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Tom Jones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Background information

Birth name Thomas Jones Woodward
Born June 7, 1940 (1940-06-07) (age 68)
Origin Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom
Genre(s) Pop
Blue-eyed soul
Occupation(s) Singer
Years active 1963 - present

Sir Thomas Jones Woodward,OBE, Kt (born 7 June 1940), known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop music singer particularly noted for his powerful voice. He was born in Treforest, Pontypridd, near Cardiff in South Wales, United Kingdom.





Musical career

Tom Jones rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act that included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular among his peers at the time. He was known for his overt sexuality, before this was as common as it has become in subsequent years.

In 1963 he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and The Senators, a local beat group. Clad in black leather, he soon gained a reputation in the South Wales area of the United Kingdom, although the Senators were still unknown in London.

In 1964 they laid down seven tracks with maverick "Telstar" producer Joe Meek, and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal, with no success. The plan was to release a single, "Lonely Joe / I Was A Fool", but the ever-flighty Meek refused to release the tapes. Only after "It's Not Unusual" became a massive hit, Meek was able to sell the tapes to Tower (USA) and Columbia (UK). The group returned to South Wales and continued to play gigs at dance halls and working men's clubs. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery, Jones was spotted by Gordon Mills, a London-based manager originally from South Wales. Mills became Jones' manager, and took the young singer to London. He also renamed him "Tom Jones," an ingenious moniker that not only linked the singer to the image of the title character - a good-looking, low-born stud - portrayed in Tony Richardson's film of Fielding's Tom Jones, which was a huge contemporary hit, but also subtly emphasized his nationality. Gordon Mills gave many rock stars their stage names, among them Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey). The Senators became the Playboys, and later still the Squires. It was the beginning of the second phase in Jones' career.

Record companies were finding his style and delivery to be too abrasive and raw. Jones' vocals were considered to be too raucous, and he moved like Elvis (whom he later cited as one of his influences). But eventually, Decca rekindled their early interest, and Jones recorded his first single, "Chills And Fever" in late 1964.

The single didn't chart, but the follow-up, "It's Not Unusual," (co-written by Les Reed), was an instant hit, released in early 1965. The BBC initially refused to play it, but an offshore pirate station, Radio Caroline, picked it up. Its orchestrated arrangement, coupled with Jones' energetic delivery, proved infectious, and by March the song reached number one in the UK and the top ten in America. In the same year, Jones sang the theme song to the James Bond film Thunderball. Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist for 1965. In 1966 Jones' popularity began to slip somewhat, causing Mills to redesign the singer's image into a more respectable, mature, tuxedoed crooner.

Inspired by long-time influence Jerry Lee Lewis' country version, Jones released his most successful single ever, "Green Green Grass of Home" (written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. in 1965), and began to sing material that appealed to a broad audience, as well as a string of hit singles and albums including "What's New Pussycat?,", "Help Yourself," and "Delilah." The strategy worked, as he returned to the top of the charts in the UK and began hitting the Top 40 again in the US.

In 1967 he performed for the first time in Las Vegas, at the Flamingo. In 1968, starting at New York's Copacabana night club, women would swoon and scream, and some would throw their knickers on stage. Soon after, he began to play Las Vegas and began recording less, choosing to concentrate on his lucrative club performances. At Caesars Palace his shows were traditionally a knicker-hurling frenzy of raw sexual tension and good-time entertainment. There, they started throwing hotel room keys. Jones and his idol Elvis Presley, met in 1965 at the Paramount stage, when Elvis was filming "Paradise Hawaiian Style"; after that, they became good friends, spending more and more time together in Las Vegas, their friendship enduring until Presley's death in 1977.

Jones had an internationally successful television variety show from 1969-1971 titled This Is Tom Jones. This hit TV show was aired by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC-TV) in America and ITV in the UK. The 1970s saw Jones' popularity leveling off, but the hits kept coming: "Daughter Of Darkness", "She's A Lady", "Till" and "The New Mexican Puppeteer" were all hits in the UK. On July 29, 1986, Gordon Mills, Jones' long-time manager, died of cancer. Jones' son Mark became the singer's manager. In April 1987, the singer re-entered the singles chart with the hit "A Boy From Nowhere"', which got him back into the public eye. A few months later he performed a version of Prince's "Kiss", and recorded it with The Art of Noise, and it was an instant hit. In 1993 he signed to Interscope Records, releasing the album The Lead And How To Swing It, and his profile was raised with a younger audience by a powerful performance at the Glastonbury Festival. In 1998 he performed a medley of songs from the film The Full Monty with Robbie Williams at the BRIT Awards. That same year, Space and Cerys Matthews released "The Ballad Of Tom Jones".

In 1999 he recorded the blockbuster album Reload, a collection of duets with some of the year's brightest stars, which brought him back into the limelight. On New Year's Eve to ring in 2000, United States President Bill Clinton invited him to perform at the Millennium celebrations in Washington D.C.. Throughout that year, Jones garnered several honours for his work, including a BRIT Award for Best Male. In 2001 he toured throughout the Middle East and Europe. In subsequent years, he recorded albums in collaboration with artists such as Wyclef Jean and Jools Holland.

In celebration of his 65th birthday on 28 May 2005, Jones returned to his homeland to perform a spectacular concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. This was his first performance in Pontypridd since 1964.

His early hits include:

"It's Not Unusual" (1965), Jones' signature song
"What's New Pussycat?", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for What's New, Pussycat? (1965)
"Thunderball", the theme for the James Bond film of the same name (1965) - an urban legend states that upon hitting the final high note of the song Jones actually passed out, but that the take was so good it was the version that was released. Jones later denied this.
"Green Green Grass of Home" (1966), his most successful single, which was interpreted by many to refer to Jones' native Wales (correctly, according to Jones [1]), despite having been originally written (by Curly Putman) about the USA.[2]
"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (1967)
"Delilah" (1968).
"Help Yourself" (1968), used recently[when?] in an ad campaign for Diet Dr Pepper
"Without Love" (1969).
"She's A Lady" (1971), his highest charting U.S. single, peaking at #2. Written by Paul Anka
Jones' recording career slumped on the pop charts during the 1970s and 80s, although he placed 16 singles on the Billboard Country Music charts between 1976 and 1985, the biggest of which was "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" (# 1 Country, # 15 pop) in 1977, and his touring continued successfully. When his son Mark became his manager in 1987, his musical style was taken in a different direction. His recording career was revived with his first major hit single in over a decade, "A Boy From Nowhere", taken from the musical Matador. In 1988 he collaborated with The Art of Noise to record Prince's popular song "Kiss". Following this, he started to record in collaboration with a younger generation of musicians:

Prince's "Kiss" (1988, with The Art of Noise)
EMF's "Unbelievable" - a staple of his 1990s live shows
"I Wanna Get Back With You" (1995) features Tori Amos on its chorus vocals.
Talking Heads' song "Burning Down The House" (1999, with The Cardigans)
"Baby, It's Cold Outside" (1999, with Cerys Matthews of Catatonia)
Iggy Pop's song "Lust for Life" (1999, with The Pretenders)
Randy Newman's song "Mama Told Me Not To Come" (2000, with Stereophonics)
"Sex Bomb" (From 1999's Reload, with Mousse T)
"You Need Love Like I Do" (2000, with Heather Small of M People)
His Reload album, released in 2000, became the biggest hit of his career. An album of cover versions recorded as duets with contemporary artists, using their record producers, and utilising their recording methods, it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.[3] In 2002, he released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean and included the singles "Tom Jones International" and "Black Betty". In 2003, he was honored with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, his "Sex Bomb" single became a major club hit.

For his contribution to the recording industry, Tom Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2005 the album Together In Concert, was recorded live with John Farnham and his band.





