Insight News June 6 - June 12, 2016
June 7, 1958 April 21, 2016
Vol. 43 No. 23 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
Page 2 • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Insight News Special Edition
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Prince: Our Voice By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor I was driving on Interstate 94 headed to Brooklyn Park when I got the call. It was Thursday, April 21, and I had just finished my editing for the coming edition of Insight News. The paper was on its way to the printer and I was on my way to find out that my truck needed a new clutch. My mobile phone rang and it was my boss, Al McFarlane calling. I was hoping there wasn’t an error that I missed in the copy. What Mr. Mac (as we affectionately call him) said was far worse … far worse. Mr. Mac asked, “Are you writing something up on the news that just broke?” What news? Mr. Mac explained, “Word is Prince was found dead.” Wait … who? Surely my ears failed me. I mean I knew of the emergency landing his jet made a few days earlier, but all
reports indicated he was suffering from the flu; nothing major. Not Prince. Please let it not be true. It can’t be true. Sadly, as we all found out, it was all too true. Minnesota – hell, much of the world – has been in mourning since. For a minuscule few, the collective mourning over a singer (to be correct a multitalented musician who played – no, mastered – every instrument under the sun) might seem a bit strange. But for the masses we know Prince wasn’t just a singer … he was our voice. Prince wasn’t just an artist. His art transcended genres. His earthly presence transcended music. In Minneapolis and surrounding communities he was our friend, our brother, our neighbor … he was our Prince. And we miss him so much. So an entire issue dedicated to one man? Well when that one man is Prince Rogers Nelson the answer is absolutely. And within this special edition and
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in a follow-up special edition next week, we don’t dwell on his passing or focus on how he died … we celebrate who he was, what he meant to us and how he lived. In this special issue we broke protocol a bit by asking for submissions from readers and we allowed them to tell their stories in their own words. Prince meant different things to different people and we wanted to hear from as many of our readers as possible. Our tribute to Prince will continue throughout June. If interested in offering a Prince related submission email us at info@insightnews.com. To the man we lost way too soon, we say thank you and we love you. Thank you for providing the funk. Thank you for birthing what the world now knows as the Minneapolis Sound. Thank you for your many humanitarian efforts. Thank you for being … you. You will remain in our hearts forever.
Minnesota mourns the death of its favorite son,
Prince By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer One of the most iconic artists of our time and a favorite son of Minneapolis, Prince, was found dead in Chanhassen at his Paisley Park compound April 21. The entire state of Minnesota seemed to be in shock and mourning once news of Prince’s passing spread. Tributes began sprouting up almost immediately with fans heading to Paisley Park (his Chanhassen, MN recording studio) and First Avenue – the Downtown Minneapolis club Prince made famous in the classic movie, “Purple Rain.” That shock may have been felt hardest by those closest to the man who created what is now known as the “Minneapolis Sound.” “The reason I came to Minneapolis was because I heard Prince’s music and I said I want to go there and be in a band,” said Ricky Kinchen, bassist for the soul/funk band Mint Condition. “As a kid I heard Prince play the bass and I was blown away. He’s the reason I’m funky. The Mint Condition bass player said in many ways he and his bandmates owe their careers to Prince. “There probably is no Mint Condition without Prince. Prince signed The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (of The Time) signed us, but that doesn’t happen without Prince.” Kinchen said a close friend called him from outside of Paisley Park and told him there was a death at the compound. Immediately Kinchen speculated it was Prince. “At that point I just started tearing up. I was just hoping it wasn’t him,” said Kinchen. Mint Condition played multiple shows with Prince, including shows in Paris, Belgium and as part of the 21 straight shows in Los Angeles at the Forum in 2011. Kinchen said one of his biggest regrets is he never got a picture together with the icon. Of his fondest memories of Prince, Kinchen
Yves Lorson/Creative Commons
Prince (1986)
said it was watching and hearing him play guitar. “When he hit the guitar … man. And he got better each time. Nobody could play like that … nobody,” said Kinchen. “He was close to 60 and he was better than most in their prime.” Paris Strother, producer and singer with the Grammy Award-winning band KING, said she was devastated to hear of the passing of Prince, who mentored the group for the past five years. Paris Strother, along with her twin sister Amber Strother and Anita Bias came under Prince’s wing following the release of their 2011 EP, “The Story.” Prince heard the threesong set and reached out to the group, inviting them to a show in Charlotte, N.C. The group would later work and record out of Prince’s studio. “To work with him and knowing how he wanted the world to hear us was such an honor,” said Paris Strother. She said KING remained in close contact with Prince and just two days prior to his passing they agreed to play a show at Paisley Park in August. The trio recently played an intimate sold out show at the Ice House and Prince came to hear the group. “We didn’t know if he was coming or not but he came and had an area set up for him and a girl near him told us that he said, ‘Wow, did you hear that? Did you hear that,’ talking about something we did during our song ‘Hey.’ He seemed to be blown away and a fan saw him and started talking loud because she was so excited to see him and he told her, ‘Shut up and listen.’” Paris Strother said her phone was deluged with text messages alerting her of Prince’s death. She said Amber Strother was with her when she got the news and Bias came to join them so they could be together to comfort one another. “We affectionately called him Dad,” said Paris Strother. “We’re taking it as a family loss.”
