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Share how, when, and why you are a prince fan! I arrived to the purple army really late in the game. I was about 11 and "Musicology" had just been released and "Call My Name" was in heavy rotation. Before 2004, I had only seen Prince maybe twice on tv and didnt know anything about him. Once was when I was 4 and saw the video for "WDC" and it scared the living shit out of me. The other time was when I was a baby and the video for "TMBGITW" was playing in at the living room. I might have seen the video for "Betcha" when it was still fresh but i am not sure. What? I have a semi good memory! Anyway back to 2004, I remember hearing "Call My Name" and thinking it was so beautiful. I loved how much passion and love and devotion was poured into this one record snd how it seemed like a lover that was hungry for his mate's soul. I followed that song up by listening to "adore" because the local radio station played them so close together that I thought they were on the same damn album for years. I didnt find out until years later how wrong I was... 17 year damn difference between albums! "Adore" to me was and still is the pinnacle of true love. A song about wanting to be apart of your soulmate's life forever and how you would give your whole being to make it happen. A song about needing to find your happily ever after despite the obstacles put before you. Then csme "Anotherholeinyohead" which the local DJ used to play every saturday night as apart of the fish fry party mix. I fucking loved that song because it was so wild and crazy and sexual without shoving a proverbial dick down your throat. I would just dance in my room for hours to that song and I got 2 left feet. I would tape that song whenever it came on the radio and listen to it on my way to school in the morning on my walkman as apart of my mix. "Purple Rain" is a great song but the extended version of "anotherholeinyohead" shits fucking bricks on it like seriously but i digress. I remember staying home from school whenever Prince was on tv and being mesmerized by the performances. I dont think that there is one Prince album i do not have. I always wanted a pair of yellow assless chaps but apparently nobody sells them anymore. Oh and there is that whole thing about them being illegal to wear in most places...stupid fucking rules. I always had a sick ass motherfucking music collection but Prince along with Luther Vandross and Billie Holiday was at the top of it. I met so many cool people as a result of my love for Prince's music and let me tell you, we are some of the kindest and most beautiful fans. When it comes to the proteges, i love them too. I spoke to Mayte several years ago on facebook and she is a doll. I am friends with Anna Fantastica on facebook right now and she is very sweet as well. You know As i got older, I got more and more into Prince's music and I fucking loved it. I like the raunchiness and the rebellion. I like the ability to fucking curse and be raw and not giving a flying fuck what others think about it. I like the freedom and the craziness of the music. I like how a little dude from the middle of nowhere was able to become a fucking legend. Prince was so badass in whatever he did and that shit is really fucking cool. Prince along with the works of Jackie Collins and GTA:San Andreas is a good reason for who I am today. I grew up in a mostly christian household and well I was expected to be a quiet little jesus freak and conform to that but it was never me. It was through the music of Prince that I found out, its okay to be different. Its okay to be yourself even if some folks think you are weird. Its okay to be a dirty little freak cause your heart is good and thats what counts. I never wanted to be some stuck up church marm who sticks her nose up at folks because nobody is perfect. Now I didnt agree with some of Prince's choices as of late and I was vocal as hell about it but I always respected the artistry and respected the man. I hate how Prince is being slandered in the press because he was not even half of those heartless leeches are making him out to be. You cant make songs like "Pop Life" and "America" and "Money Dont Matter 2 Night" and be a vicious cruel person, i refuse to believe that. Prince was just a kind shy man who was beautiful where it counted and who always wanted to share his gift of music and song with us. I do wish that I could go to PP or even First Avenue and pay my respects to Prince but it is not to be at the moment although my heart and hugs go out to anyone else who is dealing with this loss. I heard Prince was spectacular in concert and one of my regrets is that I never got to see him perform on it. I am crying as i write this post because it has finally sunked in that my idol is gone. My princey...my purpy man is flying with the angels. Prince is surrounded with boundfuls of love and that makes my grief a little less terrible. Oh i am a teary little pup tonight and that is not right. This thread is now all about you. Share your stories about how you became a prince fan and when you became a prince fan and how his work impacted your life and how you plan to carry on his legacy. | |
