Reading the thread on the case, and the discussions around his self medication and the pain he was in has got me thinking about how long this may have been an issue. Certainly his stage presence changed in 2000, and the dynamic dancing stopped to be replaced with more stationery grooving. He did a hit and run in 2000 with genova taking the dancing over, then changed things up for the one nite alone tour and went suits and solos.

I can't help think that the rave ppv when he did that ridiculous multiple splits section didn't majorly cause him a serious injury. Either it was the final push that took years of stress damage into a severe fracture, or it was a serious one off stress that broke something.

Are there any credible insights into his probable pain levels prior to 1999? It seems a lot of the stories coming out now relate to 2010s and some around the Mani era, which would support my thoughts that his issues really started in 1999/2000.

I know there is the Mayte story from 1996, but that feels more related to emotional than physical pain and he was still uninhibited on stage at this time.

If he was able to do the splits after the rave show that would be interesting. My guess would be that he may have tried once or twice once he felt recovered but that the pain would have been too great, and so he needed to reconsider his stagecraft asap.

Of course he did spluts after rave show.he did splits during 2000/2001 hit n run tour u have videos 2 confirm that

thebanishedone said:

It was reported that Prince injured himself at some point on this tour, but these are the last live performances of the splits to my awareness.

As you say, there are videos on youtube and other sites clearly showing Prince dancing that way on this 2000/01 tour.

I personally saw him do the splits at my first Prince gig on 9 Dec 2000 in Vegas. I didn't see him do them again.

I recall him being injured during the 2001 Celebration. I have a vague memory of him having mobility issues during the second soundcheck at the Xcel Energy Center.

The injury happened in 1998...

He tripped over a stage monitor and continued 2 perform...

He finished the show and then went 2 the hospital afterwards.

I BELIEVE that's when he suffered the injury.

The heels and his career didn't help that injury.

He spoke about it on Tavis Smiley in on Tavis BET show in 1998.

Tavis was actually clowning him about it.

thebanishedone said:

I'll take your word on that, I've never seen a full concert from 2000, I did go to the 2001 celebration and saw the excel centre shows and can't recall the full on dancing w/splits that I'd seen in 1998 Brixton show.

I know he split in jam of the year that was 1997 though so doesn't change the timeline.

Regardless if the actual injury was the rave show, certainly something must have happened in 2000 as he stopped it dead by one nite alone tour.

Would it be safe to speculate that he was likely having mobility/muscular/skeletal issues on and off for the last 16 years?

dustoff said:

During Jam of the Year, too. Like, jumping off the piano into splits.

Incorrect. He clearly did the splits on the Rave Un2 The Year 2000 pay-per-view special which was recorded in mid-December 1999. The Jam of the Year Tour was 1997.

I think the last time he did splits
was the Hit & run tour 2000/01

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't already feeling the pain by the time the 80's were over. As a dancer myself, I couldn't imagine doing what he was doing on the Purple Rain tour night after night, and not feeling it in my body. I think it was long overdue for him to stop doing the splits and jumping off pianos! He was an outstanding performer and knew how to make it look effortless!