On June 7, 1958, a musical genius was born who would one day be known and loved by the world as Prince. Writing, producing and performing chart-topping hits for decades, like “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” and, of course, “Purple Rain,” gained him fans on every continent who mourned his untimely passing in 2016.
“Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer,” said then-President Barack Obama in a statement after Prince’s death.
But while Prince’s music was known around the world, he kept most of the details of his private life to himself. In honor of what would have been his 67th birthday, here are a few things you may not have known about Prince.
A Self-Taught Musical Genius
Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to John Nelson, a musician, and Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer. Their musical talent had an impact on the artist who would soon be known to the world by only one name. He taught himself to play the piano, guitar and drums.
He Had Epilepsy
Growing up, Prince dealt with epilepsy, a neurological condition characterized by seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
“My mother and father didn’t know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had,” he told Tavis Smiley in an interview.
Because of the condition, Prince said he was frequently teased by his classmates, which ultimately led to his signature style.
“Early in my career I tried to compensate by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could,” he told Smiley.
He Ran Away From Home
At age 10, Prince’s parents split, forcing him to live between their homes. Eventually, he decided to run away, taking refuge at the home of his childhood best friend and musical collaborator, André Cymone. As teens, the pair formed a band called Grand Central, which also included Morris Day.
“Prince and I were very dedicated, both very passionate. That was one of things right away that drew me to him. He had the same passion. He wanted it as bad as I wanted it. I knew other musicians but no one ever really took it all that serious,” Cymone told Billboard in an interview.
‘Purple Rain’ Won Him an Oscar
In 1984, Prince released “Purple Rain,” a chart-topping album that would be known as one of his most iconic. The album was also the soundtrack to the classic film by the same name, which won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score in 1985. Fun Fact: He beat out “The Muppets Take Manhattan” for the win.
He Gave Vanity Her Name
Prince had many loves throughout his life, but one of his most famous couplings was with Denise Matthews, the singer who would be known as Vanity. After meeting Prince in 1980 at the American Music Awards, the two went on to have a steamy personal and professional relationship. The “Controversy” singer convinced Matthews to come to Minneapolis where he changed her name and put her front and center in his new girl group Vanity 6, known for performing in lingerie.
“One night, he saw me in my underwear, and he wanted to know if I wanted to perform in it,” she told David Letterman in a 1985 interview. “And I thought it was a great idea.”
He’s Responsible for the Parental Advisory Sticker on Your CDs
If you were a kid when “Purple Rain” was released, your parents may have tried to keep you away from the sexually explicit lyrics. One famous parent, who was outraged when she bought the album for her then-11-year-old daughter, took steps to make sure no other parents got the same shock – Tipper Gore, wife of then-Senator Al Gore.
“When we brought the album home, put it on our stereo, and listened to it together, we heard the words to … ‘Darling Nikki’” she wrote in her book, “Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society.” “The vulgar lyrics embarrassed both of us. At first, I was stunned, but then I got mad!”
Ms. Gore sprung into action, forming the Parents Music Resource Center which lobbied Congress and ultimately got the recording industry to agree to a labeling system warning consumers of explicit language and sexual content.
Kim Basinger Had a Thing For Him
Before she met her future ex-husband Alec Baldwin, actress Kim Basinger had a thing for the Purple one, even relocating to Minneapolis to be closer to him in 1989. The two made music during their time together, including an unreleased song called “Color of Sex,” on which the actress drops the bars, “I’ll be your slave” and “I like the way you make me feel.” According to Page Six, Basinger’s family did not think she was ok at the time and came to get her from Prince’s home.
You Can Visit Paisley Park
An artist like Prince needs a special place to live and work, which is why he built Paisley Park, a 65,000 square foot estate located 20 minutes from Minneapolis. The $10 million complex includes living space as well as a recording area, performance space and displays of his extravagant wardrobe. These days, fans can get a peek inside for themselves, as Paisley Park is a museum open for tours.
That Time He Changed His Name to a Symbol
In 1993, Prince did an overhaul of his identity, changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol. Because no one could pronounce it, he was referred to in the industry as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” Although no official explanation was given, many believe it was it get out of a contract with his then-record label, Warner Bros.