He has collaborated with Chicane for "Stoned in Love", a dance track that was released 24 April 2006. It entered at number eight in the UK charts the following Sunday.

In 2007, he signed to New York-based independent label S-Curve, owned by music executive Steve Greenberg. An album is expected in 2008.

The singer was awarded an OBE in 1999 and a Knight Bachelor in the 2006 New Years Honours list for his services to music and was subsequently knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London on 29 March 2006.[1]

On July 1, 2007, Jones was one of the invited artists who performed at Wembley Stadium at the Concert for Diana, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith and British soul singer Joss Stone. He sang the British National Anthem before Ricky Hatton's fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on December 8, 2007. On April 19, 2008 he sang the Welsh National Anthem at the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight in Las Vegas.

Although his manager and public relations staff have attempted to change his sex-bomb image and neutralize the knicker-throwing fans, to the delight of his audiences Jones has never felt the need to tone down his behavior in the shows. Tom Jones has remained highly respected by other singers and continues to attract audiences of all ages. As of 2008, Jones continues to tour and record. A major portion of the year he regularly performs his show at the MGM Grand hotel, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA. His show at the MGM is performed in a cabaret style theater. Other venues on his yearly schedule include numerous shows at Atlantic City, NJ and appearances in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada. Jones has recently made long awaited performances in South America.


Personal life

The son of coal miner Thomas Woodward (died 5 October 1981), and Freda Jones (died 7 February 2003 of cancer), Jones began singing at an early age. He'd regularly sing at family gatherings, weddings and also sang in his school choir. He was struck down by tuberculosis and bedridden for almost a year. It was a critical time for him, but he could do little else but listen to music and draw. At the age of sixteen, Jones married Linda Trenchard on 2 March 1957 and had a son named Mark, long before becoming a pop idol. Jones quit school with no qualifications and took a variety of jobs including a builder's labourer and a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman.

In 1974, Jones moved to the United States, buying the mansion formerly belonging to Dean Martin in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. Despite publicised infidelities, including an affair with the dethroned Miss World of 1973, USA's Marjorie Wallace, and a one night stand with Cassandra Peterson a.k.a. Elvira, in which he claimed her virginity, he has remained married to his wife Linda for 50 years. One of his dalliances, a weekend with 24-year-old U.S. model Katherine Berkery in a suite at New York's Ritz Carlton Hotel, produced a love child, Jonathan Berkery, born June 27, 1988. Jonathan has followed in the footsteps of his father in the music industry, regardless of Jones refusal to recognise him as his son. Berkery has been singing and recording music for several years with the intention of becoming a popular music artist such as his father. Jones and his wife have two grandchildren, Emma and Alexander Woodward.

In 2005 the BBC reported that Jones had amassed a fortune of £175 million.[2] Jones also owns a ten acre small holding in the Welsh Valleys which he uses when in Wales, and continues to tour extensively.

Liam Neeson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born William John Neeson
June 7, 1952 (1952-06-07) (age 56)
Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Spouse(s) Natasha Richardson (1994-)
Awards won
Irish Film and Television Awards
Best Actor in a Feature Film
2005 Kinsey
Other Awards
Theatre World Award
1991 Anna Christie

William John "Liam" Neeson OBE (born June 7, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated Irish actor. He is arguably best known for his role as Oskar Schindler in the 1993 film Schindler's List, and has since been involved in several other popular films, including Star Wars and The Chronicles of Narnia. He has also continued to play real-life characters, including Michael Collins and Alfred Kinsey and is also set to play President Abraham Lincoln in a biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg.





Biography

Early life

Neeson was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the son of Katherine "Kitty" (née Brown), a cook, and Barnard Neeson, a caretaker at the local Catholic girls' school.[1] He was called Liam, the Irish equivalent to William, after the local priest.[2] He was the third child in the family and the only boy among four siblings; his sisters are Elizabeth, Bernadette and Rosaline.[3] At age nine, Neeson began boxing lessons at the All Saints Youth Club.[4] It was at age eleven that Neeson first stepped on stage. His English teacher gave him the lead role in a school play, which he accepted because the girl he fancied would be starring.[5] From then on, he kept acting in school productions for the following years.[6] His interest in acting and decision to become an actor was also influenced by Ian Paisley whose church Neeson would sneak into. Neeson has said of Paisley that "He had a magnificent presence and it was incredible to watch this six foot-plus man just bible-thumping away...It was acting but it was also great acting and stirring too. And his Baptisms skills are second to none."[7]

Still boxing at sixteen, he had been Youth Heavyweight Champion of Ireland for three consecutive years, aided by his height.


Career

While at University, Neeson's abilities as a talented footballer emerged which resulted in him being spotted by Bohemian FC manager Seán Thomas. Neeson travelled to Dublin for a trial with the club, and featured briefly when he came on as a substitute in a game against Shamrock Rovers, replacing Tony O'Connell. Neeson was not offered a contract at the club and that remained his only performance in professional football.

After leaving university, Neeson returned to Ballymena and worked in a variety of small jobs, from fork-lift operator at Guinness to truck driver. He also worked at a teacher-training college in Newcastle for two years before again returning to his hometown. Neeson would get his first film experience in 1973, playing Jesus Christ in the religious film, Pilgrim's Progress directed by Ken Anderson. After a bet from co-workers at the architects' office where he worked, Neeson applied for an audition at the Lyric Players' Theatre in Belfast.[8] After two years there, Neeson moved to Dublin and joined the Abbey Theatre in 1977. In 1980, film-maker John Boorman saw him on stage, acting as Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men, and offered him the part of Sir Gawain in the upcoming Arthurian movie, Excalibur. After Excalibur, Neeson moved to London, where he continued working on stage, small budget movies and TV series. He lived with the actress Helen Mirren at this time, whom he met working on Excalibur.[9] Between 1982 and 1987, Neeson starred in five films; mostly notably alongside Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in 1984's The Bounty.

In 1987, Neeson made a conscious decision to move to Hollywood in order to star in high-profile roles.[9] That year, he starred alongside Cher and Dennis Quaid in crime thriller, Suspect. The role would bring Neeson critics' applause, but it was 1990's Darkman that would bring his name to the public attention. Although the film gained success, Neeson's following years would not give him the same recognition. In 1993, he joined Ellis Island co-star, and future wife, Natasha Richardson in the Broadway play, Anna Christie. (They also worked together in Nell, released the following year.) Director Steven Spielberg, impressed by his performance, offered him the coveted role of Oskar Schindler, in the upcoming film about The Holocaust, Schindler's List.[10] His critically acclaimed performance later earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor; however, the award went to Tom Hanks for his performance in Philadelphia. Neeson also garnered BAFTA and Golden Globes nominations for Schindler's List.

Schindler's List established Neeson as a widely sought after leading actor. He later starred in period pieces Rob Roy (1995) and Michael Collins (1996), the latter earning him another Golden Globes nomination and a win for Best Starring Role at the Venice Film Festival. Neeson went onto star as Jean Valjean in the 1998 adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables and in The Haunting as Dr. David Marrow. In 1999, Neeson took on the role as Obi-Wan Kenobi's mentor, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, in George Lucas' much anticipated Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. His voice would later be used in Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Neeson was to appear in the third prequel, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as a Force Ghost, but a motorcycle accident prevented this and instead the character was mentioned only. Due to his height (6 ft 4 in/193 cm), Neeson cost George Lucas an additional $150,000 in set design on The Phantom Menace[citation needed].

