I first became aware of Prince during the Purple Rain era, when I was about 11.

I remember being quite SCARED of him. He had wild eyes, wild hair, did strange facial expressions - and looked somehow GRIMY, sweaty, and like he could do with a good scrub, lol...There was something 'dirty' about him - both in terms of his physical appearance and demeanour and, as an innocent 11 year old, I felt a bit 'dirty' and repelled, just looking at him! He was also fascinating - so I experienced strange, conflicting emotions watching him perform.

As I say, I think my primary emotion was one of fear...Of course, that changed over time as we both grew older and I started to find him much more attractive (I love his older pics / vids now too, of course) - but he remained a source of fascination and someone who I believed was intense - and rather intimidating.

I'm curious to know what YOU all felt on first encountering him!

Yep exactely the same for me, even disgust! But that's probably because I was too busy drooling over Michael Jackson at the time... Things took a complete different turn however when I grew a little older and understood what Prince was really about and suddenly it was not MJ I was drooling over any more!!

icequeen78 said:

I've just discovered that there is another, almost identical, thread to this one about 'childhood impressions of Prince'. I'm so sorry! Maybe a mod could merge them or something..?

I thought he was great. Of course I wasn't a young child, so he didn't frighten me. I heard "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and saw him on AB in those gold pants and I just thought he was the 'coolest' thing ever!

I was crazy about Prince's music since '79 when I was 9 years old but I wouldn't see what he looked like until late '81 early 82 when I saw the Controversy poster. Yeah, it was love at first sight.

I remember seeing him -- I /think/ my first exposure was the Batman soundtrack, but I'm not certain, I was pretty young -- and thinking he was pretty awesome, in a dangerous way. And I instantly wanted to play guitar like him. I wasn't afraid of him, though; I thought he was fun and crazy, and I was convinced I'd grow up to be just like him, dirty lyrics and all (I keep thinking poor Prince would have been side-eyeing the HELL out of my mom for letting me hear his music as a kid. And she would have explained to him that considering where I grew up, the subjects he talked about were pretty tame, and yeah, I DID know what those lyrics meant. I mean, c'mon, I wa 7 reading her romance novels, for crying out loud, way before I'd heard of Prince. ). I absolutely LOVED the Batman soundtrack, and wore out about two tapes of that, at least.

I remember liking him a lot more than MJ because here was this dude who played suce aweome, rambunctious, LOUD rock music, and he was black, like me! Up til then, I hadn't actually seen black folk playing anything other than blues, jazz, or soul (my mom wasn't too much into James Brown and other funk musicians, apparently), so it was kinda like the light of Heaven was shining down on my secret love of rambunctious music. Lil dude was an education and a half.

I remember seeing him -- I /think/ my first exposure was the Batman soundtrack, but I'm not certain, I was pretty young -- and thinking he was pretty awesome, in a dangerous way. And I instantly wanted to play guitar like him. I wasn't afraid of him, though; I thought he was fun and crazy, and I was convinced I'd grow up to be just like him, dirty lyrics and all (I keep thinking poor Prince would have been side-eyeing the HELL out of my mom for letting me hear his music as a kid. And she would have explained to him that considering where I grew up, the subjects he talked about were pretty tame, and yeah, I DID know what those lyrics meant. I mean, c'mon, I wa 7 reading her romance novels, for crying out loud, way before I'd heard of Prince. ). I absolutely LOVED the Batman soundtrack, and wore out about two tapes of that, at least.

I remember liking him a lot more than MJ because here was this dude who played suce aweome, rambunctious, LOUD rock music, and he was black, like me! Up til then, I hadn't actually seen black folk playing anything other than blues, jazz, or soul (my mom wasn't too much into James Brown and other funk musicians, apparently), so it was kinda like the light of Heaven was shining down on my secret love of rambunctious music. Lil dude was an education and a half.

Just complete OMG, that guy just looks so weird and bizarre.

.

I was 9 and I was watching the video for Raspberry Beret. I knew of Prince since Little Red Corvette was a hit, but it was just a song and same with When Doves Cry and Purple Rain. the 9 year old me realised that it was the same cat singing all these songs.

.

