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Prince was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor and filmmaker. A prominent music figure of the 1980s, Prince was known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, extravagant fashion sense and use of makeup and wide vocal range. A multi-instrumentalist, he was considered a guitar virtuoso and was also skilled at playing the drums, percussion, bass, keyboards and synthesizer. Prince pioneered the Minneapolis sound, which is a subgenre of funk rock with elements of synth-pop and new wave, in the late 1970s.
Birth Name
Prince Rogers Nelson
Nickname
Prince, The Purple One, His Royal Badness, Skipper, The High Priest of Pop, The Prince of Funk
Profession
Singer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Record Producer
Genre
Funk, Pop, R&B, Rock
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Drums, Piano, Saxophone, Harmonica, LinnDrum
Labels
Warner Bros, Paisley Park, NPG, EMI, Columbia, Arista Records, Universal Music Group
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Prince was born on the 7th of June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
Died
Prince passed away at the age of 57 on April 21, 2016, at Chanhassen, Minnesota, United States due to an accidental opioid overdose.
Sun Sign
Gemini
Ethnicity
Multiracial
Religion
Jehovah’s Witness
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Education
Prince went to the Bryant Junior High in Minneapolis. After that, he got enrolled at the Central High School, where he excelled in a number of sports including basketball, baseball and football.
Family Details
- Father – John L. Nelson (Jazz Musician and Songwriter)
- Mother – Mattie Della
- Siblings – Tyka Nelson (Younger Sister) (Singer), Sharon L. Nelson (Older Paternal Half-Sister), Norrine P. Nelson (Older Paternal Half-Sister), Lorna Nelson (Older Paternal Half-Sister), John R. Nelson (Older Paternal Half-Brother), Alfred Jackson (Younger Maternal Half-Brother), Duane Nelson (Younger Paternal Half-Sister), Omarr Baker (Younger Maternal Half-Brother)
- Others – Clarence Allen Nelson (Paternal Grandfather), Carrie Jenkins (Paternal Grandmother), Frank Shaw (Maternal Grandfather) Lucille Bonnell (Maternal Grandmother)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Prince has dated –
- Emma Samms – Prince was reported to have hooked up with British actress Emma Samms in the 80s.
- Jill Jones – Prince’s relationship with singer Jill Jones went beyond that of mentor and protégée. They remained close over the years and he even dubbed her as ‘The White Fox.’
- Susan Moonsie (1980-1985) – Prince included Susan Moonsie in the music group, Vanity 6 in 1982. He was credited with creating her Lolita-like image. Prince reportedly started his on and off relationship with Susan in 1980 and they continued dating till 1985. They did break up on a number of occasions due to his infatuations and dalliances with other women. Susan served as his muse for the single When Doves Cry.
- Vanity – Prince met Canadian singer Denise Matthews in 1980 at the American Music Awards. She has earlier handed over some lyrics to his manager, who passed it over to Prince. He believed that she was his female form and promptly named her Vanity and made her the lead singer of the music band, Vanity Six. Some sources place the origin of their relationship in 1982. She was even featured alongside him on the cover of the Rolling Stones magazine in 1983. Vanity was set to play the female lead in his autobiographical movie, Purple Rain. However, she decided to leave the project and their relationship ended soon after. She would later claim that Prince was the only man she ever loved in her life.
- Patricia Apollonia Kotero (1985) – After Vanity stepped out of his movie project, he decided to cast Mexican model, Patricia Apollonia Kotero in the lead role. Their affair lasted for a couple of weeks.
- Madonna (1985) – Prince had a fling with pop star Madonna in 1985. She would leave him after growing close to actor Sean Penn.
- Devin DeVasquez (1985) – Prince first met Playboy model Devin DeVasquez in December 1984 at his concert in Chicago. A member of his entourage had shown him her picture, which prompted him to invite her to his show. She has revealed in her interviews that she had a secret six-month affair with him in 1985. He used to fly her to his various concerts all over the country.
- Susannah Melvoin (1985-1986) – Prince started working with singer Susannah Melvoin in the 1980’s while her band, The Revolution was collaborating with him. They got close while working on the music and started dating soon after. They got engaged in 1985. Their relationship came to an end due to his growing affection for singer Sheila E.
- Sheila E. (1986-1989) – Mexican-American singer, Sheila E. had first met Prince in 1978 at a concert where she was performing with her father. Prince had that night asked her to join his band. She eventually worked with him during the recording sessions for his album, Purple Rain. Their romance started during Purple Rain tour and he proposed to her in 1987 while they were touring Europe. However, the six-month long 1988-89 Lovesexy Tour put a serious strain on their relationship and she decided to go a separate way.
- Sherilyn Fenn (1989) – Prince had a brief and intense affair with actress Sherilyn Fenn in the eighties. Although their relationship was brief his impact on her life was immense. She would later credit him for inspiring her and changing her life.
- Kim Basinger (1989) – In 1989. Prince started dating actress Kim Basinger. She collaborated with him to record The Scandalous Sex Suite. In the song, she assumed her role from the Batman movie, she had starred in. Her contributions to the song were spoken works and orgasmic moans. It was alleged that they had indulged in sexual intercourse while recording the song.