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I have always heard his music on the radio but I didn't become a huge fan until I was 16 years old and I was performing in my first dance show and my teacher used Lets Go Crazy as the song for the finale. I thought the song was super catchy and I had to know who the artist was. When I found out that it was Prince,I did as much research about him as I could and I went out and bought The Very Best of Prince that summer. I was hooked. After my mom passed away, I got the vinyl cover for Controversy that used to be my mom's and I saw Purple Rain for the first time. I will admit that I didn't listen to him as often as I did as I discovered other genres/artists that I have fallen in love with,but he was always my second favorite male artist. After Michael Jackson passed away,I thought what I would do if Prince passed away. I thought that he wouldn't die until he was in his 80s or so but boy was I wrong(wish I wasn't.) April 21st started as a normal morning for me. I woke up,turned on the tv then went to check my social media. When I went on meetme,I saw that someone posted that picture of Prince from the super bowl that says Dead At 57 on the bottom and my heart sunk. I didn't believe it at first because its the internet after all so I turned on CNN. When I saw the same thing,I knew it was true. I checked on one of my best friend who is just as big of a Prince fan as I am and I couldn't console them. They were so upset. I had on MTV the whole day and 3 weeks later,it doesn't feel real. Losing Michael then Prince was such a huge blow to me. Ever since Prince passed,I have listened to his music,watched interviews and watched his movies. I always thought Prince was immortal.Like he was a wizard or something. He taught me that its ok to be different and to fight for what you believe in. Thank you Prince for everything. We had fun didn't we? Forever In My Life, forever in my heart. I love you Prince Rogers Nelson  | |
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(As irresistiblebitch666 said, I AM TOO REALLY LATE IN THE GAME LOL)
Ok I'm trying to make this quick but I never really got into his music until the last week of May of 2014 when my mom picked me up from college and decided to turn on some local old school When my grandpa passed away in 2008, We were looking through his stuff to keep as part of his will, He has own the Purple Rain CD and decided to keep it along with his whole CD collection. I didn't bother listening to the whole album until I started getting into P later. | |
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Beautiful drawing Forever In My Life, forever in my heart. I love you Prince Rogers Nelson | |
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Thanks for sharing your experience. 
My Dad's best-friend got me the album Purple Rain in 2010, and I eventually saw the movie around the same time that year too. But, that's not what made me a hardcore fan. About two years later, from memory, I recall going to this place where they sell used, and new stuff. Like antiques. There was this shop there that sold vinyl, and at that time I was heavily into MJ so I went to look for some of his records. But, I came across some 12" singles of Prince's. I found Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, and When Doves Cry. From memory, I think they were about 3$ each and in pretty good condition, so it was a good buy. I listened to the main songs with fam that night. But after that, for about until the end of my freshmen year in high school, I's get back home from school all by myself and I'd play Erotic City and I'd just BLAST IT! (Once, one of the neighbors got mad at me. They were old, and they obviously couldn't handle the funk! haha.) At the time, when I listened to those sexual lyrics, I thought of this crush I had in school. yeah, I imagined my self singing it to her... lol
And around that time I watched the videos to I Wanna Be Your Lover and PartyMan(come to think of it, I saw this video before I heard Purple Rain. My friend noticed I was watching the video, so he got me the PR album later...) and they were surprisingly on YouTube. But, all of that still didn't make me the fan I am today of him. It was leading up to it, though. Anyways, long story short, in late 2013 I started watching his live videos with 3rdEyeGirl from his short-lived YouTube channel, and in early 2014 I stumbled across a music video “Controversy”. And I loved him ever since. The whole vibe of that somg, and album, is awesome! [Edited 5/15/16 21:56pm] ”The people that will end up defining ‘Hate Speech Laws’ are the very people you don’t want to define the Hate Speech Laws” — Jordan B Peterson | |
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I love this thread. I love hearing how other P fans got into his music, especially us younger ones.