All I remember was the cloud suit and just thinking, this guy makes Boy George look normal. I also thought he was a bit like Michael Jackson, the only artist I was a fan of back then. I also remember listening to the song made me want a Raspberry Popsicle (Ice lolly) or some raspberry cordial. Red was my favourite colour so I heard the name expecting a lot of red and all there was some guy singing like a girl in a cloud suit (I was just 9 after all).

.

I was not particularly moved by Prince then and just thought, yeah so what and only kind of dug him when Alphabet Street dropped and I thought it was quite funky. The Batman and GB era put me off him and I had completely forgotten who he was until I watched the Cream video, that was a different story. By that time I was 15 and had grown up as far as music had gone.

[Edited 6/12/16 22:18pm]

SheLovesMeNot said:

I thought Prince, when I first knew/heard of him in the early 90's( I was born in 1983), that he was fascinating and mysterious. His singing was very different and unique unlike I have ever heard. It seemed like he enjoyed what he was doing and made and impression in my mind in my younger years. I have been hooked ever since

[Edited 6/13/16 6:47am]

I was 13 and it was right before Musicology. However, the PR era is what intrigued me and it was how I was introduced to him. So I feel like I had 2 different versions of P that I was bouncing back and forth between at the same time. I was educating myself on all the early stuff, but still trying to keep track of all the (then) current as well. Since it was like night and day as far as his style is concerned and whatnot, I thought he was so fascinating. Everything from his clothing to the way he spoke, I was enamored, really.

12, Musicology era. Saw Musicology video on TV right before I headed for school and thought it was a cool song

He was played on radio a lot from his first single dropping, so I liked "Soft & Wet" at 7yo (I'm sure my parents loooved that!). Didn't see him until TV appearances for the 2nd album, & I was like, "Whaaaaa??!" I didn't know what to make of him, I just remember being like "ooh!" I stayed curous & interested in him until I could buy records w/ my allowance (1999 was the first purchase, but the mystery around Controversy was hella intriguing - my sister tried to hide her copy - & that poster - from me), then it was OVAH

[Edited 6/13/16 3:24am]

I was born in 1980 , so I don't have much recollection of him before my Jr. High days in the early 90s up til now. I do recall in the 90s I loved his voice but when I seen his videos I thought hmm he's very pretty to look at it but yet was kind of creeped out at the same time LOL. But I couldn't resist watching him move in those videos. I had not seen dancers like him except what I could remember of MJ and remember thinking WOW this guy is WAY BETTER than MJ. But being born to a very conservative Non-demoninational/Pentecostal type preacher, my dad forbid his music and said it would corrupt me but my parents were divorced so anything Dad didn't approve of, mom was game for. Spent many summers watching Prince videos with mom but she would not rebel against dad and let me actually go see a live show of his. She had some fear that I would end up in trouble of some kind. I wish I could of seen him in the last 10 yrs or so at a live show but the opportunity never presented itself. I love reading the stories from those of you that have though.

Age 7, 1983: My teenaged cousin was a big Prince fan and had the poster from Controversy era on the back of her bedroom door (the one of him in the shower with those tiny black binkini underwear on) lol Let's just say, I was transformed from that point on. I thought wow..he's beautiful. Loved him ever since!

Skinny MF with the high voice

The Emotions have got some wierd, risque lyrics going on with this song "I Wanna Be Your Lover!"

Oops-- It's not the Emotions, It's the guy named Prince!

I was 12...there was a busted up cassette being passed around of a kid who played all the instruments on all these songs who was a little older than us...those songs turned up later on the 94 east cd ....

I heard of Prince first way before he broke big in my little musical town of Plainfield NJ where I grew up.

When I saw the face matched to the voice...I was in love ...and I still feel that way every time I see him.

He connects me to the light in myself that desires to be extraordinary.

Germanegro said:

The Emotions have got some wierd, risque lyrics going on with this song "I Wanna Be Your Lover!"

Oops-- It's not the Emotions, It's the guy named Prince!

LMAO....cause im a big fan of The Emotions and Earth Wind & Fire....

honestly?...first impresssion of Prince while watching him on American Bandstand:

"look Renee! (my sister)...that guy that sings "I Wanna Be Your Lover" is on TV...this boy looks like a homo...hurry up, come look at this shit..."