- Carmen Electra (1990-1991) – Prince reportedly had an affair with the singer, model, and actress Carmen Electra in the early 90s. It was Prince who had asked her to drop her real name, Tara Leigh Patrick to adopt a catchier stage name.
- Nona Gaye – Prince started dating iconic singer Marvin Gaye’s daughter, Nona Gaye in the early 90s. He was with her when he decided to change his name to the supposed symbol of love. They decided to break up after being together for nearly three years. It is alleged that he had proposed to her but decided to end things so that he could hook up with Mayte Garcia.
- Mayte Garcia (1996-1999) – In 1990, Prince first met belly dancer Mayte Garcia after her mother sent his team, her video while dancing. She was hired a couple of months later to perform in his Diamonds and Pearls Tour. It is alleged that she was the focus of his 1992 album, which was titled after his love symbol. She would be his inspiration for the single, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, which was released in 1995. On the eve of Valentine’s Day in 1996, they got married. In October 1996, she gave birth to their son, Boy Gregory. However, he passed away within a year due to a rare disorder that didn’t allow the head to grow properly. The death of their son took a serious toll on their relationship and they separated within two years. Their marriage was annulled exactly on their third wedding anniversary.
- Manuela Testolini (2001-2006) – In 2001, Prince got married for the second time to Manuela Testolini. They had started dating just a short time before they got married. They had grown close while she was working for his charitable foundation. She opted to remain away from the spotlight during their marriage and focused on working for his charitable foundation. She decided to end their five year old marriage in 2006.
- Bria Valente (2008) – In 2008, Prince started going out with singer Bria Valente. While dating Prince, she joined Jehovah’s Witness faith. It is not known when they went separate ways.
- Misty Copeland (2010) – In 2009, Prince and ballerina Misty Copeland were introduced to each other. In 2010, they were rumored to have had an encounter.
- Judith Hill (2014-2016) – The search warrants issued as part of an investigation into his death revealed that Prince had been dating singer Judith Hill since 2014. He had a Gmail account set up by his pseudonym Peter Bravestrong so that he could communicate with her. She was with him when he passed away on his private jet just weeks before his death.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 2 inches
- In centimeters – 157 cm
- In meters – 1.57 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 55 kg
- In Pounds – 121 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 36-13-32
- Chest – 36 inches
- Biceps – 13 inches
- Waist – 32 inches
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Light Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
He wears a size 7 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Being one of the most commercially successful artists in the industry with more than 100 million record sales. Having achieved a tremendous amount of critical acclaim including seven Grammy awards and a Golden Globe award.
Film Debut
In 1984, Prince made his first film appearance in the musical drama Purple Rain.
Album Debut
In 1978, Prince released his debut studio album, For You which reached #138 on Billboard 200.
Television Debut
In 1980, Prince made his TV show debut on the music talk show The Midnight Special.
Brand Endorsements
In 2007, Prince appeared in a TV commercial for the Superbowl XLI. In 2009, he also teamed with Target to promote his newly released three-disc set.
Prince Favorites
- Favorite Basketball Player – Dwyane Wade
- Favorite Basketball Team – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Favorite Food – Spaghetti with Orange Juice, Microgreens, Dunkaroos, Kimchi, Yak’s Milk, Maple Syrup, Mustard
Prince Net worth
Prince has an estimated net worth of $300 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
Some Lesser Known Facts About Prince
- While growing up, he used to often clash with his father, due to which he moved in with his close friend’s family. Eventually, he reconciled with his father and collaborated with him for his several singles.
- During his school days, he was nicknamed Gazoo due to his resemblance to a character of the same name in Flintstones cartoon show, who used to have a giant head with a space helmet.
- He was all set to work with Michael Jackson for his studio album, Bad. However, he couldn’t find satisfactory lyrics for the song and certainly didn’t want the song to start with “your butt is mine.”
- Due to the traffic, he wasn’t able to arrive in time to accept his Golden Globe award for best song for the movie Happy Feet. When he arrived an hour later, he was given a standing ovation.
- In his childhood, he was diagnosed with epilepsy and used to suffer seizures during early childhood. He would later credit his condition for inspiring him to become a performer.
- The Rolling Stones magazine placed him on #27 on the list of 100 Greatest Artists, which featured the most influential artists of the rock & roll era.
- After he was embroiled in a contract dispute with Warner Bros. label, he decided to change his stage name to the ‘love symbol.’ He also released 5 music albums in a space of two years to circumspect contract obligations.
- Prince was a staunch animal rights activist, who even used his music to denounce animal cruelty as witnessed by his message against the wool industry in 1999 album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.
- In March 2004, he was honored with induction into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. About two years later, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for his achievements and his contribution to British music and culture.
- When he died in April 2016, he was working on his autobiography.
- Just a week before his death, his private jet had to make an emergency landing in Illinois as Prince had become unresponsive. His representatives attributed his condition to dehydration and bout of influenza.
- Prince was scheduled to meet an addiction and pain management specialist on April 22. He died just a day before his appointment.
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