I too am one of the younger Prince fans, I'm 26. His music has always been a part of my life. My parents went to the Purple Rain tour as well as the Controversy tour, so I've been exposed to his music since birth but I was only really familiar with "the hits" (Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, etc). For whatever reason, when I was about 13 (around 2003) I had the sudden urge to really dive into his music. To this day I can't remember what happened or why, but I remember asking my Dad if I could play his Purple Rain record. He was thrilled. He has a pretty legit record collection so he was more than willing to play some stuff for me. His record player was in our living room, so not to disturb anyone I had to sit there with headphones on if I wanted to listen. I remember sitting there, looking over Purple Rain with the album blaring in my ears and I thought...this is incredible. I couldn't figure out why I loved it so much, but I was addicted! I couldn't wait to get home from school just so I could listen to it again. I eventually made my way through all of my Dad's records. He admits that he kinda lost interest in his newer stuff, so he didn't have much past SOTT. So I took matters into my own hands and went out and bought every album I could. To this day I think I'm only missing 2 albums of his. My love for P grew and grew. I believe everything happens for a reason (even though right now I'm having an extremely difficult time with that as you can imagine) and I know him and his music came into my life at a time where I really needed it most. In High School I became the "Prince Girl", which didn't bother me one bit. I loved it. I'm grateful to have seen him live twice. I broke down in tears each show because I couldn't believe I was in his precense. This man that I adored was here, in the same building as me, playing songs that I've listened to over and over for years. It was surreal and the best 2 nights of my life. The second show, our seats were actually upgraded and I ended up sitting just 5 rows up from him. My life was made.
I always saw him as My Prince. He's taught me so much about music, and art in general. He opened my eyes when it comes to spirituality as well as sexuality. I owe him so much and as foolish as it may sound, I always thought I'd get the chance to tell him that in person one day. It breaks my heart now to know that will never happen. In college, I went out and got a Prince tattoo. Now, mind you I was broke and in college but when I want something, I want it now. So needless to say it looks shitty
Thanks again for this thread, and thanks for reading From now on, 4 U I shall be wild 💜 | |
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Not the worst thing in the world, but it's always bugged me. The good news is, last week I started a cover-up piece. Bigger, better and badass. It's going to take about 3 sessions to finish, but I couldn't be more proud to rock this piece for the rest of my life. It's like a badge of honor. I love him with every ounce in me and now everyone will be able to see just how much. I'd post pics, but it's just line work right now. I'll for sure post the finished product to share with the org.Prince was one of the baddest MFers to ever do it plain and simple. He wasn't corny like Michael was. My mother turned my uncle on to prince which in turn I got hip to prince from my cool ass uncle.I'm only 21 but in a short 8 years this guy changed how I viewed sexuality, love,etc. | |
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I was about 16 y/o in 1983 and never was really exposed to music that I liked as a kid. My fahter played Barry Manilow and Karen Carpenter and Johnny Mathis in the car...just horrid music and I never listened to the radio myself. But MTV started up around that time and I started to get into some music and my favorites were MJ and Prince with the 1999 and LRC videos. . My mother is actually the one who bought the 1999 album and then Purple Rain came out and she bought Dirty Mind and Controversy and I got into those as well. But I quickly became a superfan with trading cassette tapes of his outtakes and live shows with other fans all over the globe. Mailing cassettes back and forth overseas...was such an exciting time with the Parade and SOTT Tours even though he didn't play in the USA. But I had hundreds of concert tapes at one point..and of course outtakes, rehearsals, etc. That was a huge part of my life back then...my biggest hobby for sure. . So exciting and I'm thankful that I lived during Prince's prime and was able to follow it from '83 onwards. Props to those who got in earlier from '78 to '82. | |
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I became a prince fan at 6 years old...when I received a copy of Purple Rain ... (don't ask me why they bought me that album...it still baffles me to this fay) but I remember listening- watching the movie and being hooked. purple and blue have always been my favorite colors..I went to Venezuela one year looking damn near like a grape..purple from head to toe. Lol. Shameful now that I think of it.. the folly of youth
