything , so my love for Prince is at its peak & im now 16 everyone else my age doesnt understand my obsession with him, Im hoping its not gonna be too late to get to see him in concert.

I'd say it was at its peak when his career and output was - 1987 (i.e. we peaked together!!! lol), I was 16. I continued buying every album but post '93 not on its day out.

There were a couple of other minor peaks: '92 (I was 21), when he toured Oz (D&P not one of my faves but I like Symbol, probably because of the excitement from the tour) and, in a way, around 2000, when I travelled to the first Celly (my 29th b'day at the Northrop gig!). although my feelings for his output at that time were at an all time low.

If you're theory is that our interest is initiated in mid-teens and peaks by the early 20s - seems to hold out pretyy well so far...

loved him in high school .. put him down for a few years .. got re aquainted when the sex symbol record came out .. but got obsessed during the npg music club years .. not his best music but napster was in full swing and i was just getting into all his outtakes and cool shit .. .. then i got sick of that whole era of prince music and probably recently in the last couple years i have been exploring more of the older live shows .. but not as obsessively as in the npg music club days .. my last purchase back then was the ona box set .. after that i gave up on the club .. but loved those long ahdio shows

1986/1987 - I was 16/17 and wanted all and everything Prince. It also the time I was the most annoying to my friends...ALWAYS trying to convince them the brilliance of Prince. To this day friends from the day ask if I am still as obessessed as I was then. I tell them...just a tad less .

Even though I was aware of him from the very beginning (I'm 44), I didn't become a fan until 1987... I started to buy everything I could get my hands on...

Then I saw him live in 1993 for the first time, and went absolutely nuts. I completely "fammed out" between 1994-1999, on a few different levels: (collecting, attending shows, etc.)

Although I still consider myself a big fan and have had experiences that I will always treasure, I have chilled considerably. In fact, I'm mortified at the way I used to be.

jonylawson said:

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

No you wouldn't...

The basic crowd is older as well, so it's still fun!

You're all there for the same reason- a good time in the name of Prince.

1999 album for me I was just a kid but loved LRC, I remember having the cassette and the guy at the bowling alley gave me the single but the most special point for me was early 90's when P operated more indy. I would get singles at the bowling alley when they cleared out the jukebox and that was a special time for me. I was 10 and never knew what I had. Not until I was 13 and more into music.

I can remember being a little kid and going to Pizza Hut with my parents back when they had jukebox and playing "Let's go Crazy" those were the days.

babynoz said:

jonylawson said:

when i was a tennager/early 20's

naturally.

im 39 now-id look a bit of a prick now wouldnt i going to "fan"meet ups etc

Nonsense, I have been to lots of them and I'm way older than you are,

I'm 40 and I would go in two seconds flat.

The most fanatical around 1994--1998, where I started to listen to bootlegs, watch concert videos, notice how much stuff Prince had available, where before I was quite naive. I started a craze where I searched out boots, videos, went to Prince Fest, bought Uptown, read every word like it was gospel, really read the lyrics, really got into the whole Paisley Park vibe. At this period I finally bought Lovesexy, Around The World In A Day, Sign O The Times, Dirty Mind, For You. When he became unpopular it actually made me more crazed, because to really get into him you had to be a secret member of this exclusive club of purple hipness, where we had the key. These were wild times.

Remember, when he did gigs at Paisley and got like 80 people? I miss the cult..lol

2010 - present. I'm about to turn 24 in June.

I've always appreciated and admired Prince, the first song I remember from him when I was smaller is "Diamonds and Pearls", which released when I was 3/4. Anytime he's done an interview or appearance over the years, I've watched.

There was a Prince tribute on the 2004 American Idols Live Tour (Fantasia and J.Hud's season) that included "When Doves Cry", "U Got The Look", "Baby I'm A Star", "Kiss", "Purple Rain", and "Nothing Compares 2 U" that got me into him.

The surprise performance on 2006 American Idol swept me off of my feet and when he received the BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, I fell hard!

I been a fan all my life (i was borin in 85') but my hadcore fan status started in 2004-2009....

I scored a bunch of old records for my turntables... and there were 2 Prince records in there

1. Dirty mind

2. Lovesexy

I looked at Dirty mind and I was surpised that Prince was putting out records in 1980, it blew my mind ! i put the needle on the record and it was not the prince i knew of but the song "when you were mind" struck a huge chrord for me. amazing song.

Then i put in Lovesexy. The album cover scared me lol.. i got to the song "Anna stesia" & it was the best song i have herd in years. it touched me in so many ways.

after... I went on the internet to look if there were any videos for these songs... there were none.

but something made me watch "the Holy river" video. It was the most beautiful thing i have herd.

I was astounded by the lyrics. it was anna stesia all over again.... then i watched "somebodys sombody". the following day I bought "Emancipation"... and listened to it for 3hours straight while i smoked weed in my basement studio. It was history. this was the greatest euphoric musical expirience.

It took me 5 yrs disovering all his albums one by one along with bootlegs. what a rush it was listening to all his music for the first time.

[Edited 4/4/12 12:15pm]

Ever since I was 17. Im 19 now but my obsession is dwindling. I was obsessed with everything about him from music to pics to concert information to appearances to "the next protege". But now since i know 45% more of what a casual fan knows, and I'm all caught up, I'm comfortable just leaving him alone sometimes.

1992-1999, from the ages of 10-17.