

2.2 1984–1987: Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day and Parade.


He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. Īfter signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979).

His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.īorn and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
