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AS WE APPROACH FRIDAY'S
ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE'S DEATH,
WE REFLECT ON THE LIFE OF HIM.
PRINCE ROGERS NELSON BORN IN
MINNEAPOLIS IN 1958.
THE MUSIC ICON COULD HAVE LIVED
ANYWHERE BUT CHOSE TO STAY IN
MINNESOTA.
HIS MUSIC AND PHILANTHROPY
TRANSSENDED GENERATIONS HERE AND
ABROAD.
WCCO'S JENNIFER MAYERLE SHOWS US
HOW HIS SPIRIT IS FELT ALL OVER
THE STATE.
♪
Reporter: PRINCE MESMERIZED
AUDIENCES ON STAGE AND ON THE
BIG SCREEN.
THE HOME GROWN MASTER MUZ
IEGZ WAS AN EXPLOSIVE-- MUSICIAN
WAS AN EXPLOSIVE PERFORMER, AND
IT SHOWED IN THE OUTFIT HE WORE
DURING "PURPLE RAIN."
PRINCE WENT OUT ON STAGE AND
JUMPED AROUND AND DANCED IN
THIS.
IT WAS DESIGNED SO IT COULD BE
WARN HARD.
THERE ARE SPECIAL STRETCH PANELS
SO HE COULD GO TO A SPLIT AND
COME BACK UP.
THE FRILL.
Reporter: PRINCE DONATED THE
COSTM TO THE MINNESOTA-- COSTUME
TO THE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, A PIECE FANS CAN SEE ON
DISPLAY.
THE THREADS TELL A STORY OF THE
MAN BEYOND THE PERSONA.
A SINGLE AS OPPOSED TO BOTH
SIDES.
HE WAS PARTICULAR HOW HE LOOKED,
IT WASN'T JUST HIS MUSIC HE WAS
SELLING.
♪
Reporter: PRINCE SHARED HIS
LIGHT WITH ARTISTS HE MENTORED
AND ENCOURAGED.
♪
Reporter: MINNESOTA'S MINT
CONDITION CREDIT HIS ROYAL
BADNESS WITH THE BAND SUCCESS.
PRINCE IS A PIG REASON WHY
WE-- BIG REASON WHY WE ARE HERE.
CONCENTRATE ON THE ENERGY HE
LEFT.
YOU KNOW, A PERSON NEVER REALLY
DIES IF YOU KEEP THEIR SPIRIT
ALIVE.
HE CREATED SO MUCH, MAN, LIKE HE
LIVES THROUGH US.
Reporter: SHELBY SANG WITH
PRINCE FOR A DECADE AND FELT THE
DEPTH OF HIS GENEROSITY.
HE PUSHES YOU OUT OF YOUR
COMFORT ZONE, YEAH, I MEAN HE
WAS MY MENTOR, MY FRIEND, BUT
SOMEONE WHO MADE ME BELIEVE IN
MYSELF MORE THAN I BELIEVED IN
MYSELF.
Reporter: THE VENUES PRINCE
PLAYED WILL FOREVER BE TIED TO
THE PRINCE OF FUNK AS HE EMERSED
HIMSELF IN THE LOCAL SCENE.
FIRST AVENUE IS A SPOT
WHERE THE SINGER CAME TO LIFE,
WHERE HE GREW AS A MUSICIAN.
A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE STILL
CELEBRATE HIS TALENT.
HE WOULD SHOW UP AT THE
DAKOTA JAZZ CLUB, SOMETIMES
SNEAKING IN THE BACK WITHOUT
ANYONE NOTICING.
AS HE DID DAYS BEFORE HE DIED.
OTHER TIMES, GETTING ON STAGE.
♪
Reporter: PRINCE WOULD ALSO
TURN UP UNANNOUNCED AT BUNKER
MUSIC BAR AND GRILL AND PAISLEY
PARK WHERE PRINCE FAMOUSLY LIVED
FOR DECADES IS OPEN FOR FANS TO
TOUR THE ONCE PRIVATE HOME AND
STUDIO, A MUSEUM WHERE GUESTS
CAN WALK THROUGH THE 65,000
SQUARE FOOT COMPLEX.
PRINCE GAVE QUIETLY AND WITHOUT
SEEKING ATTENTION.
A NOTE LEFT AT PAISLEY PARK
AFTER HIS DEATH SAID "YOU GAVE
ANONYMOUSLY AND HUMBLEY TO OUR
TOWN AND SCHOOLS, WE KNEW IT WAS
YOU BEHIND THE LARGE DONATIONS."
COUNTLESS BENEFITED, FROM
VICTIMS OF THE 35W BRIDGE
COLLAPSE TO NON-PROFITS THAT
EMPOWER YOUTH TO SCHOOLS.
A DONATION TURNED AN OLD NURSING
HOME ON OLSON HIGHWAY INTO
HARVEST PREP ACADEMY.
OUT OF THE BLUE ONE DAY A
CHECK FROM PRINCE CAME, FOR
$200,000.
IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE GAME
CHANGER.
Reporter: CHANHASSEN
ELEMENTARY PURCHASED THE PIANO,
AND ART SUPPLIES AFTER A $30,000
CHECK FROM PRINCE.
IN SCHOOL TERMS, QUITE A BIT
OF MONEY, SHOWS HIS BIG HIS
HEART WAS.
THE SCHOOL CONTINUES TO FEEL
HIS SUPPORT.
FRIENDS AND FANS DONATED GUITAR
IN HONOR OF HIM.
A COMMUNITY MEMBER PASSES
LIKE PRINCE, MOVES SO MUCH THAT
THEY GIVE US GIFTS, TIME,
TALENT, I TLING THAT IS REALLY--
THINK THAT IS REALLY SPECIAL.
Reporter: THOSE WHO KNEW
PRINCE BEST WANTS HIS LEGACY OF
SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, LOVING
EACH OTHER TO LIVE INFINITELY.
ROAD MAP TO LOVE AND PEACE.
♪
I THINK WE CAN LEARN A LOT
ABOUT HOW TO LOVE AND CARE FOR
EACH OTHER.
♪
Reporter: PAISLEY PARK IS
THROWING A FOUR-DAY CELEBRATION
STARTING TOMORROW.
CELEBRATION 2017 PACKAGES ARE
SOLD OUT.
GOVERNOR DAYTON DECLARED FRIDAY
PRINCE DAY AND FIRST AVENUE WILL
HOLD A LATE NIGHT DANCE PARTY
THAT NIGHT WITH OTHER EVENTS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND,
REGISTRATION, THOUGH, IS
REQUEERED FOR THOSE.
I-- REQUIRED FOR THOSE.
I THING WE HAVE A LIST AND
MORE ON WCCO.COM.
THE ONES TO PAY FOR, THE FREES
ONES.
A BIG DEAL.
IT WILL BE.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST IN
LINE FOR THE TOUR.
FANTASTIC.