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Insight News Special Edition • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Page 3
She pointed to where the curtain was drawn...
Prince is here By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Maybe my greatest moment as an event producer was Oct. 27, 2013. It was a Sunday night as Thee Urbane Life (the entertainment company that I run alongside my business partner, Bianca Lewis) was producing a concert at the Dakota Jazz Club featuring neosoul singer Algebra Blessett. This was the first concert with Lewis as my business partner. I got to the Dakota early for sound check and I knew something was different. I knew we sold a good number of tickets, yet the curtain was pulled cutting off a part of the upstairs
balcony. I was going to say something but I was concerned with making sure the sound for Algebra and her opener, Wenso Ashby feat. Zsamé Morgan was right. I forgot to ask about the curtain. Just prior to the show’s start, a manager from the Dakota walked past me and without stopping said to me, “Prince is here.” I ran to catch her and said, “Huh?” She pointed to where the curtain was drawn and sure enough, he was there. I knew I couldn’t announce it but I whispered it to Lewis and told Algebra’s manager. Her manager waited until after Algebra’s performance (which was phenomenal) to tell her she just performed for royalty. I never “met” Prince. Didn’t get to say hi, but I knew he was there ... at my show.
That was enough for me. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I’m a huge Prince fan. He’s my alltime favorite artist and the race for second isn’t even close. I have owned most of Prince’s music … some offerings that are quite rare. When I moved to Minneapolis many of my friends back in St. Louis joked that I moved to be closer to Prince. Yes, I was … I am, that type fan. Like much of the rest of Minnesota, I too am still in mourning over the loss of an icon who is arguably the most influential artist of our lifetime … of many lifetimes. Prince’s professional career was nearly 40 years. His earthly life was 57 years. But his legacy is eternal. For that I thank you. We all thank you.
Insight News’ Harry Colbert, Jr. bows in reverence to Prince near the icon’s star outside of First Avenue.
Cymone talks about Prince on AXS TV special André Cymone, Prince’s best friend and original bassist, in a rare television appearance sheds some light on a side of the musical innovator’s personal life that many people never got to see. Cymone talks about working with Prince on his debut album and tour in the all-new special “The Big Interview-Special Edition: Legends Lost,” premiering on Tuesday, June 7, at 7 p.m. The hour-long event is hosted by Dan Rather, and is divided into five distinct segments, each one devoted to a different artist. Featured are heartfelt tributes to genre-defying rocker Prince, R&B royalty Natalie Cole, glam rock pioneer David Bowie, country music mainstay Merle Haggard and blues virtuoso B.B.
King. Using archived footage and exclusive interviews, “The Big Interview-Special Edition: Legends Lost” gives viewers a deeply personal look at these artists’ lives, as their friends, family and collaborators come together to honor their memory and discuss their careers’ most pivotal moments. “This year, alone, the world has already lost so many influential musicians who have left an indelible mark not only on music, but on humanity,” said Michele M. Dix, AXS TV’s senior vice president, programming and development. “With this new special, AXS TV is honored to pay tribute to the legacies of these artists, giving viewers a rare glimpse at their creative process behind some of their most enduring songs.”
