I was a freshman in college during the height of Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain reign, and I couldn't get enough. I had many of Prince's previous albums (yes, vinyl), but the autobiographical nature of the "story" behind Purple Rain and the audacious music helped one forgive the bad acting...I just wanted to see Prince. The Revolution was a good band, but they were never the main attraction; same with Prince's long line of leading lady engenues. If they could make a name for themselves, great, they had the exposure, oppurtunity, and Prince at the top of their resume; the rest was up to them. Although I still love Prince's music, I can't help but look back wistfully on the raunchy days of "Little Red Corvette" or "Do Me, Baby", and also for the man who I first watched on The Midnight Special when I was just a kid...he wasn't wearing much, had a nicely done press & curl, and was playing some groovy, naughty music. I was hooked. I can't say the same for any of Prince's musical proteges (the only notable exception being Sheila E crush the drums while simultaneously looking, and singing about being, glamorous).

I think Sheila E.'s success was also part of her own fathers doing. The great Pete Escobedo trained his children to follow his lead and she had been playing those congas since she was very young. Her father and her uncle "Coke" played with Carlos Santana in the early days and I remember them ( The Escobedos) playing in and around the S.F. bay area as a teenager , even at my high school in east San Jose California for a Cinco De Mayo fiesta. Sheila's mom is a Black woman and her father is Latino. I just saw them at a jazz festival a couple of weeks ago , but not Sheila.

Prince helped and hurt a lot of people back in the day ! I suspect the only female that had any success was Sheila E. ! Vanity, Wendy, Lisa, Jill Jones (Teena Marie's cousin), Sheena Easton, and Appolonia all disappeared ! Of the males I guess Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Morris Day and Jesse Johnson were probably the most successful after ties with Prince were broke off. Andre Cymone, Brownmark and Dez Dickerson all fell off after they left Prince ! I remember all of them back in the day ! The Time, The Family, Mad House, Vanity/Appolonia 6 etc etc !

Those were the good ol days ! LOL !

Prince had tons of musicians he brought on either as side projects or members of his band and most of them have had marginal success.at best with the exception of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Even Morris Day had very limited success after leaving the Prince fold and is playing oldies reunion show things at 2nd rate venues this summer. What about Andre Cymone, Dez Dickerson, Brown Mark, Bobby Z, Dr. Fink, The Family, Mazarati, and all the other members of the Time and his bands that followed? They had their day and i'm sure continue to benefit from their noteriety from being associted with one of the most prolific and talented artists of his generation. (His latest CD is very good, by the way.) He's not responsible for what happens after they move on. WikiPedia is full of folks that had marginal music careers. Who's fault is that?

Interesting article but there are a lot of other "stars" out there who have worked with "one hit wonders" and then moved on with their own careers after setting them up with wings to fly with. Why single out Prince, this man is a very gifted and wonderful musician - just leave him alone. Now that MJ is deceased are you looking for another scapegoat to find fault with?

It seems to me that Prince gave some marginally talented ladies and opportunity to become stars, and they didn't have the goods to STAY stars on their own. Sheila E (who was also the music director for Magic Johnson's short lived "The Magic Show") IS talented, but simply isn't a star. She's worked steadily, and has respect from industry insiders, which is MORE important. As the article stated, Sheena Easton had an established career before Prince, but Prince was able to take her to another level. Then she simply went back to what she was before. No harm done. Wendy & Lisa ARE talented musicians also, but are just that - musicians, not stars. They got a moment in the sun they might never gotten if not for Prince. Wendy's twin sister, Susanna, got a little love from the Purple One too. I think there was always some tension between them and Prince because he didn't value their input musically as much as they would have liked - they were more employees than collaborators (this was touched on in "Purple Rain" which was largely autobiographical). Again, they've worked steadily behind the scenes, but if they had that something to be stars they would have emerged on their own.

As for Vanity and Apollonia, they were just marginally talented HOT women that Prince brought on board to enhance his projects. It isn't his fault they couldn't maintain real careers on their own. It also isn't unusual for stars/band leaders to disband and assemble new backing musicians when they want to change musical direction. Heck, Bruce Springsteen broke up the E-Street Band for a while, and they had more history together than the Revolution! The band members all did their own thing for a while (Nils Lofgren did his own album and wrote, Little Stevie was on "The Sopranos," and Max Weinberg was the band leader on Conan O'Brien's show), then when the time was right, Bruce brought them back together. I don't agree with the tone of the article in that it almost BLAMES Prince, or accuses him of USING and spitting out these women. That's wrong...

What's going on with the tone of this article? One is almost led to believe that Prince took advantage of these poor girls. My personal opinion if it weren't for Prince I doubt very much that Appolonia or Vanity would had the opportunities that they did. If someone gives you a chance take it and run with it. As for Sheila E. very talented, a true star and that's obvious because she is very well respected in the music industry and works her butt off. I don't think she is crying over the career she has had and the fact that all you have to do is play a few bars of the "Glamorous life" and people still light up. Sheena Easton I own her albums she is good but seriously more of a pop singer. Her time came and went. Wendy and Lisa I am sure they have reason to feel jilted most members of successful bands feel that way when the band has disbanded but as with most genius' Prince became restless and wanted to grow and change his sound and I guess felt he couldn't do it with them. But who knows??? Maybe without Prince we wouldn't know their names at all. Seriously, Prince even worked with Wendy's twin sister Susannah Melvoin. If anything we could say that Prince perhaps is willing to give opportunities to many and some may not have the staying power needed. It is obvious the music industry is not an easy place to survive.
As for the comment about them being racially ambiguous; it seems that musicians sometimes like the ambiguity and record companies love it because it keeps the fans intrigued. Personally, it's good for there to be racial ambiguity because what does it really matter what you are if there's talent, there's talent. Plus musicians always seem to want an air of mystery; I wish some of the musicians/singers of today would keep some of their info a mystery.
And yes Prince is Jehovah's Witness not Seventh Day Adventist.
And what does this comment mean "Not one of the bunch is dark-skinned! I wonder why?"
I am sorry have you noticed the women in his band or the fact that he has worked with Nona Gaye, Mavis Staples and Chaka Khan (just to name a few) or does their skin tones not meet with your approval either?
Comments like that are so unnecessary! Go listen to "Controversy" circa 1981 then come talk to me.

Prince is not a Seventh-Day Adventist, but a Jehovah's Witness. Whatever happened to fact checking?

Not one of the bunch is dark-skinned! I wonder why?

Wasn't Prince not quite responsible for her career too?