I heard that he got teary eyed during a couple of his P&M performances and also at the Montreaux 2013 performance during "Breakdown".

[Edited 8/29/19 15:46pm]

RJP1205 said:

klick2me said:

RJP1205 said:

There's a video of him on the Musicology tour, sitting on a stool and he gets emotional/teary when the crowd is cheering for him. Warms my heart to see it every time. He put the mysterious and serious persona out there but he was only human with a big heart. Miss him! 💜

That's right, I remember that. I miss the dude.

Oh yes now I remember that as well. That was touching.

Purple Rain scene when his father slapped him when he tried to protect his mom. I know it was a film, but he said on Oprah that it was the realest scene in the film. He tended to be a control freak when it came to emotions. Never saw him that angry or sad in public.

At the March 1987 "try-out" gig for the SOTT he appeared to be very emotional during the performance of Forever In My Life. At one point he turned his back away from the audience, and as he turns around a close-up of his face seems to show that he is crying or just very emotional. Could have been just a "show" for the camera, but I don't think so, because he wouldn't have turned his back to the camera, and that performance was never planned for public view.

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At the 2004 Musicology show in LA Prince appeared to be holding back tears/emotion when he started singing Sometimes It Snows In April. He sang "those kind of cars don't pass you everyday, Dave". After the song he dedicated it to David Coleman, Lisa's Brother, who I believe had recently passed away.

RJP1205 said:

There's a video of him on the Musicology tour, sitting on a stool and he gets emotional/teary when the crowd is cheering for him. Warms my heart to see it every time. He put the mysterious and serious persona out there but he was only human with a big heart. Miss him! 💜

I believe that was the same LA show where he dedicated SISIA to David Coleman - during the acoustic set. Right after he played the acoustic LRC the crowd went crazy, and he put his hands up to his face in a humble gesture and then tapped his heart to express his love to the crowd. Then he began the first chords for SISIA, and appeared to be holding back tears. He took a deep breath, as if to catch his emotion, before singing the first chorus.

robertgeorge said:

Purple Rain scene when his father slapped him when he tried to protect his mom. I know it was a film, but he said on Oprah that it was the realest scene in the film. He tended to be a control freak when it came to emotions. Never saw him that angry or sad in public.

Per Susan Rogers, in the PR fillm, during the basement scene right after they take his Father away after he shot himself Prince's emotion that he showed in that scene was real. He had to get to that "place" for the shot. She said she had walked on set during the middle of the scene and she was standing quietly behind the fake wall. Right after they yelled "cut" Prince walked behind that wall and they came face to face. She said she could see the real emotion on his face, and she knew not to say anything to him at that moment.

Of course, most of us have only seen him during performances. That means that you are in a very concentrated state. And there are many things in such a performance that are put in there to seem spontaneous. Prince used to drill his bands to the point of being able to look spontaneous with choreographed things.

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Showing emotion is a time-tested way of making a show more special for the audience.

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Not saying Prince faked it often, but he did have acting lessons and was a very good performed, using all kinds of tricks.

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All that to say that it is very difficult to be certain that emotion that is shown is "real".

During Patti La Belle's performance of Purple Rain at the 2010 BET lifetime achievement awards.

He was standing and holding back tears. She really sang it well.

mediumdry said:

Of course, most of us have only seen him during performances. That means that you are in a very concentrated state. And there are many things in such a performance that are put in there to seem spontaneous. Prince used to drill his bands to the point of being able to look spontaneous with choreographed things.

.

Showing emotion is a time-tested way of making a show more special for the audience.

.

Not saying Prince faked it often, but he did have acting lessons and was a very good performed, using all kinds of tricks.

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All that to say that it is very difficult to be certain that emotion that is shown is "real".

Yes, but he never wanted to show vulnerability, and crying is the ultimate emotionally vulnerable state. Very hard to fake that, and he rarely showed that on stage. I mentioned that '87 1st Ave performance of FIML which seems authentic, but when you watch the SOTT film which they shot several months later you can see he's clearly faking the emotion when playing the song. He acts like he's wiping away tears, but of course there are no tears, because it wasn't spontaneous or "in the moment".

How emotional was he at the first Piano & a Microphone show in Melbourne after Vanity died?

sexton said:

How emotional was he at the first Piano & a Microphone show in Melbourne after Vanity died?

From the details that I have read he was not crying, but he was very open with the audience, and lovingly honored her life and his time with her. I'm sure it was a shock for him, as from what I understand her death was somewhat unexpected at that time. He had to perform not long after getting the news.

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At his first P&M "try-out" shows (PP Jan 2016) he was extremely open about his childhood, Father, learning to play music, and relationsips. He was telling his story chronologically with his songs along with his personal comments. Very touching.

purplethunder3121 said:

bsprout said:

On his 21 Nights tour in London, at the end of the song he does with Amy Winehouse he says, “...I got tears...Imma have to get my shades on..”. I have the audio- love this performance.

