Se7en said:

52, I'll be 53 in November.

I've been a fan since the 1999 album, but not right away (was a radio fan first, got the album for Christmas 1983).

So, I knew who Prince was in 1980, but being raised a sheltered independent Baptist kid, some of the naughtier things in life evaded me. But I remember in my freshman English class, a Black girl in front of me had a purple shirt on with all this writing in a red font. I said, "What is that?" She said, "it's the lyrics from '1999' by Prince. Ain't you heard that?"

I hadn't. But instead of doing my work, I pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down the lyrics. I was fascinated by them. I knew of "Little Red Corvette," because my aunt owned a t-top 1976 red Corvette, and she blasted that song a lot. haha

But "1999" wasn't on my radar until ol' girl was sitting in front of me. That's when I honed my focus more.

That Christmas, my best friend and I decided to trade Christmas gifts. I got him a cool phone, and he bought me Controversy.

[Edited 7/10/24 9:37am]

nayroo2002 said:

51. But i'll be 52 next month

Didn't know this was about "the hook"

Of course, the video for "Little Red Corvette" on MTV made me watch more MTV!

Then, "1999" was also on high rotation!

Mind you, all around 1983.

Prince made a movie.

My attention was had,

but there was also Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Van Halen, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Cyndi Lauper, Quiet Riot, Weird Al, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, etc.

Later, in 1986, when "Kiss" was released, i discovered the 12" single

wait, wait, there are EXTENDED VERSIONS of these songs i heard on the radio???!!!???

...and another song that's NOT on the album on the other side???!

THEN!

i became a true fan

sexton said:

Of course most of us are in our 50s. We were our most impressionable teenage selves when Prince was at his peak in the 80s.

I remember the brainiac on Criminal Minds saying that the music we listen to when we're 14 has the greatest impact.

I was like, yep, 14 when When Doves Cry blew my little mind.

ghostof82 said:

I'm 58

Ditto. Not expecting to shuffle off into senility (or worse) anytime soon, though!

nayroo2002 said:

nayroo2002 said:

51. But i'll be 52 next month

Didn't know this was about "the hook"

Of course, the video for "Little Red Corvette" on MTV made me watch more MTV!

Then, "1999" was also on high rotation!

Mind you, all around 1983.

Prince made a movie.

My attention was had,

but there was also Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Van Halen, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Cyndi Lauper, Quiet Riot, Weird Al, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, etc.

Later, in 1986, when "Kiss" was released, i discovered the 12" single

wait, wait, there are EXTENDED VERSIONS of these songs i heard on the radio???!!!???

...and another song that's NOT on the album on the other side???!

THEN!

i became a true fan

...Exactly!!!!

45. Bought my first P record in 1989 (age 10), he became someone whose career I followed more closely from 1991 (age 12), hardcore fan since 1997 (age 17).

53. Fan since summer 1984.

First concert : 1986.

Saw him 27 times.

Favorite era : "Parade" without any doubt.

TOP 3 songs : "Sometimes It Snows In April", " Free" & "17 Days".

54, fan since hearing Little Red Corvette on the Radio in the uk.

[Edited 7/12/24 2:23am]

54 - fan since 1983 when I first heard Little Red Corvette on the radio and swiped my sisters album.

Fandom peaked around 1987 with Sign o the Times. Faded a bit in the early 90s but came back with Gold Experience and a visit to MPLS & Paisley Park in 95.

Like the others I only care about the music these days...really want to hear those classic 80s albums get the special treatment.

49 and a few months.

sexton said:

Of course most of us are in our 50s. We were our most impressionable teenage selves when Prince was at his peak in the 80s.

And honestly, that's why we're kinda bitchy. We've earned it, but we have to use our powers for good. haha His music so greatly affected us in our most vulnerable and impressionable years, that we feel a different kind of kinship with the music.

Most of us are within 10 years of Prince's age. He was born in 1958, I was born in 1968. A lot of these people we so admire and love (Bruce, MJ, Madonna, Billy Joel, Prince, etc) were boomers, but some were just young enough in their Boomer years to be close to our age and we felt a comradeship with them. They saw both sides - the work ethic side of a Boomer, and the un-parented feral Gen X side.

These folks raised us, taught us a level of morality, individuality, and general "I don't give a fuck"ness. Yet, they're close enough to our age, that we sorta grew up together. Prince was in his mid-20s for Purple Rain... a baby. And we're sophomore's in Algebra class.

To be a teenager in the mid 80s, and have folks like Prince, Madonna, and MJ making huge splashes on the scene in fashion, music, movies, whatever - there simply was no better time to be that age at that time. I don't know I would've appreciated Purple Rain the same at 26 as I did at 16.

Amazing.

Very few people here under 50.

No twenties, barely two Thirties...

Wasn't there a youngster around 20+ or something that recently joined this old purple bitch fight site?

My memory is failing on me ...

Gosh.

-

A bit off topic :

I also remember well when I really got deep into The Beatles, and I mean seriously 'into' it.

