SURPRISE AND DEVASTATING SHOCK
TO THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO HIM AND
TO THOSE WHO FELT CLOSE TO HIM
THROUGH HIS MUSIC. WE HAVE
BEEN LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE
ARCHIVES AND IT IS A REAL TRIP
DOWN MEMORY LANE FOR SURE AS WE
LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE SONGS
THAT PRINCE DIDN'T HIS CATALOG
IS UNBELIEVABLY PROLIFIC, FROM
THE SONGS THAT YOU REMEMBER,
HAVING THE FIRST DANCE OF THE
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL DANCE, TO
ONE OF THOSE PRINCE SONGS BUT
HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK
'N ROLL HALL OF FAME IN 2004.
ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE
TIME, JOHN REGER, DID A STORY
PREVIEWING THAT END TALKING
WITH SOME MUSICIANS HE SPENT
TIME WITH FROM HIS EARLY DAYS
WE FIRST LEARNED TO PLAY THE
PIANO NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.
LET'S TAKE A TRIP BACK DOWN
MEMORY LANE AND LISTEN TO JOHN
STORY NOW.
Reporter:[ MUSIC ]WHEN HIS
ROYAL HEELS HIT ANY STAGY RAINS
PURPLE AND SUPREME. THERE IS
AN UPSTAIRS ROOM LIKE A LOFT
AND WE WERE REHEARSING. THE
STREET FIRST ON THE RHYTHM IN
THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF NORTH
MINNEAPOLIS AND NAMED PRINCE
ROGERS NELSON AFTER HIS
FATHER'S JAZZ BAND, HIS MOTHER
A SINGER CALLED HER TINY BOY
SKIPPERED BY AGE 7 HE WAS
TEACHING HIMSELF THE PLAY TV
THEME SONGS. WE LIKED GET
SMART AND ALL THIS KIND OF
PROGRAMS AND HE WOULD GET ON
THE PIANO AT THE PROGRAM IS
OVER US ARE DOING THE THEME.
AND I WOULD GO UNTIL MY DAD.
AS DEPICTED IN HIS LATEST VIDEO
PRINCE TIMES OF GUITAR AND
MOVED INTO HIS BEST FRIEND'S
HOUSE AFTER HIS PARENTS
DIVORCED AND THEY FORMED A BAND
WITH COUSIN CHAS ON DRUMS.
PRINCE TOOK CHARGE .
GO BEHIND YOU AND TAKE YOUR
BASELINE AND DO THE BASE OF
THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO GO TO
THE KEYBOARDS AND THEN I WANT
YOU TO PLAY THIS.
HE WILL TELL YOU THAT WE
SETTLED IT RIGHT HERE.
THE BAND LAID STEIMLE
PARTIES WAS ATTRACTING 200
PEOPLE IN THE PROGRESS ON THE
PORCH NEXT DOOR UNTIL THE
POLICE SHOWED UP. WE DID NOT
KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SOUND
ORDINANCE THAT AFTER 10 PM YOU
CANNOT PLAY LOUD MUSIC AND THEY
CAME AND THEY SAID YOU ALL HAVE
TO CUT THIS OUT AND WE SAID WHAT?
WE ARE IN THE HOUSE. DESPITE
HIS SIZE PRINCE PLAYED
BASKETBALL UNTIL 10th GRADE.
HE NEVER MISSED A TALENT SHOW
BUILDING A CENTRAL HIGH
REPUTATION ON HIS LOUD MUSIC
AND QUIET SWAGGER. HE WAS
UNUSUAL, HE HAD A DRIVE AND AN
ATTITUDE LIKE I'M GOING TO MAKE
IT NO MATTER WHAT.[ MUSIC ]
JELLYBEAN JOHNSON GATE WITH A
RIVAL BRAND OR BAND BATTLING
PRINCE FOR RIVALRY.
SEEING HIM PLAY CARLOS
SANTANA WHO WAS A GOD AT THE
TIME AND SO IS IN PLAY AT NOTE
FOR NOTE WAS PHENOMENAL AND I
KNEW HE WAS DIFFERENT FROM
ANYONE ELSE.
THIS WOULD MARK THE FIRST TIME
THAT HE WAS EVER IN THE
RECORDING STUDIO. HIS GUITAR
CHOPS COPY OF PRODUCER PEPE
WILL HE BE USED AS A TEENAGER
ON AN ALBUM AND SAVED HIS
TRACK. LISTEN TO THAT, THAT
IS TIGHT.
WHO TOLD HIM TO DO THAT?
I DIDN'T. 16 YEARS OLD? 16
AND THE FIRST TIME IN THE STUDIO.
PRINCE FOUND HIS TRUE HOME
AND FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS HE
HOLED UP IN ACCORDING STUDIOS
CREATING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND
SEARCHING FOR A RECORD DEAL.
AT 19 WARNER BROS.
SIGNED HIM TO A RECORDING
CONTRACT GUARANTEEING HE COULD
PRODUCE HIS MUSIC ALONE IN HIS
FIRST ALBUM CAME OUT ONE YEAR
LATER TO SLUGGISH SALES AS A
RESTAGED HIS FIRST EVER CONCERT
AT THE CAPRI THEATER TO PROVE
TO RECORD COMPANY BIGWIGS HE
WAS READY FOR A NATIONAL TOUR.
THEY TOLD HIM HE WAS NOT.
HE WAS DEVASTATED WHEN IT
DID NOT COME THE WAY HE WANTED
TO BE THOUGHT THAT FROM HIS
POINT OF VIEW AND THE
PERFECTIONIST THAT HE IS, WHO
DEMANDED TO HAVE A PRODUCE HIS
OWN RECORD, I AM READY TO GO ON
TOURING CAN'T YOU GUYS SEE
THAT? BEFORE LONG EVERYONE
HEARD AND HIS NEXT ALBUM HAD A
NUMBER ONE SOLD HIT.
FOLLOWING ALBUM SOME CROSSOVER
HITS ON THE POP CHARTS AND MTV
AND THEN PURPLE RAIN.
THE MOVIE AN ALBUM THAT
LAUNCHED HIM INTO ROCK 'N ROLL
HISTORY.
SPIRIT IF HE WAS JUST A
SONGWRITER HE WOULD ALREADY BE
GREAT, BUT THEN HE IS ALSO A
GREAT SINGER AND PERFORMER AND
MUSICIAN AND ON MOST OF THOSE
TRACKS PLAYED EVERY INCH. [
MUSIC ] NOBODY HAD THAT REACH
LIKE THAT, BUT TOTAL REACH.