Prince Trivia: 22 interesting facts about him!

Prince (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), known by his mononym Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor, serving as a major figure in popular music for over three decades. Let’s see some interesting facts about him!

1.Prince was renowned as an innovator and was widely known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence, and wide vocal range.

2. He was widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound.

3. His music combined rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop.

4. Prince was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and developed an interest in music at an early age, writing his first song at age seven.

5. His 1979 album Prince went platinum due to the success of the singles “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover”.

6. His next three records—Dirty Mind(1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982)—continued his success, showcasing Prince’s trademark of prominently sexual lyrics and incorporation of elements of funk, dance, and rock music

7. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as The Revolution and released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name.

8. Prince initially asked Stevie Nicks to write lyrics for ‘Purple Rain’. “It was so overwhelming, that 10-minute track… I listened to it and I just got scared,” she said. “I called him back and said, ‘I can’t do it. I wish I could. It’s too much for me.” And so Prince went his own way and ‘Purple Rain’ was born.

9. ‘Purple Rain’ was originally a whopping 11 minutes long. A verse and chorus were cut, apparently because the theme of money was deemed inappropriate. The original lyrics are as follows: “Honey I don’t want your money, no, no. I don’t even think I want your love. If I wanted either one I would take your money and, I want the heavy stuff.”

10. A prolific songwriter, Prince in the 1980s wrote songs for and produced work by many other acts, often under pseudonyms. Prince had no shortage of nicknames and aliases: across his career, he’s been known as The Kid, The Purple Purv, The Minneapolis Midget, Alexander Nevermind, Christopher Tracy and The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.

11. His real name was Prince Rogers Nelson and when he was a kid he was known as Skipper.

12. Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

13. He won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe,and an Academy Award.

14. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility.

15. Rolling Stone has ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

16. Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” about bandmate Wendy Melvoin’s sister Susannah Melvoin, a song that became famous when Sinead O’Connor covered it.

17. Prince married Mayte Garcia in 1996 in Minneapolis. White doves were released after the ceremony. They divorced several years later and Mayte began dating Tommy Lee.

18. Prince would stay awake for days on end when he was in the studio.

19. In 1984, Prince accomplished something only the Beatles had one before him: He was topping charts simultaneously with an album, a film and a single (Purple Rain and “When Doves Cry,” respectively).

20. Princepedia was created by fans a few years ago and remains a popular resource among Prince devotees.

21. Prince wrote more songs than The Beatles, with a back catalogue that expands to over 600 tracks.

22. He died at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, near Minneapolis, on April 21, 2016, after suffering flu-like symptoms for several weeks.