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Prince
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis in 1958. The singer/dancer/multi-instrumentalist/producer started gigging around town in the ‘70s, signed with Warner Brothers at age 21, and released his first album, For You on Warner Brothers in 1978, thus kicking off one of the most brilliant, prolific and eccentric careers in the history of pop. His naughty, keyboard-heavy hybrid of funk, pop and rock instantly resonated with fans. “Soft And Wet,” off For You, was his first charting single. “Little Red Corvette” and “Delirious,” off his double album 1999 (1982), both hit the Top 10. But it was the soundtrack to his semi-autobiographical flick, Purple Rain (1984) that made Prince a household name. Recorded with his band, The Revolution, the album spawned the hits “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy,” among others. As much as his music, Prince is known for his enigmatic and unpredictable nature. The most famous example came in 1993, when he changed his name to an ampersand-like symbol to protest what he considered his artistic “enslavement” by his record label. Over the years, he has recorded countless albums, both for Warner Bros. and his own Paisley Park label. |