For taking Piano lessons was he? I ask for the cruelty and bullying of some country folk! If I took Piano lessons like he did I would been called all that and then some. Anybody else grown up in town that have a few individuals that would treated you like that? I guess you all can guess what the first P and F stand for

That bullying in school, I wonder was that for his short stature only or playing the piano or both? Some assholes believe that only women should play the piano!

I would be surprised if he wasn't? What kid isn't harrassed by someone who picks on how they are different from the norm. My take on the op question would be more how widespread it was, or did he have a lot of friends who had his back (or one extra beefy freind)?

Wow, what kind of town did you live in to get called hateful names just for taking piano lessons?

I didn't live in the most open-minded place but boys certainly weren't called names just for studying the piano...

Astasheiks said:

For taking Piano lessons was he? I ask for the cruelty and bullying of some country folk! If I took Piano lessons like he did I would been called all that and then some. Anybody else grown up in town that have a few individuals that would treated you like that? I guess you all can guess what the first P and F stand for

Ironically, I think I was called all those things for being a fan.

purplethunder3121 said:

Wow, what kind of town did you live in to get called hateful names just for taking piano lessons?

I didn't live in the most open-minded place but boys certainly weren't called names just for studying the piano...

Prince being a piano player was problably the least of reasons for him to be targeted by a bully as a teenager. His slight built and somewhat angrogynous look on top of being shy would put him at risk unless he was popular or he was befriended by others seen as cool. I doubt he was extroverted enough when not playing music to be popular. Just look at all the comments directed towards him by non-fans. If you don't believe this, look at the threads about how family and friends dealt with orgers' love of Prince.

gandorb said:

Asenath0607 said:

I also thought in an interview he stated he was picked on and that he retreated into his own world, and as he got better with his music and he became known for his talent, the bullying stopped. I believe it is the Tavis Smiley interview where he revealed that he had seizures as a child. I also read in another interview, don't know if it was P or his sister's interview, where it was revealed that they also experienced some racial taunts and harrassement

I wonder if he ever had seizures at school. That is the kiss of death for some kids in terms of acceptance. Whatever he went though, I am sure glad that he had his music and creativity to help him!

I don't know but people often don't consider the fact that he was at one time, just another kid, albeit a musically talented one. I really don't think he was thought of as queer or gay or feminine in school. He probably did get bullied. My point is, the adrogyny was an act, just how much of it was an act, who the hell knows. My best friend knew someone who knew Prince in high school and claimed he was a normal kid and that all the wierdness/androgyny was just an act. I do not believe Prince looked that feminine before he started with the processes, the makeup and the wardrobe. On his first album and even in his early pics, he looks like a young black male of the time, even darker in those days and with a huge afro. Also, music was such a part of his peers lives and communities that I would think it would just help him socialize, look at all the talent that came from that HS. I get your point, in certain quarters and neighborhoods and communities and interest in music would be considered soft and feminine but I really don't think Prince lived in a hard area. Rick James said something that I think is true, how his band and Prince's almost got into it and how the guys from Buffalo would have just been to rough for those Minneapolis kids.

Astasheiks said:

In what sort of shithole did u grow up?!When I was in high school there were all sorts of arts options, including music, and many guys played the piano. Heck, even in SECONDARY school it wouldn't have crossed anyone's mind to make fun of a dude who'd play a music instrument. A guy doing dance? Maybe, and still it would have had to be ballet because being able to do hip-hop and modern jazz was cool thanks to MJ and music videos, and ballet could only have been an issue in sec school, never in high school. There, at most, it'd have been considered unusual and maybe odd, but no reason for bullying!When I come 2 think of it there was no bullying at all in my high school. In sec school yes, there was a lot, but in high school we were kind of grow-ups enough, and the bullies from sec school had all either matured or failed and gone to some technical school at that point.

He said in the Oprah interview he was bullied for his height; that people would make fun of him, and say all sorts of things that involved his being 'short'. As a result, he claimed, he created an internalised imaginary friend / alternate self who would always be there for him.

Astasheiks said:

That bullying in school, I wonder was that for his short stature only or playing the piano or both? Some assholes believe that only women should play the piano!