In a 1993 interview with TODAY, he told Bryant Gumbel why he chose a symbol to identify himself.
“My name is very spiritual to me. It has a great deal of spiritual meaning, and one day, maybe I’ll hear a sound that will best give me the feeling of what it’s supposed to be. But for right now, I just go by the look of it,” he said.
Whether you called him Prince, The Artist, or any combination of the two, one thing’s for sure, he didn’t want anyone calling him “Skipper,” a nickname he was given as a child.
He Lost a Child
On October 16,1996, Prince and his then-wife Mayte Garcia welcomed a son, Amiir Nelson. Sadly, he passed away at six days old from a rare genetic disorder Pfeiffer syndrome type 2, in which bones in the skull fuse together, preventing the skull from growing normally.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Garcia opened up about how painful the death of their son was for her and Prince.
“I don’t think he ever got over it,” she said. “I don’t know how anybody could get over it. I remember saying, ‘I don’t wish this on my worst enemy,’ This loss, there’s no words for it.”
He Was a Beast on the Basketball Court
Prince may have only been 5’2″, but he had some serious game on the basketball court and played on his high school junior varsity team.
And of course, there’s the unforgettably hilarious story Charlie Murphy shared on “The Chappelle Show” about the time he lost a pickup game to the “Purple Rain” singer, who was wearing a blouse – a story that Charlie’s brother Eddie Murphy confirmed during a 2024 visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“That is totally and absolutely accurate,” Eddie said.
He Changed His Religion
In 2001, Prince made two big moves – relocating from his Minneapolis home to Los Angeles and became a Jehovah’s Witness after being introduced to the faith by Larry Graham, bassist for Sly & The Family Stone. In a 2008 interview with The New Yorker, he talked about the move as less of a conversion and more of a realization.
“It’s like Morpheus and Neo in ‘The Matrix,’” he said at the time.
While the idea of a man who made a living singing songs with sexually charged lyrics joining a faith that is against sex outside of heterosexual marriage may seem strange to some, his friend and musical collaborator Sheila E. made it make sense. “When I first met him he believed in God, but after that there was a time when it seemed like he didn’t believe in anything,” she told Billboard. “But then he became a Witness, and I felt, for him, that believing in something was better than nothing.”
He Bought the Purple Rain House
In 2016, Prince paid $117,000 for the three-bedroom house that was used as his childhood home in the film “Purple Rain.” Unfortunately, he passed away a few months later and may never have been able to visit it, but the selling agent, Deborah Larson, said she thinks he just wanted to own it.
“I don’t think he had a plan. I think he just wanted it,” she told CBS News.
In 2024, Airbnb offered fans a chance to stay in the home, which had been restored with memorabilia and items from Prince’s personal collection.
After His Death, His Family Sued His Doctor
On April 21, 2016, the world lost one of the greatest musicians of all time when Prince passed away at his Paisley Park estate at age 57. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opioid drug used to treat severe pain. His family later filed a lawsuit against Dr Michael Schulenberg for failing to “appropriately evaluate, diagnose, treat and counsel Prince for his recognizable opioid addiction, and further failed to take appropriate and reasonable steps to prevent the foreseeably fatal result of that addiction,” according to CBS News. The suit was later dismissed.
Tamron Hall Was One of The Last People to Speak With Him
While the world mourned Prince’s untimely death, the loss hit one friend particularly hard, journalist Tamron Hall, who was one of the last people to speak with the artist before he died.
“He assured me he was OK. All Saturday he kept saying he was fine and asked me to come to Paisley to see his new piano and for a fan party,” she told The TODAY Show. “I was working and didn’t go. Monday, we exchanged emails after I sent him a video from a restaurant playing a song. I talked about how he was everywhere I go. It was a sweet moment and I had no idea it would be our last time talking. I never imagined it.”
The two were very close, Hall told TODAY co-host Willie Geist, “Prince and my mother are the only two people who I talk to about what I’m going to wear.”
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