One year later: Remembering Prince
Friday marks the one-year anniversary since Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose. Gov. Mark Dayton has declared Friday as "Prince Day" across Minnesota to honor the legacy of the homegrown music legend.
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Prince is gone, but his business empire lives on
Since Prince's death, a mini economy has popped up around his work and his image. From Paisley Park as a meeting space to Prince pins on Etsy, here's a look at the scope of the Purple Economy. -
How Minnesota is paying tribute, one year after Prince’s death
Local Current Blog | The Current from Minnesota Public Radio -
Judge blocks release of unpublished Prince songs
The ruling bans sound engineer Ian Boxill and his associates from publishing or disseminating six songs. The order also requires Boxil to return the music to Prince's estate. -
The Current celebrates Prince: programs and events schedule
The Current is celebrating the life and legacy of Prince through music. As we approach one year since we lost the local legend, we will honor his musical contributions with a weekend packed with purple. See a complete schedule of programming and events. -
For these fans, Prince still reigns
A year after his death, the artist continues to stand tall as a role model and an inspiration. -
Take The Current's Prince Woo Quiz!
As Minnesota celebrates the life and music of Prince this week, test your knowledge by trying to identify the songs that contain these patented Prince sounds.Level One: -
Prince's 1980s band hits the road for memorial tour
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — For members of Prince's 1980s backing band The Revolution, reuniting and hitting the road for a spring U.S. tour is how they are coping with the "Purple Rain" pop superstar's unexpected death a year ago.
"We're taking it to the people who are grieving like we are, and letting them have a little bit of relief," guitarist Wendy Melvoin, sitting on a couch with other members of the band during a break at their Minneapolis rehearsal space, said Wednesday.
When Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose, members of The Revolution were mourning at a Minneapolis hotel and made an impromptu video, promising to reunite for shows honoring their one-time flamboyant front man. After three sold-out shows at the fabled First Avenue nightclub (the setting of Prince's hit 1984 movie "Purple Rain") in September, The Revolution is back, preparing to kick off a tour Friday at Paisley Park in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen on the anniversary of Prince's death.
The tour includes stops in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco before ending in Seattle on July 15.
Melvoin is joined by bassist BrownMark, keyboardists Matt Fink and Lisa Coleman, and drummer Bobby Z. The reunited Revolution plans to play Prince's synthesizer-heavy 1980s music through his lauded 1987 double album "Sign o' the Times."
"We have the ability now to give people a glimpse of what we experienced with him," BrownMark said. "And I think that's a powerful thing. I know it helped me heal."
While Prince had a reputation as a perfectionist, members of The Revolution remember the good times goofing in the studio.
"We had fun. We had a lot of fun. Sometimes we would be rehearsing and we'd crack up, we'd just laugh for an hour, cracking jokes," BrownMark recalls.
"We'd go play softball," keyboardist Fink said. "'OK, we're not going to rehearse today, let's go play softball.'"
After years of recording and touring with The Revolution, Prince "did what any boss would do and just put it (the band) to bed," Bobby Z. said.
"That intense run we had, all those years, it was starting to come apart at the seams, with personalities and under that kind of pressure, just like human beings do, and he just kind of made a decision," the drummer said. "And he wanted to move on as basically a solo artist with a backing band, no disrespect. But this was a band he was a very critical member of."
Whether The Revolution will continue beyond this tour is an open question.
"We'd love to be able to see if there are some legs with this," Melvoin said.
-- The Associated Press
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Prince on defining his music: "The only thing I could think of, because I really don't like categories, but the only thing I could think of is inspirational."Prince contained multitudes, new book confirms
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When Prince lovers from around the world descend on Chanhassen next week to attend the four-day Celebration 2017, it will be at least the fourth time that such an event has been held at Paisley Park.A brief history of Paisley Park’s Celebrations
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Thousands of tributes and remembrances were shared by fellow musicians, celebrities, and his devoted fans. Here's a wide-ranging sampling of the heartfelt homages that celebrate Prince's life and legacy.What people say when they talk about Prince
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ASL interpreter lends fresh perspective on Prince's music
American Sign Language interpreter (and longtime Prince fan) Shelly Lehner was one of the ASL interpreters at the Prince tribute concert last October. 'If hearing people are going to a concert, and they're experiencing this loss of Prince, deaf people should be able to go to that concert as well, and have access,' Lehner says. -
Prince Without Permission
His albums are back on Spotify. New releases full of unheard recordings are on the way. For a fan, there is joy and pain in knowing the work Prince guarded so tightly won't stay that way for long. -
In The Wake Of Prince's Death
A year ago today, fans made a pilgrimage to Paisley Park, the home of Prince. What they found there was a communal altar, separated from the building by about 100 feet. -
NewsCut: Minneapolis’ purple lights cast shade on St. Paul
"The purple tributes to Prince on the anniversary of his death are — not surprisingly — artistically inspiring and delightful. Unless you live in St Paul.