André Cymone
Courtesy AXS TV
An enormous dedication to his fans fans. The only reason he didn’t sign anymore is because I had to rush him out of the school auditorium when security started to break down. This experience was overwhelming for him. We are proud to have been a part of this amazingly talented man’s career and believe that our influence and
Pepé Willie (far left) with Prince
By Pepé Willie For the past month, telling stories of our experiences with Prince has been a welcome relief to the deep sorrow we’ve felt since his passing. The shock, denial, anger and numbness has cycled its way through our lives as it has with so many across this planet. For some reason, none of us really believed anything would ever happen to him. The fact that he died alone has made it even more difficult. My name is Pepé Willie. Marcy Ingvoldstad, Kristie Lazenberry and I (all band members who recorded with Prince in the group 94 East)
mentored and worked with Prince from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. I was married to his cousin, so everything we did from the beginning was because he was family and we believed in him. We consulted with him on the music business, helped him start his first publishing company (Ecnirp Music), gave him his first studio recording experience at Cookhouse Recording Studios (1975), hired him to record on 14 of 94 East’s songs, co-wrote a song with him (“Just Another Sucker”), produced his first show at the Capri Theater and hosted the Warner Brothers executives who came to see him. The Revolution was even formed in our home
Courtesy 94 East
and (they) rehearsed there. Our relationship with Prince allowed us to be the only people in the world to have the legal right to use his name in association with 94 East. One of our favorite stories was when I, acting as an interim manager, accompanied Prince on his first promotional tour in North Carolina. He was scheduled to attend a food-a-thon hosted by a radio station at a local school. He was promoting his album, “For You.” Prince was committed to sit there and sign every last album for every last fan in attendance. That’s how he was. Prince ended up signing more than 2,000 albums that day – a feat that demonstrated his enormous dedication to his
guidance meant a great deal to him. The 94 East songs with his contributions on guitar, keyboard, bass and drums mean more to us than anyone can imagine. We’ve always felt his fans should know the history of his first recordings – now more than ever. Those first five songs that he ever did with us in 1975 are called
“The Cookhouse Five” and are currently included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s library and archives. We will miss him. Prince added truly amazing experiences to our lives and the lives of all his fans. He will always be with us.
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Debonaire: Light skinned By Andre “Debonaire” McNeal Here is my funny Prince story. My story can be verified by the DJ of the club that night, Rodney “Hot Rod” Smith and Prince’s then body guard Aaron (last name not provided) who is now head of security at the Target Center. I can’t remember the year. It was South Beach days, on a Wednesday night. DJ Brotha Jules was running late. Chuck Gilbert came up the stairs and said David Koch (the club’s owner) wants you. I go to the office. “Where’s Brotha Jules,” asked Koch. I reply, “Hell if I know. Probably riding around somewhere with
word that starts with f).” As I turn around it’s Prince and he pulls his shades down and says “Light skin brothers have always been in.” I go, “Yeah, light skin millionaire guys (I actually said a word that cannot be printed in a community newspaper) like you.” Before I knew it, Aaron and Scott had me hemmed up. Aaron whispers in my ear, “You know we have to mess you up if he tells us to.” I’m like, “I know but not my face.” He magically taps his cane. They let me go. He pulls down his glasses and calmly says, “You’re funny” and smoothly walks out. Rest in peace Prince.