Neeson narrated the 2001 documentaries Journey Into Amazing Caves and The Endurance: Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure. After being nominated for a Tony Award for his role opposite Laura Linney in The Crucible, Neeson teamed up with Harrison Ford in Kathryn Bigelow's submarine thriller K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) as Captain Mikhail Polenin and appeared in Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (with Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis). He also played a recently widowed writer in Richard Curtis' ensemble comedy Love Actually (2003).[11] His role as Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey again put Neeson up for nomination for a Golden Globe Award but he lost out to Leonardo DiCaprio for The Aviator.

In 2004, Neeson hosted an episode of the NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live. He starred as a redneck trucker, Marlon Weaver, in an "Appalachian Emergency Room" sketch and a hippie in a one-off sketch about two stoners (the other played by Amy Poehler) who attempt to borrow a police dog in order to find their lost stash of marijuana. Despite vowing not to play any characters who were Irish stereotypes, Neeson did play a stereotypically Irish man named Lorken McArdle in the home makeover show parody "You Call This A House, Do Ya?"[12] In 2005, Neeson could be seen playing Godfrey of Ibelin, in Ridley Scott's epic adventure Kingdom of Heaven, Henri Ducard/Ra's Al Ghul in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and as Father Bernard in Neil Jordan's adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel, Breakfast on Pluto. Also in 2005, he voiced the role of a kindly priest on The Simpsons, who converted Bart and Homer to Catholicism.[13] That same year, he gave his voice to the lion Aslan in the blockbuster fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[14]

In 2007, Neeson starred in the American Civil War epic Seraphim Falls alongside Pierce Brosnan and Anjelica Huston. He is also set to star as Abraham Lincoln in a film directed by Steven Spielberg.[15] In preparation for the role, Neeson visited Washington, D.C. and read Lincoln's personal letters. He also visited Ford's Theatre, where the President was shot.[16] He again gave his voice to Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).[17] Neeson's voice will also be featured in the video game, Fallout 3.[18] The executive producer of the game, Todd Howard, said "This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game".[19] This is Neeson's second time voicing a video game character; his first was as Henri Ducard in the 2005 adaption of Batman Begins.

As of May 2008, Neeson is filming the role of Alistair Little in the BBC Northern Ireland/Big Fish Films television drama Five Minutes of Heaven, which tells the true story of a young Protestant man convicted of murdering a Catholic boy during The Troubles.[20]

In the Director's Commentary of the 2007 Transformers DVD, Michael Bay revealed that he had told the animators to seek inspiration from Liam Neeson in creating Optimus Prime's body language.

Neeson narrated the documentary Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, though the date of this is not known.


Personal life

Since July 3, 1994, Neeson has been married to actress Natasha Richardson, with whom he co-starred in Nell. She is a daughter of the late director Tony Richardson and screen legend Vanessa Redgrave and thus a member of the theatrical Redgrave family; her sister is Joely Richardson. They have two sons, Micheál Richard Antonio (born June 22, 1995) and Daniel Jack (born August 28, 1996). The family home is in exurban Millbrook, New York. Neeson turned down the 'Freedom of the town of Ballymena' offered to him by Ballymena Borough Council, because of objections made by members of the Democratic Unionist Party about his comments that he had felt like a 'second-class citizen' growing up as a Roman Catholic in the town. Neeson continues to practice the Catholic religion and has raised his children Catholic.[21]

Neeson was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in her 1999 New Year's Honours List.

Prince
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Background information

Birth name Prince Rogers Nelson
Born June 7, 1958 (1958-06-07) (age 50)
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genre(s) Pop, Funk, Rock, R&B
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actor
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano, keyboards, drums, percussion
Years active 1978-present
Label(s) NPG, Columbia, Universal, Arista, Paisley Park, Warner Bros.
Associated acts The Revolution; Wendy and Lisa
New Power Generation
The Time; Morris Day
Sheila E.
Vanity 6; Apollonia 6
Mazarati
The Family
94 East
Madhouse
Jill Jones
Candy Dulfer
Támar
Website www.3121.com

Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American musician. He performs simply as Prince, but has also been known by various other names, among them an unpronounceable symbol, leading fans and critics to dub him "The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince)", occasionally abbreviated as "TAFKAP".

From his early material, rooted in R&B, soul and funk, Prince has expanded his musical palette throughout his career, absorbing many other genres including pop, rock, jazz, psychedelia and hip hop. The distinctive characteristics of the early-to-mid 1980s work, such as sparse and industrial-sounding drum machine arrangements and the use of synthesizer riffs to serve the role traditionally occupied by horn riffs in earlier R&B, funk and soul music--was called the "Minneapolis sound" and has proved very influential.

Prince is a prolific artist, having released several hundred songs both under his own name and with other artists. Known to be a perfectionist, Prince is highly protective of his music. He produces, composes, arranges and performs nearly all of the songs on his albums. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.




Biography

Uptown: Early years

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1958, to John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw.[1] John was a pianist and songwriter, and Mattie was a singer. He is named after the Prince Rogers Trio, his father's jazz band, and as a boy he was called Skipper.

There are a number of myths regarding Prince's ethnicity, some spread by Prince himself[2]. In fact, he was born to a white mother and a black father, and identifies himself as an African-American. According to a 1985 Rolling Stone article,[which?] Mattie Shaw, like many African-Americans, is an amalgam of different ethnicities. The article in question affirms Shaw as: "a singer sixteen years John's junior, Mattie bore traces of Billie Holiday in her pipes and more than a trace of Indian and Caucasian in her blood." After the birth of his sister Tyka in 1960, Prince's parents gradually drifted apart. After they formally separated, he had a troubled relationship with his stepfather that resulted in his running away from home. Prince lived briefly with his father, who bought him his first guitar, and later he moved in with a neighborhood family, the Andersons, befriending their son, Andre Anderson (later called André Cymone).

Prince and Anderson joined Prince's cousin Charles Smith in a band called Grand Central that they formed in junior high school. His initial contributions were as an instrumentalist in what was a mainly instrumental band that played clubs and parties in the Minneapolis area. As time went by and Prince's musical interests broadened, he found himself producing the arrangements for the band. Before long he became the band's front man. By the time Prince entered high school, Grand Central evolved into Champagne and started playing original music already drawing on a range of influences including Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, Miles Davis, Parliament-Funkadelic and Jimi Hendrix. At one point Prince was a student at the Minnesota Dance Theatre.

In 1976, he started work on a demo tape with producer Chris Moon in a Minneapolis studio. Prince also had the patronage of Owen Husney, to whom Moon introduced him, a connection that helped him produce a high-quality demo recording. Husney started contacting major labels and ran a campaign promoting Prince as a star of the future, resulting in a bidding war eventually won by Warner Bros. Records. They offered him a contract and were the only label to give Prince creative control of his songs.


First steps: 1977-1980

Pepe Willie, husband of Prince's cousin, Shantel, was an influence in Prince's early career. Along with Husney, Willie acted as mentor and manager for Prince in the Grand Central days, and he employed Prince in the studio for his own recordings. In 1977, Willie formed 94 East, a band with Marcy Ingvoldstad and Kristie Lazenberry. 94 East comprised a group of singers and musicians that included Andre Cymone and Prince. Prince composed the music for Willie's lyrics and typically played guitar and keyboards in the studio. He wrote many songs for the group, including "Just Another Sucker." The band recorded an album, Minneapolis Genius - The Historic 1977 Recordings. Although it was not a solo album and was not commercially released until many years later, it is considered Prince's first professional album. For unknown reasons, Prince does not acknowledge the existence of this album. In 1995, the original recordings with Prince and Cymone were released by Willie as 94 East featuring Prince, Symbolic Beginning.

Prince released his first album, For You, on April 7, 1978. For You was the first major-label album released by Prince, his first of many for Warner Bros. Tommy Vicari was the executive producer. This album, like most of his career, was not recorded with a band; Prince purportedly played all 27 instruments on the album. Critics[which?] detract from the impressiveness of this fact by qualifying them as "merely" different types of string, percussion, and keyboard instruments.