I was at that show, he didn't seem to get teary eyed at that point. Yes he said those words of course, he was ever the show man.

Solemn Melancholy. When I think of Prince in my head, my inner voice, refers to him as Solemn Melancholy, because I would talk to him during the wee hours, and that would be his mood, you know? I never could wrap my head around how much of this was natural to him, and how much of it was stress, or pain, or whatever? Is the joyous bubbly Prince his natural state or is this other thing? I was never sure.

TheEnglishGent said:

funksterr said:

Solemn Melancholy. When I think of Prince in my head, my inner voice, refers to him as Solemn Melancholy, because I would talk to him during the wee hours, and that would be his mood, you know? I never could wrap my head around how much of this was natural to him, and how much of it was stress, or pain, or whatever? Is the joyous bubbly Prince his natural state or is this other thing? I was never sure.

Both are valid natural states that coexist in the same person, if you let them. Each twin feeds the other.

BlackCandle said:

TheEnglishGent said:

bsprout said:

On his 21 Nights tour in London, at the end of the song he does with Amy Winehouse he says, “...I got tears...Imma have to get my shades on..”. I have the audio- love this performance.

I was at that show, he didn't seem to get teary eyed at that point. Yes he said those words of course, he was ever the show man.

I was at that show too. I gotta say if I think about that opening too long, I get teary...

poppys said:

funksterr said:

Solemn Melancholy. When I think of Prince in my head, my inner voice, refers to him as Solemn Melancholy, because I would talk to him during the wee hours, and that would be his mood, you know? I never could wrap my head around how much of this was natural to him, and how much of it was stress, or pain, or whatever? Is the joyous bubbly Prince his natural state or is this other thing? I was never sure.

Both are valid natural states that coexist in the same person, if you let them. Each twin feeds the other.

True and the thing about Prince... no matter what.. there will be a contrast. He is without effort always of two minds.

bsprout said:

BlackCandle said:

I was at that show too. I gotta say if I think about that opening too long, I get teary...

Great that you both got to attend this concert.
I have to say, whether or not he legit got teary, and despite an incoherent Amy W, his guitar playing on this song makes me teary. It’s a beautiful song and melody (Love is a Losing Game). How Prince can interpret the sadness of this song via this achingly beautiful guitar solo just leaves me in awe. It’s as if his guitar is speaking. So impressive...

I think that Prince was a very private man, that was determine to keep his emotions to himself, refusing to put them on display for anyone! We all know that he was very controlling, and I think that control applied to himself as well. Prince allowed you to see just what he wanted you to and nothing else! I'm sure that he cried many tears in his life, but he cried them in private, where only God and himself could see. There was a reason why Prince didn't allow anyone else to get too close to him, and always kept others at length, even family! He created the mystery that was Prince, and he kept it up until his dying day.

[Edited 8/31/19 9:25am]

looby said:

I think that Prince was a very private man, that was determine to keep his emotions to himself, refusing to put them on display for anyone! We all know that he was very controlling, and I think that control applied to himself as well. Prince allowed you to see just what he wanted you to and nothing else! I'm sure that he cried many tears in his life, but he cried them in private, where only God and himself could see. There was a reason why Prince didn't allow anyone else to get too close to him, and always kept others at length, even family! He created the mystery that was Prince, and he kept it up until his dying day.

[Edited 8/31/19 9:25am]

I think you are on point here, but I also think that, as controlling as Prince was, and as hard as he tried to protect his vulnerable side, there were no doubt instances (based on statements by those who had been close to him) where he became emotional in front of some in his inner circle.

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Alan Leeds has the story of Prince grabbing his hand in the limo at the PR premiere just after Chick had told them how many celebrities and people were waiting outside of the theatre, and how he was like a vulnerable child in the way he reacted - of course, only for a few seconds.

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Susannah Melvoin has a couple of stories (probably more that she hasn't told) about Prince breaking down and becoming emotional with her.

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There is the account of him breaking down while talking to the Doctors after his baby was born.

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I don't care how controlled a person tries to be - we are all human - so was Prince, and there will be times when emotion takes over and wins the fight. It was certainly rare with Prince, but he also had his moments. He put his vulnerability and emotion into the lyrics of his songs though.

[Edited 8/31/19 10:48am]

sexton said:

How emotional was he at the first Piano & a Microphone show in Melbourne after Vanity died?

It's largely reported that he was very emotional that night. Many of the fans who was actually there said he was really emotional and crying. There's so many articles and comments out there about how emotional he was, but here's an article from The Herald Sun that sums it up and Dr Funkenberry posts about it and some of the fans comments who were there to see the show.

[Edited 8/31/19 13:12pm]

sexton said:

How emotional was he at the first Piano & a Microphone show in Melbourne after Vanity died?

Here's another one. I didn't know he couldn't finish performing and had to leave the stage early until i read this one.