Prince.” I go back up. Shortly after, Scott March was knocking on the door to the DJ booth with Aaron and Prince himself. I open the door. Prince strolls in, not even a hello. DJ Rodney (Hot Rod’s name at that time) was spinning. I tell him, “Dave says get it jumping in here, Jules in trouble. You the man now. And dude, tonight’s the last night I’m calling you DJ Rodney.” So Hot Rod starts killing the joint. I go, “Give it up one time for the hottest light skin DJ in the city. He’s bringing light skin back.” All of a sudden I feel a cane tapping me on my right shoulder. I shove it off my shoulder, yelling “What the freak (actually I said another
He was gone like Batman into thin air By Randall Palm This tale originates back to Prince’s “Batman” soundtrack days in 1989, when we were young, wild and free and dancing and romancing
were the craze in those days. So, I’m down at the Pacific Club in Minneapolis. It was on a Saturday night. I was looking down on the dance floor from above on the second floor bar/tier. I was just a 20-something scoping
out future partners in dance and “crime.” I looked to my right and then to my left, and who’s within inches of me, but the “Purple Badness” himself in the flesh. I did everything I could to contain my coolness and composure. I turned
to him and said: “You gotta come here Tuesday nights, because it’s Ladies Night.” He said nothing, but gave me his famous nod and smirk in agreement. As I paused to think of what
to say next, maybe to offer him a beer, poof. He was gone like Batman into thin air. That was his mystique, even back then, and I’ll never forget it. Within the hour, the nightclub was all abuzz that Prince and Kim Basinger were in the
house. I wish I could have bought him a beer that night. Years later, Prince ended up purchasing the Pacific Club and renaming it Glam Slam. We will miss you.
Prince: A boy who came up very poor, trying his best to get out By Harry Colbert, Jr. Managing Editor Back in 1969 it was a far different existence for Black people living in the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis Sound had yet to sweep the globe and the person behind the sound wasn’t
the icon he came to be; he was just an 11-year-old kid hustling to survive. At least that’s how he appeared to Emma Hilliard. Hilliard was the owner of Emma’s New Look, a beauty salon on Selby Avenue in St. Paul, and in 1969 Prince Rogers Nelson was a regular at the salon, getting his hair cut by
stylist Tommie Karriem and hanging with Karriem’s son, Joey Karriem. Prince would also come by the shop on his bike to drop off deliveries from a pharmacy for which he worked. At that time, Hilliard didn’t know Prince as a musician; he was just a kid doing what he had to do to make it from day to day.
“He wasn’t working because he wanted to, he was working because he had to work,” said Hilliard. “He looked like a boy who came up like I did; who was very poor and trying his best to get out.” Hilliard said years later when Prince became known for his music she was happy for his
success … even if she wasn’t much of a fan of his music. “I’m a Christian so I didn’t listen to his music,” said Hilliard, who said she preferred gospel over secular. “But I used to see the youngsters fall out over his music. I was older so I guess it was a generational thing.”
In a bit of symmetry, Hilliard said the style of hair Prince wore in 1969 was the style he wore at the time of his passing … an afro. Hilliard never liked the afro, but she was fond of the poor, hard-working kid who changed his condition and in doing so, changed the world.
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Insight News Special Edition • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Page 5
Love for Prince: unconditional, without limits By Tony Kiene There are a multitude of Prince stories I can share, and I would like to briefly touch on some of them here. They are perhaps not as compelling or involved as many of the other stories that grace this special issue of Insight News. Still, they mean a great deal to me and I cherish each experience. Another part of what I wish to do here is attempt to describe the indescribable. Or in other words, try to understand why Prince means so much to us, if that is even possible. Let me proceed by saying that one of the most treasured moments of my life was the time I met Prince. In the subsequent weeks thereafter, I had the good fortune to see several shows directly from the soundboard and spent a handful of occasions in Prince’s presence, although we didn’t interact. There were also a number of chance encounters, none of which I will ever forget. One such instance occurred when Prince’s passenger cart nearly ran me over on the way to his gate at the airport. I also had the exclusive opportunity to watch Prince make his way from backstage during the encore of a Lenny Kravitz concert where he took his place behind a curtain stage right. After dancing alone for several minutes, Prince appeared to the crowd and helped Lenny tear the roof off the Target Center. Perhaps the most memorable occasion (of a Prince encounter) was on a chilly street corner in Chicago, where friend and fellow Prince freak Tony Garfias and I stood hoping to gain access to Prince’s after-party at the China Club. As a limousine stopped at a red light not more than three feet from us, we kidded that perhaps Prince was sitting inside laughing at these two poor, pitiful fools waiting in the cold and wind just to get into his party. It turns out that