Oddly enough Prince's entire career spanned my entire life. His first album came out the year and month of my birth a d he died a few days before my birthday... I've always felt connected to Prince and his music and we shared a lot of personality traits. Hell we both have the same life path number (9 - humanitarian in the numerology world)... my gift is not musical though. It is literary. It's pretty strange to me to feel connected to one musician like this because I have varied musical taste and death doesn't usually affect me - friends and family members have died and I've gotten over them in a short period of time so I'm not sure what's going on here. Words have the power to bring out the emotions that people fight to hide or don't acknowledge that they feel. I am always aware of that and that's why a song can bring me to tears easily and I purposefully listen to certain songs when I want to experience emotional catharsis... lyrics and melody can be taken to almost spiritual heights and Prince was able to understand that and make his music weave it's way into your soul and pluck your emotions gently - one by one- until you were surrounded by his sound and felt what he wanted you to feel. It's like how Amazing Grace at a funeral can reach down into your solar plexus and make a wave of tears cascade over you- combined with the sound of finality - dirt being shoveled on top the casket- it takes your soul to a place where there is no other choice but to cry... another sound that carries weight is the sound of bagpipes at a funeral.. primal and sad.. a sorrowful song that brings tears forth.... But back to Prince... I don't buy the drug abuse but I can see him finding out about a fast acting cancer and deciding that he would like to go as he lived - quietly and with dignity.... Oddly enough on April 21...I was leaving the house for work and came back inside to change my clothes and put on a purple pair of pants and a purple and black shirt. I was already dressed and something just told me to change. It was very odd but I went along with it. And then I was uneasy all morning and then when I finally decided to go online and news broke. My phone rang off the hook and so much texts inquiring if I was okay came through that my battery went down. I had to close my door and cry. Worst day I have ever had. I think the universe tells us things..if we we would listen we would hear them... and oddly enough around the 6th I had started looking for tickets to the piano and mic tour... [Edited 5/16/16 0:18am] | |
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I am a Prince fan because at 7 saw CreamO and liked it then caught Purple R it was on VH1 and loved it. It echoed what was going on in my house that I was too young to articulate. From there it grew into watching UTCM and GB and even though I thought they weird at the time I thought he was beautiful I started collecting every magazine I could find and grew infatuated with him and Mayte the whole NPG thing. The older I got he grew with me. When I was heartbroken by some boy there was his music. When I got more serious and started questioning what life means what's my purpose his music was there. I'm a fan because through all the journeys my life has taken from the 7yo watching Cream to the 9yo watching PR realizing there are others houses that are scary like mine. His music has always been there to entertain, comfort, sometimes confuse and challenge me. I'm so grateful for his gift and that he chose to share that with us. | |
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Being a fanatic collecter started in '91, but my first memories of his music was around Purple Rain. My thaughts always go back to when we visited my aunt and the tv was on. Purple Rain came by and everybody kept repeating what a great track that was and that video was so great. I was around 11 at that time and was more busy playing with my toy cars than getting into music. In '86 I remember kids at school were repeatedly singing the frase "I love you baby, I love you so much. Maybe we can stay in touch." and that got stuck into my head and I started to sing that line also. Only I had no idea whose song that was. In '88 I got triggered by the single Glam Slam and that was the first record (12 inch) I bought, together with a 7 inch "1999" single. And I recall seeing some footage of the '88 Dortmund show in some television store and I was amazed. Since that moment I officially called myself a fan. Some time later I bought a CD-player and could pick out a cd album for free. I choose Lovesexy, since Glam Slam was on it. But I thought it was a difficult album and I could not go to my favorite song immediately, so I returned it. When I think about that I have to laugh, because a few years later it became my favorite album and still (more or less) is. In '91 I was mature enough to enter the real music world and got hit by Diamonds & Pearls and everything regarding to Prince. His presentation, performance, everything. I recall reading through the booklet and I was surprised by the phrase underneath the lyrics to Thunder, that Prince did all the voices and instruments. That was also a moment that pulled me into his world. Someone who does everything by himself, complete control. Since my first concert in Rotterdam in '92, I bought his complete discography pretty quick and have kept it up to date ever since. And whenever he toured The Netherlands, I had to be there again.
Why a fan? His musicianship, showmanship...................... ALL. He makes it look so easy and still is enjoying himself too and what he is doing is so good, soooo good. I have never seen that at any other concert. And the fact that he wrote and produced his own music and played on it. So different compared to a lot of music made, where things are written or produced for acts.
My parents had to watch those concert tapes over and over and my father always said he only liked a few songs, but the way he performed, the intensity he did it with, he had never seen and respected and enjoyed watching that.