The majority of For You was written and performed by Prince, except for the song "Soft and Wet" (lyrics co-written by Moon). This was the first of Prince's albums containing the now ubiquitous legend: "Produced, Arranged, Composed and Performed by Prince." Prince spent twice his initial advance recording the album, which sold modestly and made the bottom reaches of the Billboard 200, while the single "Soft and Wet" performed well on the R&B charts. Prince used Prince's Music Co. for publishing the songs from this album. The single reached #12 on the Soul chart and #92 on the pop chart. "Just as Long as We're Together" flopped at #91 on the soul chart.

By 1979, Prince had recruited his first backing band featuring Andre Cymone (Anderson) on bass, Gayle Chapman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z on drums, and Dez Dickerson on guitar. Prince intentionally enlisted a multi-racial, mixed-gender group, much like the backing band of one of his greatest influences, Sly Stone. They had their first shows at the Capri Theatre on January 5 and 6 1979. Reportedly, Prince mostly mumbled into the microphone, whilst Dez and Andre ran back and forth into the audience. Warner executives were at the second show, which was plagued with electrical difficulties and a snowstorm, decided Prince had promise but the band needed more time to gel before it could tour. This was just after their gear was stolen from their rehearsal base at Dels Tyre Mart. [3]

In October 1979, Prince released his self-titled second album Prince, which reached #4 on the Billboard R&B charts, and contained two R&B hits: "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover." These two R&B hits were performed on January 26, 1980, on the TV show American Bandstand with this first backing band. Legend has it that Prince became annoyed when, during the interview segment, Dick Clark expressed surprise that Prince and his bandmates hailed from Minneapolis "of all places". At first Prince refused to speak, instead answering a question by gesturing with his hand. It was later admitted by Dez Dickerson that it was planned from the beginning as a way to throw Dick Clark off his game. Dickerson was quoted as saying, "Great. We're illiterate, but we play well." For his second album, Prince used Ecnirp Music - BMI [4]for publishing his songs, which he would also use for the album Dirty Mind. Prince has been certified gold status; the single "I Wanna Be Your Lover" reached #1 on the R&B charts, also hitting #11 on the Billboard Top 100 American pop charts. This became known as one of his greatest hits.

During this period, Prince began to attract attention for the clothes he wore onstage. He wore high-heeled shoes and boots, and when questioned by the press, he remarked that he liked the way he looked in them.[citation needed] He tended to flaunt and express an intense sexuality onstage in addition to in his music, especially also using symbols that of being for the transgendered and as a result, people began questioning his sexual orientation. His stylistic choices brought him trouble as an opening act for The Rolling Stones' two Los Angeles Coliseum shows in 1981, where he was infamously pelted with garbage while wearing bikini briefs, leg warmers, high-heeled boots, and a trench coat, in addition to being booed off the stage for his wardrobe. These shows occurred just before the release of his fourth album "Controversy", and also when he was breaking in his new bassist Mark Brown (later BrownMark), who was then just 18 and out of high school.


1980-1984

In 1980, Prince released Dirty Mind, again entirely self-recorded and released using the demos of the songs. On tour, Lisa Coleman replaced Chapman in the band, who felt the sexually explicit lyrics and stage antics of Prince's concerts conflicted with her religious beliefs. Dirty Mind is particularly notable for its sexually explicit material.

Prince opened for Rick James in a 1980 tour with the label "punk funk" being applied to both artists, although it reportedly didn't sit comfortably with Prince. He released the album Controversy in 1981, with the single of the same name charting internationally for the first time. In February of 1981, Prince performed "Partyup" on the now-infamous season six episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Charlene Tilton that brought Jean Doumanian's lackluster tenure as executive producer down when cast member Charles Rocket uttered the word "f ***" at the end of the program. Starting with the album Controversy, Prince used Controversy Music[5] - ASCAP for publishing his songs, which he would use for his following sixteen records until Emancipation in 1996.

In 1981, Prince formed a "side project"(a problematic label given that his band was only used for performance, not recording sessions) band called The Time. Prince was able to do this thanks to a clause in his contract with Warner Bros. The Time released four albums between 1981 and 1990, with Prince writing and performing all instruments and backing vocals throughout. The band's vocals were led by Morris Day.

In the coming decade, Prince would also collaborate with Vanity (of Vanity 6), Apollonia (of Apollonia 6) and Sheila E. He also wrote hits for artists such as Sheena Easton ("Sugar Walls"), Celine Dion (as she talked about in an interview with Arsenio Hall in 1993), and The Bangles ("Manic Monday"). Prince's own recordings would be covered in hit versions by artists as diverse as Chaka Khan ("I Feel For You"), Mariah Carey, Art of Noise with Tom Jones, and Sinéad O'Connor ("Nothing Compares 2 U"). O'Connor's cover, orignally written by Prince for The Family, was a huge commercial success in 1990.


Prince's Yellow Cloud Guitar at the Smithsonian CastleIn 1982, Prince released the 1999 double-album which "broke" Prince into the mainstream in the US and internationally, selling over three million copies [6]. The title track was a protest of nuclear proliferation and became his first top ten hit internationally. With his video for "Little Red Corvette" he joined Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie as part of the first wave of African American artists on MTV. The song "Delirious" also went top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was placed at number six in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1983.

Stevie Nicks related a story in a television interview that she had come up with her 1983 song "Stand Back" after being inspired by the synthesizer part in "Little Red Corvette." When it was time to record the song, it happened that Prince was in Los Angeles near her recording studio. She made contact and, soon afterward, Prince came by the studio and sat down at the synthesizer himself, to play song-opening riff[citation needed].

Around this time Prince began crediting his band as The Revolution, which consisted of Dez Dickerson on guitar, Lisa Coleman and Doctor Fink on keyboards, Bobby Z. on drums, and Brown Mark on bass. The band's name was printed in reverse on the cover of 1999; Prince refrained using the name "The Revolution" until Dickerson left the band for personal reasons. Dickerson was replaced by Wendy Melvoin, a childhood friend of Lisa. The band members were known for being solid musicians and a strong live act, but their talents would be used sparsely in the studio. Their presence in Prince's recordings, however, would increase through the mid-1980s.

During this period, Prince recorded many acclaimed b-sides--songs that were previously released on the b-side of a single that were, at times, "throwaway" songs--becoming popular songs in their own right. Some greats and fan favorites include "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore", b-side for "1999"; "Erotic City", b-side for "Let's Go Crazy"; and "17 Days", b-side for "When Doves Cry." Several of these b-sides were covered by mainstream artists, including Alicia Keys and Living Colour.


1984-1987

Prince's 1984 album, Purple Rain (concurrent with the film of the same name) sold more than thirteen million copies in the US and spent twenty-four consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200. The Academy Award-winning film grossed more than $80 million in the US alone, and has proved to be Prince's biggest cinematic success to date.

Two songs from Purple Rain, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy," topped the US pop singles charts and were hits around the world, while the title track reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Prince simultaneously held the spots #1 film, #1 single, and #1 album in the US. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for "Purple Rain," and the album ranks at 72 in the top 100 of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list[7]; the album is also listed in The All-TIME 100 Albums[8] of TIME Magazine.

It was the album's song "Darling Nikki" to which Tipper Gore overheard her twelve-year-old daughter, Karenna, listening that inspired her to found the Parents Music Resource Center. The center has enacted the mandatory use of a warning label ("Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics") on the covers of records that have been judged to contain language or lyrical content unsuitable for minors. The end of the song contains a backward-masked message contradictory with the theme of the song. Playing the song backward reveals the message:

"Hello. How are you? I'm fine Cause I know that Lord is coming soon. Coming...coming...soon."