Rarely has the lack of whimsy and personality in the Capital City been more obvious than today’s Twitter feeds," writes blogger Bob Collins.
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Bike your way around Prince landmarks in the Twin Cities
With spring finally turning the corner, and bikes hitting the road, The Current teamed up with the 30 Day of Biking folks to build a few routes to hit Prince landmarks around the Twin Cities. -
Prince fans join 'purple family' at Paisley Park
A few fans are starting to gather outside Paisley Park on the anniversary of megastar Prince's death.
Rhonda Soso traveled from Compton, Calif., to shoot photos on a sunny Friday morning of the recording-complex-turned-museum in suburban Minneapolis where Prince lived and died.
Soso is in Chanhassen for a four-day celebration of Prince's life and music that started Thursday at Paisley Park. She wore a Prince symbol pendant and had spray-painted the symbol in black along the legs of her white pants.
Soso says she is here "just to be part of the purple family, the purple army." She says it's difficult knowing that Prince is no longer here, but that "his spirit, his energy is still with us."
Prince died one year ago of an accidental fentanyl overdose.
-- The Associated Press
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Try Level Three of The Current's Prince Woo Quiz!
As we celebrate the life and music of Prince this week, test your knowledge by trying to identify the songs that contain these patented Prince sounds. -
by Michael Olson, MPR News via Instagram 4/21/2017 3:34:28 PM
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Prince’s Closest Friends Share Their Best Prince Stories
GQ: From Van Jones to Carmen Electra, publicists to Paisley Park members, those close to Prince Rogers Nelson tell tales—ordinary and out there—of the late legend. -
Review and photos: Lizz Wright leads vigil for Prince at Dakota Jazz Club
Before Lizz Wright took the stage at the Dakota Jazz Club, her show was introduced as “like being in church.” Wright brought the church vibes and more last night, blending worship, funk, sex, love and more into an apt tribute to the man whose absence colored every note. -
by Michael Olson, MPR News via Instagram 4/21/2017 4:27:27 PM
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by Michael Olson, MPR News via Instagram 4/21/2017 4:27:37 PM
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With the release date of the Purple Rain deluxe reissue approaching, an artist who records as the Violet Reality realized that the album’s tracks might be found in a database of registered recordings. Indeed they were, and the reissue’s tracklist has been making its way across fan sites like Prince.org.
‘Purple Rain’ Deluxe Edition tracklist revealed – including never-before-heard recordings
Local Current Blog | The Current from Minnesota Public Radio -
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MPR News and The Current teamed up for a live broadcast outside Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minn. on the one year anniversary of Prince's death.Remembering Prince at his home and studio
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Read A Letter That Paul McCartney Wrote To Prince That Just Sold For Nearly $15,000
UPROXX: Paul McCartney wrote this bubbly letter to persuade Prince into helping him out years back, now it just fetched a pretty penny. -
Prince's longtime friend and musical collaborator Andre Cymone. Nate Ryan | MPR
MPR News and The Current teamed up for a live broadcast outside Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minn. on the one year anniversary of Prince's death. One of Prince's earliest collaborators spoke with them there.Prince's first bandmate: 'I almost feel like this is some weird dream'
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Guitarist and musical peer to Prince, Donna Grantis, talks with MPR News and The Current about her time at the Park with the music icon.Paisley Park: 'The heartbeat of the building was music'
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After the news came out that Prince had died, mourners flocked to Paisley Park and First Avenue to say goodbye.One year ago: Prince's fans mourn the loss of a hometown legend
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To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Prince’s death, The Current rounded up some favorite local tributes to the pop icon.Music round-up: Minnesotan artists pay tribute to the Purple One
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On the night of April 20 into April 21, 2017, locations around the Twin Cities were illuminated in purple in honor of Prince. Many of these purple places were captured on social media. Here's a roundup.Buildings and landscapes turn purple for Prince
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Prince is almost as legendary for working with other artists as he is in his own right. With this playlist, hear 10 of his best songs as co-pilot.Take Me With U: Prince's best duets
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On the one-year anniversary of the death of Prince, fans are paying tribute to Prince in various ways. Whether they live in Minnesota or have traveled to Minnesota in honor of the date, The Current caught up with some of these fans, who were happy to share their thoughts about Prince.Fans from all over remember and honor Prince