That's it!! Produced, Arranged, Composed & Performed by PRINCE
"Rotterdam, we come to jam!" | |
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I guess I first became a fan after hearing his music on radio. I can't recall the first P song I ever heard but the first one I ever bought was "Partyman", so I'd say I have been a fan since the mid 80s as a young'n. Why I'm a fan? I would say because like Stevie and Michael he's that awesome one of a kind almost otherworldly talent that shined really bright. His whole swagger and braggadocio, that he had the absolutely beautiful women like Denise, that he could play lots of instruments, could sing all kinds and that his music knew no boundaries and was for everybody. Prince was and of course still is a phenomenal artist and I think he was the guy guys wanted to emulate and be like and who the girls wanted to get with. So yea Prince is the man and because of P, MJ I also checked out their musical inspirations so by being a Prince and MJ saidfan it also gave me a musical education which you'd never learn in any school or university. So along with Stevie, these three are like the pinnacle to me of music and it's very sad to think only Stevie Wonder is still with us. I of course am a big fan of Elvis, Roger Troutman, Smokey, Marvin, Uncle Charlie and countless others too but Prince to me was a massive influence for me musically and his commitment to his craft as a musician and entertainer is testament of his greatness too. | |
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Prince wrote, sang, produced and played every instrument in the soundtrack of my life. My older brother liked funk and r&b and so that's what I listened to. When I first heard "Controversy" as a 13-year-old I was mesmerized. But 1999 was my first Prince album that I bought with my own money. I thought I was just buying Little Red Corvette, 1999 and Delirious. I couldn't believe the rest of that album (Free, Lady Cab Driver, DMSR, etc.). I have bought every "album" since....and countless "12" singles and bootlegs. And rest assured that those boxes of records have come out and been played since April 21. I owe my longest friendship to Prince (my best friend from high school who also appreciated Prince, and yes on April 21, his death forced us to pick up the phone to talk to each other and walk down memory lane). I have probably been to 20 of his concerts. And Prince did not make it easy to be his fan. Try being a skinny nerdy white kid that liked Prince in the 80's ("you like that faggot?!" "He sounds like a girl...and looks like one"). Then he changed his name to that symbol, and everyone thought he lost it. I tried explaining the fight with Warner Bros to no avail. Then he kept switching the way he sold his music making it difficult to find. But now every one is applauding him for being way ahead of his time and a revolutionary. Go figure. Frankly, I didn't care how weird everybody thought he was, I just wanted to hear that next piece of music with all of its complexities and hidden messages or multiple meanings. Funny how his songs just became better the more I listened to them.Prince had all the same themes throughout his career -love, sex, God, freedom. What was awesome is that he blended all of them together with his God-given musical genius in a way no other artist has ever done. Interesting how you never hear any "hate" in his music (except for those who restricted freedom of him or others). It just sucks knowing that the spigot is now turned offforever. Now I know how my dad felt when Elvis suddenly died, and my brother who idolized Michael Jackson felt when he died. I know I still have a catalogue of music to listen to, and surely a Vault of unreleased music will come out in the coming years. But there will be no more concerts to go to and no more new music to hear. And of course that bucket list item of actually talking to Prince one day is now impossible. It's just brutal. But it is nice to finally hear everyonefinally giving him the universal props that he deserved well before he died. Welcome to the dawn, Prince | |
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I remember when I fell under the spell... Seeing the Purple Rain video one morning in 2003 while idly flicking around the music tv channels. All of a sudden, that song hit me deep. One of those 'where have you been all my life? ' moments. Oh sure, it wasn't the first time I had heard or seen Prince. Then I knew him as an 80s guy who went off his nut in the 90s and was now releasing obscure 'rubbish'. But by the end of that six minute vid - I was a true believer. Went out and bought the PR album that afternoon. Although the very 1984 production put me off at first, the power of the songs and the performances ago through quickly enough. A lot of time and energy was spent in the next year, getting my hands on any album, torrent, video, or scrap of info about him. That of course led me to this happy place. My new found fandom coincided with his return to the mainstream and Musicology. I remember reading ecstatic reports about the tour in America, and wishing he would come to the UK soon. But when he did, he really spoiled us with his 21 Nights at the o2. I saw three nights - my first real communions with the purple church. I got to see him three more times in and around London - some.of the best times I will ever have. Although nothing can make up for his lack of earthly presence, I'm sure we'll be discovering new masterworks rom him for years to come. It's been too long since you've had your ass kicked properly:
http://www.facebook.com/p...9196044697 My band - listen and 'like' us, if you please |
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I was probably around 10 when I first heard Prince. I remember being in my aunt's car and thinking, " where has this music been??? " I just felt like it was something I'd been searching for and didn't even realize it until I heard it. | |