In 1985, after the U.S. Purple Rain Tour, which was a smash hit in the US and Canada, Prince announced that he would discontinue both live performances and music videos after the release of Around the World in a Day, which held the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart for three weeks. Prince's ban on music videos supposedly ended when the album stalled in the charts and, after a video for "Raspberry Beret," then reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.


Prince in Brussels, 1986In 1986, Prince released the album Parade. The album went to #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and #2 on the R&B album charts. The first single, "Kiss," would top the Billboard Hot 100. At the same time, "Manic Monday" by The Bangles, which Prince had written under the pseudonym "Christopher Tracey," reached #2 on the Hot 100.

Christopher Tracy was the name of Prince's character in the movie "Under The Cherry Moon", for which Parade served as a soundtrack. Prince both directed and starred in the movie, and it also featured Kristen Scott Thomas as Mary Sharon in her first movie role. She would go on to star in such films as "The English Patient". Following the film and album, Prince returned to touring with a stripped-down show. After a few isolated dates (dubbed "the Hit and Run Tour") in the United States, he embarked on his first full scale European Tour in the summer of 1986. He closed the tour in September in Japan, his first appearances in the country.

It was around this time that Miles Davis was quoted on his high regard for Prince's music. The prolific jazz musician proclaimed Prince to be "the most exciting artist of his time," and that "he could be another Duke Ellington." Prince was planning to collaborate with Davis on what would be the trumpeter's 1986 album Tutu, but plans fell through. Davis would pass away in 1991 before the two were able to work together.[citation needed]

At the end of the tour, Prince disbanded The Revolution, although retaining band member Matt Fink on keyboard. Added to the backing band was Boni Boyer on keyboards, Sheila E on drums, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, and Miko Weaver on guitar.


1987-1991

Sign o' the Times, released in 1987 as a double album, reached the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and achieved the greatest critical acclaim of his career, topping the annual and highly reputable Pazz & Jop critics poll, reaching the top 100 of Rolling Stone's list[7] and The All-TIME 100 Albums[8] of TIME Magazine, which declared it was the best album of the 1980s. Following the albums' release, Prince launched the Sign o' the Times Tour in Europe. 1987 saw the potential for two of pop's biggest stars coming together to perform a duet. Michael Jackson talked with Prince about performing a duet together for the title track of his new album Bad. Jackson and Prince ended up having creative differences, however, and Jackson recorded the title track for the album alone.[9]

In 1987, Prince planned to release The Black Album, a funk-oriented album whose erotically-charged lyrics and club-focused beats were perceived by many as his attempt to woo back the black audience he was supposed to have lost as a result of his mid-80s forays into pop, hard rock, and psychedelic rock. In reality, the album was a collection of tracks recorded during the previous few years, some of which had initially been recorded for Sheila E's birthday party in 1986.[10]

The album remains legendary in Prince's career after its release was canceled at the artist's behest mere days before its release date. Though many already manufactured copies were supposed to be destroyed, several escaped and became the source for numerous bootleg editions. The album circulated through the bootleg underground music world and was not given an official release until 1994. Prince later attributed his eleventh-hour request for the album to be pulled from release to "a spiritual epiphany", but there are rumors that this epiphany was actually the result of a bad experience with the drug Ecstasy.

The 1988 album Lovesexy is considered Prince's "spiritual" answer to the "dark" The Black Album. Lovesexy performed disappointingly on the US charts, reaching only #11 on the Billboard 200, but it reached #1 in the UK. (One track from The Black Album, "When 2 R in Love," also appeared on Lovesexy.) The US leg of the Lovesexy World Tour also proved to be commercial disappointment: Prince lost money as dates failed to sell out. He did balance this poor performance with the European and Japanese legs of the tour.

In 1989, Prince provided and released the soundtrack for Batman, which returned him to #1 on the US album charts. The worldwide hit-single "Batdance" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while another track, "Partyman," featuring the vocals of his then girlfriend "Anna Garcia"[11] became a popular song with the film's audiences. On September 24, Prince performed the Batman song Electric Chair after being introduced by Batman co-star Jerry Hall[citation needed].

In 1990, Prince released the film Graffiti Bridge, a sequel to Purple Rain that performed poorly at the box office. The soundtrack to "Graffiti Bridge" featured Prince along with artists such as Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers, and Morris Day with his other band and project, The Time. It would peak at #6 in the US and reach #1 in the UK. He also collaborated with Madonna on her Like a Prayer album for the song entitled "Love Song".


1991-1994

The unpronounceable symbol (later dubbed "Love Symbol #2").The release of Diamonds and Pearls 1991 gave Prince his fifth US number one single with the song "Cream". Diamonds and Pearls debuted Prince's new band, the New Power Generation, that featured rapper Tony M., Rosie Gaines on vocals, Michael Bland on drums, Levi Seacer on guitar, Sonny T on bass, and Tommy Barbarella on keyboards.

1993 found Prince working significantly on Kate Bush's 1993 album, The Red Shoes; her name appears in the credits of his Diamonds and Pearls album. Prince chiefly contributed on the song "Why Should I Love You," playing bass, guitar, and keyboards, singing vocals, and arranging music for the mix. This would be the final "Prince" credit, until 2000. Kate Bush reciprocated in 1996 and is featured on background vocals on the Emancipation track, "My Computer."

Prince's twelfth album was titled with an unpronounceable symbol (later copyrighted as "Love Symbol #2").[12] It reached the top ten of the U.S. album charts. In 1993, he also changed his stage name to the Love Symbol, which is a combination of the symbols for male (♂) and female (♀). Because the symbol was/is unpronounceable, he was often referred to as "Symbol," "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince," or simply "The Artist." In 1993, at the request of Warner Brothers, Prince released a 3-CD greatest hits compilation entitled The Hits/The B-Sides. The first two discs were also sold separately as The Hits 1 and The Hits 2. In addition to featuring the majority of Prince's hit singles (with the exception of "Batdance," which was omitted), The Hits includes an array of previously hard-to-find recordings, notably B-sides spanning the majority of Prince's career, as well as a handful of previously unreleased tracks such as the Revolution-recorded "Power Fantastic." Two new songs, first "Pink Cashmere" and then "Peach," were chosen as promotional singles to accompany the compilation album. Unfortunately, neither the album nor singles performed as well in sales as Warner Bros. had hoped, however, The Hits offers arguably the most thorough overview of Prince's musical output from 1978 - 1993.


Name change

In 1993, during negotiations regarding the release of Prince's album The Gold Experience, a legal battle ensued between Warner Bros. and Prince over the artistic and financial control of Prince's output. During the lawsuit, Prince appeared in public with the word "slave" written on his cheek. Prince explained his name change as follows:

" The first step I have taken towards the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Bros. was to change my name from Prince to the Love Symbol. Prince is the name that my Mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros.…
I was born Prince and did not want to adopt another conventional name. The only acceptable replacement for my name, and my identity, was the Love Symbol, a symbol with no pronunciation, that is a representation of me and what my music is about. This symbol is present in my work over the years; it is a concept that has evolved from my frustration; it is who I am. It is my name.
"

Critics have argued Prince's name change as an attempt by the artist to reinvent himself, providing an opportunity to redevelop his style. One commentator noted:

Prince started his career as a big R&B star with limited mainstream success. At that point, he left the middle of the road and headed for the ditch. In 1980, it was risky to record new wave songs with lusty lyrics that assured no radio airplay (the classic Dirty Mind), but it paid off. Critics took notice and he became an underground favorite. This paved the way for his huge success with 1999 and Purple Rain. Certainly that was the pinnacle of his career, as far as worldwide earnings and universal adulation are concerned. But by heading for the ditch again, by changing his name and experimenting with his style, by lowering his stock value and escaping his record contract, Prince has become an underground artist again. In late 1996, the first collection of Prince music since his break with Warner Bros. appeared in record stores, a sprawling three-hour extravaganza integrating great dance grooves and slow-burning ballads. Critical response has been overwhelmingly positive, and sales have been brisk despite the high price of a 3-CD set. It's no coincidence that he titled this album Emancipation.[13]


1994-2000

In 1994, Prince's attitude towards his artistic output underwent a notable shift. He began to view releasing albums in quick succession as a means of ejecting himself from his contractual obligations to Warner Bros. The label, he believed, was intent on limiting his artistic freedom by insisting that he release albums more sporadically. He also blamed Warner Bros. for the poor commercial performance of the Love Symbol album, claiming that it was insufficiently marketed by Warner. It was out of these developments that the aborted The Black Album was officially released, approximately seven years after its initial recording and near-release. The "new" release, which was already in wide circulation as a bootleg, sold relatively poorly.