I was already 29, nearly 30. (I'm born 1966).

Of course I heard about them, and I knew many songs, but now I am as big a The Beatles fan as i am a Prince fan.

So there's always hope for (much younger) youngsters (even) to discover Prince's imaculate legacy.

You only really have to love music and have a broad interest in all styles and genres.

Same happened to me few years ago, when I started to (re-)discover a lot of old soul & funk-rock musicians from late sixties and early seventies. Like right now I'm really into rare Earth.

And to go completely off topic :

I have the album 'Ma' by Rare Earth, and I swear that on side 1, that 17+ minutes track 'Ma' is what made Prince decide to record 'The War'... It has so much similarities.

Don't celebrate Birthdays it makes you get old quicker!

TrivialPursuit said:

sexton said:

Of course most of us are in our 50s. We were our most impressionable teenage selves when Prince was at his peak in the 80s.

And honestly, that's why we're kinda bitchy. We've earned it, but we have to use our powers for good. haha His music so greatly affected us in our most vulnerable and impressionable years, that we feel a different kind of kinship with the music.

Most of us are within 10 years of Prince's age. He was born in 1958, I was born in 1968. A lot of these people we so admire and love (Bruce, MJ, Madonna, Billy Joel, Prince, etc) were boomers,

.
Speak for yourself. I was born in '69 yet I couldn't care less about "Bruce, MJ, Madonna and Billy Joel". I admire and love artists from ranging from JS Bach to Esperanza Spalding – and Chaplin and Picasso taught me a level of morality, individuality, and general "I don't give a fuck"ness more than anyone else.

LOSTPASSWORDMAN said:

Don't celebrate Birthdays it makes you get old quicker!

Times passes the same for everyone. One second at a time.

64, only 2 years younger than Prince birth year, hehe

Astasheiks said:

64, only 2 years younger than Prince birth year, hehe

We

[Edited 7/16/24 18:50pm]

49 years young. Prince first hit my radar with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and my first tape of his was Purple Rain. However, I didn't hit full fandom til around the D&P era.

Y'all are children.
I was 40 when SOTT came out. So get off my grasss.

ghostof82 said:

To be fair it's probably true that the majority of fans are (old timers). It'd be fascinating to see what the demographics are regards the fanbase, and if Prince isn't being noticed/ appreciated by the youngsters today (obsessed by Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa etc,as they may be).

I was at the Stevie Nicks show in Hyde Park in London two weeks ago. I was completely amazed that the majority of the people there weren't the classic rock fanbase in their 50's or older, but were actually people in their early twenties. Many of them were wearing "Rumours" T-shirts and with the album continuing to sell well on vinyl, it's safe to say there is a new generation of FM/Stevie Nicks fans out there.

Now I don't see that at all with Prince. any of the associated artists shows that I have been to in the past few years, the audience is old, maybe a few people under 40 but most in their late 40's or older.. Of course you would also need to look at streaming figures and music sales, but his music does not seem to transcend to younger generations as much as for example Michael Jackson's music does. I don't see that changing anytime soon tbh.

So the estate better ramp up their release schedule because their market is shrinking.

ghostof82 said:

19. Me and the other teenager are all there is going to be if the estate doesnt get its sh*t together with clearing up & repairing prince's image, because at the moment ive seen more hate then support for Prince due to the homophobia & OTHER allegations surrounding the royal badness....

Bean0Wild said:

19. Me and the other teenager are all there is going to be if the estate doesnt get its sh*t together with clearing up & repairing prince's image, because at the moment ive seen more hate then support for Prince due to the homophobia & OTHER allegations surrounding the royal badness....

Glad to see you on here! I turned my son on to Prince and he played Prince solos on his guitar and we went to see Prince several times--the last time back to back shows at the Fillmore. But, my son is now 35 years old...and we need more people like you who know how great the music is!

laytonian said:

Y'all are children.
I was 40 when SOTT came out. So get off my grasss.

I have nothing but respect for all of us here, but damn!...

you mean you even lived through the whole Beatle Mania era and the mysterious wonderful 60's?

Woooooooow!!!!

purplethunder3121 said:

Bean0Wild said:

19. Me and the other teenager are all there is going to be if the estate doesnt get its sh*t together with clearing up & repairing prince's image, because at the moment ive seen more hate then support for Prince due to the homophobia & OTHER allegations surrounding the royal badness....

Glad to see you on here! I turned my son on to Prince and he played Prince solos on his guitar and we went to see Prince several times--the last time back to back shows at the Fillmore. But, my son is now 35 years old...and we need more people like you who know how great the music is!

My youngest son is 29 - He plays Prince regularly and already put dibs on my Prince collection when I die.

purplethunder3121 said:

Astasheiks said:

64, only 2 years younger than Prince birth year, hehe

We

[Edited 7/16/24 18:50pm]

Oh but The Funk is about to come even old!

https://www.facebook.com/truefunk777