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I was probably around 10 when I first heard Prince. I remember being in my aunt's car and thinking, " where has this music been??? " I just felt like it was something I'd been searching for and didn't even realize it until I heard it. | |
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[Edited 5/16/16 19:24pm] | |
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. Back in 1980 my older brother bought "Dirty Mind" and was playing it. I looked at the "gay" album cover, heard the shitty "disco" music and asked him, "What the fuck is this shit?" . . Needless to say, I played the album when he wasn't around and bought every single Prince album since then. . [img:$uid]http://6toplists.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dirty-mind-300x300.jpg[/img:$uid]
[Edited 5/17/16 15:51pm] | |
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When I was 12 years old, Little Red Corvette, 1999 (and to a somewhat lesser extent, Delirious) were in heavy rotation on pop radio, and I always had fond memories of loving those songs whenever I heard them. The following year, Purple Rain was released, and I distinctly remember seeing the video for When Doves Cry playing over the end credits of Entertainment Tonight and being transfixed with it. However, as a brand-new teenager, I remember being disengaged with pop music, likely as a result of Thriller Fatigue Syndrome. So I felt put off by the popular phenomenon of Purple Rain. Flash forward less than a year later, Prince had gained a newfound noteriety with Tipper Gore because of Darling Nikki, and 15 year old me started to think that perhaps this Prince guy was more of a badass than I initially gave him credit for. Within a few months, I heard him with fresh new ears as the new single Pop Life played on the radio. This was a song that didn't sound like the rest of his songs. It sounded not unlike my older brother's classic rock albums that I was obsessed with. But it had a "fuck you" attitude that was more punk rock than most of the punk rock I'd heard. Prince was definintely more of a badass I'd given him credit for, so I immediately ran out and bought the cassette single of Pop Life. I brought it home and enjoyed every second of it. I flipped the cassette over and listened to Hello and discovered a song arguable as good as, if not better than, the reason I bought the song. Lyrically it was a bigger "fuck you" than what attracted me to him in the first place. I needed to hear more. I soon discovered that my best friend was a closet Prince fan, and he immediately schooled me on Prince's B-Sides: I got a steady diet of 17 Days, Another Lonely Christmas, God and (of course) Erotic City. I bought Around the World in a Day at the local record store and immediately knew I needed everything in his catalog. I joined Columbia House to get 11 albums for a penny, and three of those selections were Purple Rain, 1999 and Controversey. I fulfilled most of the remainder of my obligations to Columbia House by purchasing Dirty Mind, Prince and For You. 1999 quickly became my favorite album of all time in 1985 and remained in that slot for only two short years. I found myself grounded for some stupid reason at age 16 in the spring of 1987. I remember when the single for Sign O' The Times was to be released. My older brother was going to the mall that day while I was stuck at home. I handed him my money and asked him to pick it up for me; I was very specific, "Please by the 12" dance vinyl, not the regular single." I honestly had no idea what the song would sound like, but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. He seemed to understand. He returned with the 12" vinyl in his hands and handed it to me. "Is this it?" he asked. I recall staring at it confused. I wasn't sure. This was his first release in nearly five years where the name "Prince" occured without "and the Revolution." I remember staring at the cover and replying, "I'm not sure." What the hell is this? Is this Prince in drag?! We all thought that when we first saw it. Some people to this day STILL think that. I put it on the turntable and listened to it. It was so sparse. So serious. Sign O' the Times is a scary song the first time you hear it. The first time I heard it, however, was the extended mix --- and it turns into a PARTY JAM. Holy fuck, it was magic. I turn it over to hear La, La, La, He, He, Hee. Hands down quite possibly the silliest song Prince has ever recorded to this day (and there's a lot of competition for that title). It's also probably the sexiest song written from the perspective of a dog trying to fuck a cat. "Yes, this is what I wanted," I eventually told my brother after he brought this disc to me. The album as still weeks away. I had no idea he could blow my mind even further. [Edited 5/18/16 13:49pm] Dig if U will the picture of U and Marvin Gaye and the kids. | |
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I originally started off as a Michael Jackson fan in 1983 and totally ignored Prince for two years because I was really young and just not ready for him and his music. I had vaguely heard Purple Rain on the radio but funnily, I didn't even like it. A couple of years later, an English friend started sending me mixtapes that included all kinds of artists (Alexander O'Neil, Evelyn Champagne King, Sheila E, Al Green etc) as well as some of Prince's B sides. One of the most memorable listen was Love Bizarre and Erotic City - I loved it and wanted more of that sound. Gradually I started to recognise the very distinct Prince sound whenever it was included on my friend's mix tapes. There was something warm and friendly and exciting about it that made me feel at home. Little did I know that my dance teacher (I studied ballet and modern jazz for 15 years) had also been using a lot of Prince's tracks that I was less familiar with (in particular Tamborine and America).