Following that disappointing venture, Warner Bros. succumbed to Prince's wishes to release an album of new material, to be entitled Come. The label had refused to grant the album a release in the past, believing the music on it to be dreadfully mediocre and lacking a potential hit single[citation needed]. When Come was eventually released, it confirmed all of Warner's fears. It became Prince's poorest-selling album to date, struggling to even shift 500,000 copies. Even more frustrating was the fact that Prince insisted on crediting the album to "Prince 1958-1993".

Prince pushed to have his next album The Gold Experience released simultaneously with Love Symbol era material. Warner Bros. allowed the single "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" to be released via a small, independent distributor, Bellmark Records, in February 1994. The release was successful, reaching #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in many other countries, but it would not prove to be a model for subsequent releases. Warner Bros. still resisted releasing The Gold Experience, fearing poor sales and citing "market saturation" as a defense. When eventually released in September 1995, The Gold Experience failed to sell well, although it reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 initially, and many reviewed it as Prince's best effort since Sign o' the Times. The album is now out-of-print.

Chaos and Disorder, released in 1996, was Prince's final album of new material for Warner Bros., as well as one of his least commercially successful releases. Prince attempted a major comeback later that year when, free of any further contractual obligations to Warner Bros., he released Emancipation. The album was released via his own NPG Records with distribution through EMI. To publish his songs in Emancipation, Prince did not use Controversy Music - ASCAP, which he had used for all his records since 1981, but rather used Emancipated Music Inc.[14] - ASCAP.

While certified platinum by the RIAA, some critics felt that the sprawling 36-song, 3-CD set (each disk was exactly 60 minutes long) lacked focus, and might have worked better as a single or double disc.[15][16] Emancipation is the first record featuring covers by Prince of songs of other artists: Joan Osborne's Top Ten hit song of 1995 "One of Us".[17]; "Betcha By Golly Wow!" (written by Thomas Randolf Bell and Linda Creed)[18]; "I Can't Make You Love Me" (written by James Allen Shamblin II and Michael Barry Reid)[19]; and "La-La Means I Love You" (written by Thomas Randolf Bell and William Hart).[20]

Prince released Crystal Ball, a 4-CD collection of unreleased material, in 1998. The distribution of this album was shambolic, with some fans pre-ordering the album on his website up to a year before it was eventually shipped to them, and months after the record had gone on sale in retail stores. The Newpower Soul album released three months later failed to make much of an impression on the charts.

In 1999, Prince once again signed with a major label Arista Records to release a new record, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. In an attempt to make his new album a success, Prince gave more interviews than at any other point in his career. Nevertheless Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic failed to perform commercially. A few months earlier, Warner Bros. had also released The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, a collection of unreleased material recorded by Prince throughout his career, and his final recording commitment on his contract with Warner Bros. The greatest success he had during the year was with the EP 1999: The New Master, released in time for Prince to collect a small portion of the sales dollars Warner Bros. had been seeing for the album and singles of the original 1999. Both critics and fans panned The New Master, declaring it unimaginative.

The pay-per-view concert, Rave Un2 the Year 2000, was broadcast on December 31, 1999 and consisted of footage from the December 17 and December 18 concerts of his 1999 tour. The concert featured appearances by many guest musicians including Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton, and The Time. It was released to home video the following year. A remix album, Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic (as opposed to "Un2") was released exclusively through Prince's NPG Music Club in April 2000.


2000-2005

On May 16, 2000, Prince ceased using the Love Symbol moniker and returned to using "Prince" again, after his publishing contract with Warner-Chappell expired. In a press conference, he stated that, after being freed from an undesirable relationships associated with the name "Prince," he would formally revert to using his real name. Prince still frequently uses the symbol as a logo and on album artwork and continues to play a Love Symbol-shaped guitar.

For several years following the release of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, Prince primarily released new music through his Internet subscription service, NPGOnlineLtd.com (later NPGMusicClub.com). Two albums that show substantive jazz influence were available commercially at record stores: 2001's The Rainbow Children and, later, the 2003 instrumental record N.E.W.S which was nominated for a Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy. Another album of largely jazz-influenced music, "Xpectation", was released via download in 2003 to members of the NPGMusicClub.

In 2002, Prince released his first live album, One Nite Alone... Live!, which features performances from the One Nite Alone tour. The 3-CD box set, which also includes a disc of "aftershow" music entitled It Ain't Over!, failed to chart. During this time, Prince sought to engage more effectively with his fan base via the NPG Music Club, pre-concert sound checks, and at yearly "celebrations" at Paisley Park, his music studios. Fans were invited into the studio for tours, interviews, discussions and music-listening sessions. Some of these fan discussions were filmed for an unreleased documentary, directed by Kevin Smith. Smith discusses what happened during those days at length in his An Evening with Kevin Smith DVD.[21] Performances were also arranged to showcase Prince's talents , as well as to collaborate with popular and well-established artists and guests including Alicia Keys, The Time, Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, George Clinton, Norah Jones.

On February 8, 2004, Prince appeared at the Grammy Awards with Beyoncé Knowles. In a performance that opened the show, Prince and Beyoncé performed a medley of classic "Purple Rain", "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby I'm a Star," and Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" to rave reviews (video). The following month, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The award was presented to him by Alicia Keys along with Big Boi and André 3000 of OutKast. As well as performing a trio of his own hits during the ceremony, Prince also participated in a tribute to fellow inductee George Harrison in a rendition of the deceased artist's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," playing a long guitar solo that ended the song (video).

In April 2004, Prince released Musicology through a unique one-album agreement with Columbia Records. This deal was constructed in such a way that ensured Prince the majority of royalties (as he had become accustomed through his music subscription service). The album, which rose as high as the top five on a number of international charts (including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia), featured some of Prince's most economical and commercially appealing music in years[citation needed]. That same year, Pollstar named Prince the top concert draw among musicians in America.

Grossing an estimated $87.4 million, Prince's Musicology Tour was the most profitable tour in the music industry for 2004. The artist played an impressive run of 96 concerts; the average ticket price for a show was US$61. In Dallas, Texas, Prince was surprised by a female audience member jumping out of her front row seat, getting onto the stage while he was singing, and kissing him. The woman had to be escorted out by security.[22] Further highlighting the success of the album, Prince's Musicology went on to receive two Grammy wins, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Call My Name" and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for the title track. Musicology was also nominated for Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, while "Cinnamon Girl was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.[23] The album became the artist's most commercially successful since Diamonds and Pearls, partly due to a radical scheme devised which included in Billboard's sales figures those that were distributed to each customer during ticket sales for the Musicology tour.