Never heard of anything like that in the UK or Europe. Piano is for everybody. Prince was called all the nasty names under the sun even on the org by so called Prince fans and it's even worst by none Prince fans. Just look on the internet , Youtube etc. Even i was called all the nasty names at school for being Prince fan , my response was middle finger and turn the music up louder. I think Prince was the same, middle finger to the haters and he played by his rules. Once a friend of mine wore a Queen t-shirt and i had my Prince t-shirt on guess who got all the weird looks. That does not even make sense when Freddie was openly gay but apparently being a Queen fan and male you must be ok and straight and being a Prince fan you must be weird and gay or something. That's how it felt to me.

[Edited 10/14/16 4:50am]

PeteSilas said:

everything i've heard points to Prince having a rough time in all aspcts -

when he was younger...

[Edited 10/14/16 5:14am]

rogifan said:

I thought the teasing was about his height.

.

That's what I thought as well.

Lol.........Prince was a baller and musician in H.S.

Not a chance in hell he was called any of those things.

purplethunder3121 said:

Wow, what kind of town did you live in to get called hateful names just for taking piano lessons?

I didn't live in the most open-minded place but boys certainly weren't called names just for studying the piano...

Some small country Texas town, less than 10, 000. I didn't take piano lessons but if I had I would been called those names, 100% guranteed, heehee lol! Would have came from mainly 3-4 dudes and one partricular. My parents think its a good town for the very low crime rate. haha

[Edited 10/14/16 10:32am]

Astasheiks said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Wow, what kind of town did you live in to get called hateful names just for taking piano lessons?

I didn't live in the most open-minded place but boys certainly weren't called names just for studying the piano...

Some small country Texas town, less than 10, 000. I didn't take piano lessons but if I had I would been called those names, 100% guranteed, heehee lol! Would have came from mainly 3-4 dudes and one partricular. My parents think its a good town for the very low crime rate. haha

[Edited 10/14/16 10:32am]

Geez, I thought where I grew up was bad enough--your's was worse. Bet you got the hell outa there!

Astasheiks said:

For taking Piano lessons was he? I ask for the cruelty and bullying of some country folk! If I took Piano lessons like he did I would been called all that and then some. Anybody else grown up in town that have a few individuals that would treated you like that? I guess you all can guess what the first P and F stand for

Forgive me if some of these points are being repeated but this is what came to mind when I read your question:

.

On Oprah he said he was teased for being short. (She specifically asked if as a child he was ridiculed about his size.)

.

On The Tavis Smiley Show, Tavis asked Prince how he overcame teasing when he was a child. P didn't say what he was teased about, but said he went into himself and taught himself music. When people saw what he could do musically, people began to admire him for his musical gifting. (So it doesn't seem he was ever teased for playing piano, rather admired instead.)

.

Jimmy Jam did an interview with Access Hollywood shortly after P's death (it's on YouTube) and they asked him about his Jr High/HS days. Jimmy said the girls loved P and would shout his name when he dribbled down the basketball court. He said P was respected for his talent (music and basketball). They asked him specifically about the way P dressed and Jimmy said he didn't dress that way in school. That didn't come until later. (It seems he created that look for his "Rock Star" image.)

.

Speaking of his clothing, P explained to Tavis that in his early career he tried to compensate for childhood teasing by dressing as flashy as he could and being as loud as he could. (His quote after sharing that he was epileptic as a child: "From that point on I've been having to deal with a lot of things, getting teased a lot in school and early in my career I tried to compensate for that by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could." )

.

These are interesting and insightful interviews.

He was probably called all of those things for being short or for preferring music or because his parents were divorced or any number of other reasons - just like everyone who grew up in that era. You could be picked on for any reason - or no reason, at all.

It was probably worse for him in middle school than in high school - by high school, he would have had a clear idea of where he was headed. When your talent is clear-cut and you have a well-defined goal, it's a lot easier to give (at least) a mental "fuck you" to people who give you a hard time - and work harder to make them eat your dust - and their own words.

Read Tyka's book. She details how they were both teased.