And then, one day the first part of a big revelation happened: In 1987, I heard Sign O' The Times on the radio in France. I believe it was the first time they were playing it. I remember it was night time and I was already in bed and the radio was next to me. When I heard it, I was instantly awakened. I purchased the album within a week. Meanwhile the same year, my friend sent me the a (pirate) copy of the Black Album on a tape and I loved it. I played SOTT and the Black Album constantly and soon wanted more of the Prince's sound and so I bought my second album, Parade and the third, ATWIAD which was the second revelation when I recognised the songs my dance teacher had been playing. I just couldn't get enough of the Prince sound and it was like I had been looking for this all along and I had suddenly found it. Eventually, I discovered Purple Rain (saw it on TV round a friend's) and loved it. The Prince obsession had started. I bought Lovesexy as soon as it came out and the rest of his vinyl albums, one after the other (and continued to do so until the Graffiti Bridge era, then I moved onto CD's). I was even making my own clothes to match those the girls were wearing in his concerts. I also listened to Jill Jones - a lot. I have calmed down a bit now (with the clothes thing) but never stopped being inspired by Prince.
In 2007, a new lease of life was injected into my fandom when Prince surprised me by inviting me to dance onstage during an aftershow. Prince had never stopped blowing me away with everything he had done so far, but he has since then taken a place in my heart that he will never depart from. I grew up without my dad (after a divorce he never really showed any interest in me) and I had always craved for some form of paternal recognition. This was restored instantly in me when Prince looked at me in the crowd, and kindly insisted that I join him onstage. At that moment, the wounds in me felt instantly repaired and I am eternally grateful to him for that. Coincidently, my father's birthday is on 21st April.
Life Matters | |
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RIP  | |
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I said it before but I was about 8 or 9 and one of my brothers had a girl over and she brought For You and I was sitting outside his door (being a little sister) and I heard For You and was amazed and hooked.
Music had always been a part of my household growing up and when I head this song I was done for.
When I was finally able to buy my own albums I bought them all.
Life kicked me a lot in my late teens and 20s and it was his music that kept me going on and fighting. I couldn't always afford to buy his albums (times were really hard for a while) but he was always in my heart.
I am sad that mygrandkids won't ever know what it is like to hear his music when he makes it, and absorb the cultural impact that comes with it, but as someone said, the Earth is 6 billion years old and I am just so glad that I got to live in the same time as Prince.
Forver in My Life. Because of their half-baked mistakes, we get ice cream, no cake; all lies, no truth; is it fair to Kill the YOUTH ~~ Party Up | |
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1980, my sister had the Prince album, with I Wanna B Your Lover on repeat. Then bang she got the Dirty Mind album and only played it when my parents were out. [Edited 5/17/16 5:10am] | |
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But the funk got me. When u were Mine, Uptown, Head, Partyup, Dirty Mind. What a start to my Prince journey. 