Prince was ranked 7th Greatest Artist of All Time in Acclaimed Music's list of The 1000 Greatest Artist of All Time. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Prince #28 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[24] In December 2004, Rolling Stone's readers named Prince Best Male Performer and Most Welcome Comeback, though he says he "never went anywhere"[citation needed]. Also in December 2004, Prince was ranked #5 on the Top Pop Artists Of The Past 25 Years list by www.rockonthenet.com.[25] He was the highest-ranked male performer on the list.

In April 2005, Prince played guitar (along with En Vogue singing backing vocals) on Stevie Wonder's single "So What The Fuss," Wonder's first since 1999.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, Prince offered a personal response by recording two new songs, "S.S.T." and the instrumental "Brand New Orleans," at Paisley Park in the early hours of September 2. Prince again performed all instrumental and vocal parts. These recordings were quickly dispersed to the public via Prince's NPG Music Club, and "S.S.T." was later picked up by iTunes, where it reached #1 on the store's R&B chart. On October 25, Sony Records released a version of the single on CD.


2005-2006

In late 2005 Prince signed with Universal Records to release his album, 3121, on March 21, 2006, (3/21). The first single was the Latin-tinged "Te Amo Corazón," the video for which was directed by actress Salma Hayek and filmed in Marrakesh, Morocco, featuring Argentine actress and singer Mía Maestro. The song was covered by Viktoria Tolstoy on her album Pictures of Me, along with another Prince song, "Strollin'." The video for the second single, "Black Sweat", was nominated at the MTV VMAs for Best Cinematography. The immediate success of 3121 gave his first #1 debut on the Billboard 200 with the album.

To promote the new album, Prince was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on February 4, 2006, seventeen years after his last SNL appearance. He performed two songs from the album, "Fury" and "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed," with Támar. Prince also held a contest to win a trip to see a 'Purple Ticket Concert' at his private residence in Hollywood, California. Seven winning tickets were placed inside 3121 CD packages in the US, and other tickets were given away in various contests on the internet and around the world. On May 6, 2006, twenty-four prize winners (with a guest each) attended a star-studded private party and performance at Prince's home. The "Purple Ticket Concert" marked the end of a long run of private performances for the Hollywood elite that began in 2005[citation needed].

On June 12, 2006, Prince received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his "visionary" use of the Internet; Prince was the first major artist to release an entire album, 1997's Crystal Ball, exclusively on the internet. Ironically, many orders for Crystal Ball that were made on Prince's then-website, 1800newfunk.com, were not received by mail until long after the album was released to record stores[citation needed].

Only weeks after winning a Webby Award, Prince abruptly shut down his official NPGMC website at 12:00 AM on July 4, 2006 after over five years of operation. The NPGMC sent out an email, claiming that "in its current 4m there is a feeling that the NPGMC gone as far as it can go. In a world without limitations and infinite possibilities, has the time come 2 once again make a leap of faith and begin anew? These r ?s we in the NPG need 2 answer. In doing so, we have decided 2 put the club on hiatus until further notice." On the day of the music club's shutdown, a lawsuit was filed against Prince by the British company HM Publishing (owners of the Nature Publishing Group, also NPG). Despite these events occurring on the same day, Prince's attorney has called it it pure coincidence and stated that the site did not close due to the trademark dispute.[26]

Prince appeared at multiple award ceremonies in 2006. On February 15, 2006, Prince performed at the BRIT Awards along with Wendy and Lisa and Sheila E. He played "Te Amo Corazón" and "Fury" from 3121 and "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy" from Purple Rain, in a performance which was generally regarded as the best of the night.[citation needed]. On June 27, 2006, Prince appeared at the BET awards, where he was awarded Best Male R&B Artist. In addition to receiving his award, Prince performed a medley of Chaka Khan songs for Khan's BET Lifetime Award. Prince had previously written and performed several songs with the singer. On November 14, 2006, Prince was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, appearing to collect his award but not performing. Also in November 2006, Prince opened a nightclub named 3121 in Las Vegas at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. He performed weekly on Friday and Saturday nights until April 2007 His contract with the Rio ended.

On August 22, 2006, Prince released Ultimate. The double disc set contains one CD of previous hits, the another of extended versions and mixes of old material that were largely previously unavailable.

Prince wrote and performed a song for the hit 2006 animated film Happy Feet. The song, entitled "Song of the Heart," appears on the film's soundtrack, which also features a cover of Prince's early hit "Kiss," sung by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. In January 2007, "Song of the Heart" won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Prince arrived late supposedly due to traffic problems and thus was unable to make an acceptance speech, but actor Hugh Grant prompted him later in the ceremony to take a bow.


2007-present

On February 2, 2007, Prince played at the Super Bowl XLI press conference. He and the band played a set of Chuck Berry's hit: Johnny B. Goode", "Anotherloverholenyohead" from Parade and "Get On the Boat" from 3121. Prince performed at the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in Miami, Florida on February 4, 2007. The performance consisted of three Purple Rain tracks ("Let's Go Crazy", "Baby I'm a Star" and the title track), along with cover versions of "We Will Rock You", "All Along the Watchtower", the Foo Fighters song "Best of You" and "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Coincidentally, Miami had rain on the day of the Super Bowl, which was lit purple during the performance of "Purple Rain". He played on a large stage shaped as his famous symbol. The event was carried to 140 million television viewers, the largest audience of his life.[27] It also holds the record of the most watched TV performance of the 21st century in the U.S.A.[citation needed]

On May 8, 2007, Prince announced that he would play 21 concerts in London over the summer. The "Earth Tour" included 21 nights at the 20,000 capacity O2 Arena. Tickets for the O2 Arena were priced at £31.21 (including a free copy of Prince's latest album), in order to make the concerts "affordable for everybody". The residency at The O2 Arena was increased to 15 nights after all 140,000 tickets for the original seven sold out in just 20 minutes[28] and then further extended to 21 nights.[29]

On May 10, 2007, Prince performed a 'secret' gig at London's Koko in front of a small crowd (between) fans and celebrities. Tickets went on sale that morning on a first-come-first-served basis (again at £31.21). A prelude to the forthcoming summer gigs in London, Prince played a relaxed set of classic hits ("Kiss", changing the lyric from ?'You don't have to watch Dynasty' to Desperate Housewives; "Girls & Boys"; and "Nothing Compares 2 U") alongside more recent tracks, plus a well-received cover version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy". There was controversy as one of the fans brought up on stage by Prince to dance later kissed him only to be ejected by one of his bouncers. Although it appeared it may have been an overreaction as Prince seemed to take the kiss in good humour.

On June 5, 2007, Prince made an appearance at the 2007 ALMA Awards, performing with Sheila E. On June 28, 2007, the UK national newspaper The Mail on Sunday revealed that it had made a deal to give Prince's new album, Planet Earth, away for free with an "imminent" edition of the paper, making it the first place in the world to get the album. The date chosen was July 15, 2007. This move has sparked controversy among music distributors and has also led the UK arm of Prince's distributor, Sony BMG, to withdraw from distributing the album in UK stores.[30] The UK's largest high street music retailer, HMV decided to stock the paper on release day due to the giveaway.

On July 7, 2007, Prince played three concerts in his hometown of Minneapolis. This concert coincided with the launch of his new perfume, 3121. Prince delighted the gathering with "3121," "Girls & Boys," "A Love Bizarre," and "Guitar." He was joined by collaborator Sheila E., who sang on "The Glamorous Life." After the second concert at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, Prince held a late after-show at the famous First Avenue, where Purple Rain was filmed. On July 16, 2007, Prince was the surprise guest of Montreux Jazz Festival. On September 3, 2007, Prince was in Prague shooting a video for the song "Somewhere Here on Earth". The video has just aired. Prince appeared at the Grammys as a presenter.

On April 25, 2008, "Prince and The Band" played live on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno to promote his April 26th performance at the Coachella Music and Arts Fesival in Indio, California. He also debuted a new song entitled "Turn Me Loose".


Copyright controversy

On September 14, 2007, Prince announced that he was going to sue YouTube and eBay because they "appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorized music and film content which is core to their business success." A representative told Reuters, "The problem is that one can reduce it to zero and then the next day there will be 100 or 500 or whatever. This carries on ad nauseam at Prince's expense."[31][32]

On November 5, 2007, several fan sites of Prince formed Prince Fans United to fight back against legal requests made by Prince to cease and desist all use of photographs, images, lyrics, album covers and anything linked to Prince's likeness.[33] While Prince's lawyers claimed that the use of such representations constituted copyright infringement, the Prince Fans United claimed that the legal actions were "attempts to stifle all critical commentary about Prince.". On November 8, 2007, Prince Fans United received a song named "PFUnk" providing a kind of "unofficial answer" to their movement. The song, originally debuted on the PFU main site[34], was retitled "F.U.N.K.", and is available on iTunes.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit against Prince's music company because he demanded that YouTube remove a video of a 13-month-old boy bouncing and swaying for the camera as 29-seconds of "Let's Go Crazy" plays on a CD player in the background. The video is a home movie shot by the child's mother in the family's rural Pennsylvania kitchen.[citation needed]

At the 2008 Coachella Music Festival, Prince performed a cover of Radiohead's Creep but immediately after he forced YouTube and other sites to remove footage that fans had taken of the performance. Radiohead, upon hearing about the removal of the video, asked Prince to unblock the song stating "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our ... song.". [35]


Personal life

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Prince was romantically linked with many celebrities, including Vanity (also known as Denise Matthews), Madonna, Anna Fantastic,[36] Carmen Electra,[37] Jill Jones, Apollonia Kotero, Kim Basinger, Sheena Easton, Robin Arcuri, Troy Beyer, Susanna Hoffs and Nona Gaye.

Prince was never romantically linked to Sheila E, but they were good friends and she served as artistic inspiration. They continue to support and perform with each other today. Jill Jones was a good friend as well and she met Prince before Dirty Mind and continued being friends after the making of Graffiti Bridge. If they were dating, it was never confirmed.

Apollonia was actually married when she met Prince and played the part in Purple Rain. They allowed the rumors of dating and kept the marriage information quiet to support the Purple Rain movie craze.

He also dated Susanna Melvoin for a period (Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin's sister). Susanna sang backup during the Parade tour and sang on the Around the World in a Day Parade and Sign o' the Times albums.

He married his backup singer and dancer, Mayte Garcia, on Valentine's Day, 1996. They had one son, Gregory, who was born with Pfeiffer syndrome and died shortly after birth. They were divorced in 1999.[38]

In 1997, Prince approached funk bassist Larry Graham, one of his childhood idols, with questions about his Jehovah's Witness faith. In a later interview, Graham stated that Prince was in need of Biblical answers and advice and that Graham was glad to answer. Prince apparently became very interested in the religion: around this time he began censoring some of his more provocative song lyrics in concerts, as well as editing various religious references in his songs that he had recently learned were Biblically inaccurate.[citation needed] He was baptized by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001, marking his formal conversion to the faith. At this time, he also released the album The Rainbow Children, which relied heavily upon Jehovah's Witness religious themes.

He married Manuela Testolini in 2001 in private ceremony but she filed for divorce in May 2006.[39]

Prince is a vegan.[40] In 2006 he was voted the "world's sexiest vegetarian" in PETA's annual online poll.[41]

Some police quotes



"The handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."

"If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

"So, you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"

"Yes sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"

"Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or dog?"

"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

"Life's tough, it's tougher if you're stupid."

"No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."

"Just how big were those two beers?

"In God we trust, all others are suspects."

A late Saturday night song from downunder, Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven".
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=VRsJlAJvOSM

Good morning WA2K.

Love "Just how big were those two beers?".

Matching faces:






Wishing all a pleasant day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mKZzDy_ioo

Well, gotta go for a spell. Fare Thee Well . . .

Thanks to all for the great contributions to our cyber radio station. Back later to acknowledge each of you. Until then, how about a little Salsa for Liam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weOLMswgy_I

We had some internet problems so I missed a lot things here.

But I am back in time for this! The first game of the European Soccer Championship tonight! And this is the official song for Germany:

Revolverheld

First, all, I would like to thank the hawkman for his bio's and our Raggedy for putting the faces to the names. "In god we trust; all others suspects" gave us a smile.

Although quite sad, downunderdutchy, I really like that song. Thanks.

ah, edgar. What wonderful memories of Ivanhoe. Sir Walter Scott is one of my favorite writers of historical fiction. I hope your "Fare Thee Well" song doesn't mean that you will be away for any length of time, Texas. Let us know if this is so.

Urs, it is great to see you back in our little studio. Soccer must be quite a popular sport in Europe as it is here. That fight song was great, honey, and I loved the little dog with the strange hair do. I have been having a bit of internet problems as well.

Speaking of soccer. I hope our soccer George is all right and isn't overdoing the exercise bit.

Here is one of my favorites from Dino, y'all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgeI0NeOjhI

Hello there, Miss Letty! Hope you're staying nice and cool these days.

We just got in last night from 8 days in Orlando. It was brutally hot and humid. Is it always this way this early in the summer?

We didn't have a rental car this time, so I couldn't get up there to see you again. I wish we could have...it would have been great to visit, and the ocean breezes would have felt so nice.

My feet hurt and I have tons of laundry. Still, it's a relief to be home.

Play me a song, will you?

Hey, Eva. So glad that you're home safely. I do wish you could have made it over here to visit. Although the Shark House burned to the ground, there is a lovely restaurant that has recently opened called Le Mer. Has nothing to do with the French, however, but the cuisine is exceptionally good and the owners even better.

Oh, yes. Orlando can be oppressively hot this time of year, gal.

Can't think of a better song than this one to define how wonderful it is to be home again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i70E7ta5rq4&feature=related

Amarillo By Morning is the way to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZlN9ZMgiR8&NR=1

That was an excellent country song, edgar. I didn't realize that George Strait was such a great vocalist.

Here's one that I like, folks, and it honors another fine Texan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nALoECozALc&feature=related

That song is one of the very best I know, letty.

I just came across this short clip my chance. The Bogus Brothers used to play in Balingen quite frequently and I danced to their music many times. Good parties!

Bogus Brothers

Uli, this ones for you!

UhOh, Big Dice. Who is that person to whom our Urs dedicated a dance memory? hamburger would call that one a toe tapper, and that guy played some mean bongos. Loved it, honey.

edgar, that rose was one of my favorites as well.

Here's the other honoree, folks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EhpyRjNNqs

Ah, Letty, Uli was the owner of the bar where the Bogus Brothers used to play. He decided to pass away recently... I am sure he is watching the guys perform...

BTW, did I mention we are going to the Springsteen concert soon?

Bruce

Oh, I'm sorry Uli. Bet he had fun in his life, Urs.

Folks, why am I not surprised that Urs likes The Boss. I know you're looking forward to that concert, and I like the idea of the lyrics in that song; a magic tour in the future.

Well, let's do one about a magic carpet ride in the past, then. I'm playing this version because them wolf boys' heavy hair made me feel hot. (I mean Florida weather- wise)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdnSxVK0WzM&feature=related

Time for me to say goodnight, and I found the most wonderful version of Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night".

This will be my goodnight song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A_LRM7P9dU

Thinking of all of you everywhere.

From Letty with love.