That was a great start! I remember hiding the album cover in my cupboard whenever I was playing it when my mum was around. Life Matters | |
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In 2004, Musicology tour kicked off with the Staples Center show being played in theatres. My Husband (then boyfriend) is a HUGE Prince fan. I made the mistake of actually saying i had never heard of him. He literally almost had a heart attack ( I was 20 and grew up listening to nothing but Salsa then in high school it was all hip hop). He dedicated If I was Your Girlfriend then we ad a crash course in all things Prince in a weekend before the Musicology concert. SInce we were in New York, we went to the movie theatres. It was the most amazing show I had ever seen. To this day Musicology has a very special place in my heart. It is my own finding of Prince after all the music my husband introduced me to. Prince, like so many here, has been the sound track to my twenties and now early thirties. I couldnt believe how different all his music was to everyone and to himself. How beautiful do the words have 2 be
Before they conquer every heart? How will U know if I'm even in the right key If U make me stop before I start? | |
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I feel like an old lady. In the fall of 1979 I was a Senior in High School and a friend from MN brought over the Prince album. We listened to I Wanna Be Your Lover over and over. In 1980 I saw my first concert at the Uptown and fell in love. Through all my ups and downs Prince has been a part of my life. I feel like we grew up together. I liked that as we grew older his style and music changed but he always kept me guessing.
Damn U | |
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I was 9 years old in 2007 when I saw Prince in a celebrity magazine. I thought to myself "Whoa, who is this guy? He's sexy I had no Internet back then so I never knew anything else about Prince besides what was told in that magazine.
Fast forward to 2010, MJ had died the previous year before and I'll admit it, I became a bigger fan of him after he died, I always liked his music as a kid cause my dad would play it all the time but I didn't start listening to music for myself until 2008-2009. By that time in 2010, my obsession with MJ was starting to fade and I was getting tired of hearing the same songs all the time, so I started listening to other 80's music because I didn't know what else to get into. I had cable during that time and the package we had included Sirius XM Satelite radio so I got into the habit of listening to the 80's channel for hours on end just trying to discover new music. So one bright, beautiful morning in I would say January-March of 2010, I went to sit down in front of my TV to eat breakfast and I wanted to listen to music so I changed it to the 80's channel. I managed to catch the last 30 seconds of Raspberry Beret by that sexy dude I saw in the celeb magazine years ago, Prince I thought to myself "Omg, I finally heard music from him!"
After that I made it my mission to hear the full song and try to see what else there was to this Prince guy. I managed to go online with the limited Internet access I had and illegally downloaded Raspberry Beret. (I'm poor, don't judge me!) Needless to say, I became obsessed with the song and I wanted to discover more but with my shitty cable cord internet for one user at a time, I couldn't.
Fast forward to June of 2010, I was watching TV one day and I changed the channel to VH1, they were airing Purple Rain. There was only half an hour left and I was scared my parents or brothers would come in and judge me (they would judge anything I'd watch or listen to) so I got scared and decided to DVR the rest of the movie and I turned off the TV. The next day I decided it would be safe for me to watch PR so I played it, but after 20 seconds, my mom barges in. She asks me what I'm watching, I say "I don't know". She sits down next to me and then she starts making fun of Prince's singing during Purple Rain. I'm getting really nervous because I have never seen this movie before and I'm not sure if something weird would happen (like a sex scene or something) so I stop it and I get out of the DVR section and go to regular cable. That's when my mom realizes that what I was watching was recorded, so she starts interrogating me and then proceeds to make fun of me for being a fan of "a gay, washed up singer". I got pretty embarrassed and pissed at the same time. I didn't really say anything because well, I was 12 years old and I was never good at defending myself, plus I barely knew anything about Prince. (In fact, because of that experience with my mom, I thought Prince was gay and I believed that until I started going online and discovered how much of a womanizer he is. Shocking but also relieved to say the least
I forgot how everyhting happened, but within a few months I became an official Prince fan and I only became more and more obsessed with him and his music as the days passed. I ended up taking a break from Prince in late 2012-early 2013 and did not come back to renew my place in the Purple Army until March of this year. Boy, do I regret a lot now
"I was here in the beginning and I'll be here forever more" | |
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". I was 9 years old, I had no idea what sexy looked like yet when I saw him I immediately knew. These weren't my exact thoughts but at that time it was like "Screw Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, whoever male celebrity is considered hot, they ain't got nothing on Prince" 
I started in 1989 with Lovesexy album. It was and still is and will be amazing | |
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Late 80's...I distincty can still can recall seeing the "1999" video clip being played on a NYE music countdown night. [Edited 7/11/20 22:16pm] | |
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The Purple Rain album's realease date was 4 days before I was born. It was fate, and I would forever be intertwined with all things purple. That's how it all began.
How'm I gonna fill this empty room... | |
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