Prince at Mill City, 1999 it was him in the back of that limousine, and no, we did not get into the club. As to why Prince is so important to me, let me start at the beginning. It was late in the summer of 1978 and I was a few months shy of my eighth birthday. Prince’s debut album had been out about four months unbeknownst to me. My parents just bought a new stereo with both a turn table and an eight-track player. At the time, I owned one record, the Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine.” While at a friend’s, I noticed something on a shelf that would profoundly impact the rest of my life. It was an 8-track tape, with the remarkable cover image of a man and his perfectly shaped afro, seemingly channeling the backdrop of bright sunlight
through his piercing eyes directly into my soul. I thought it was one of the coolest images I had ever seen and to this day it is my favorite album cover of all time. I asked my friend about it and he didn’t seem too interested as it was a gift from his grandmother. I traded my Jackson 5 record straight up for the “For You” and made my way home to christen my new stereo. With great anticipation, I hit play. From the opening lines of the a cappella title track and its singular harmonic genius to Prince’s electrifying emergence as a one-man power trio in the album’s finale “I’m Yours,” I was mesmerized. It might have taken critics and record executives a couple of years to catch on, but Prince was already putting his fist
Photos by Antonio Garfias
through the segregated walls that defined musical genres. He was transcendent from the very beginning. It would be more than a year before his self-titled second album was released, but I was ready for it. The three albums after that continued to push the envelope in a myriad of ways, be it sonically, socially, politically, sexually or spiritually. There was just something so unique about this guy. Cleary there was the mystique, which included the blurring of racial, gender, religious, and cultural lines. There were also no shortage of labels that could be applied to Prince – almost all of which seemed to be true. He was all at once a genius, multi-instrumentalist, “rude boy,” unparalleled, deviant,
wunderkind, mischievous, enigmatic, visionary, musical polymath, revolutionary and “His Royal Badness.” And yet to this day even in death, Prince continues to vanquish any and all categorization. Following the magnum opus that was “Purple Rain” (soundtrack, film and tour) Prince continued to challenge his audience in the 1980s with a string of brilliant records designed to stretch our imagination beyond its comfort zone. From the beginning, I knew that the reasons Prince was my musical hero could never be put into words and each new record seemed to further confirm that. Words are much too weak to adequately define Prince or his music, aura, or legacy. His influence is indelible. More to the point, Prince’s music is ineffable, which according to the Cambridge English Dictionary means, “causing so much emotion, especially pleasure, that it cannot be described.” And I guess that is all I am really trying say. We don’t truly know why Prince means so much to us, he just does. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with a number of Prince associates over the years, including the man many consider the Godfather of the Minneapolis Sound, Pepé Willie. I’ve noticed that even
though some of them may have had a gripe with Prince at some point, they all seem to love him unconditionally and without limits. As a fan, I too have questioned the direction he may have taken at times, before realizing it is not my journey to take. And after seeing him play several dozen times in at least a dozen cities, whether in the first row or the last, he always made me forget those questions. I sometimes think of all the ways that Prince was mocked and ridiculed over the years for a myriad of things, including his quest to transform the music industry. Yet, his crusade for artists rights, rebellion against the historic exploitation of Black artists and radical ideas for the distribution of music instigated a sea change in how business is done. In the face of frequent derision, Prince’s fearlessness, wisdom, resolve, vision, and of course talent, won the day. Evidence of this can be easily seen in how the entire world reacted to his death. The only way to describe it was awe inspiring. I can’t think of a single individual who has ever dominated the 24-hour news cycle as did Prince after he left us. Of all the heartfelt tributes given in Prince’s memory, one stands out to me. It was from Bono, who wrote on April 21 that, “I never met Mozart. I never met Duke Ellington or Charlie Parker. I never met Elvis. But I met Prince.” Think for one moment of the other names mentioned here, and then about what Bono is really saying. That is praise. Perhaps the best way to remember Prince is to recall his debut concert in January of 1979. On that night, the late and legendary KMOJ disc jockey, Kyle Ray, made one of the most prophetic introductions ever when he proclaimed to the Capri Theater audience, “The power. The glory. The Minneapolis story. Prince.”
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Page 6 • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Insight News Special Edition
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Prince
Flickr / Creative Commons
Prince at Coachella Valley Music Arts Festival
By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief
I am interested in examining Prince’s life from my vantage point as a Black man. Where I stand as a neighbor, as a neighborhood business owner, as a journalist and communicator, as a cultural advocate, and as a
seeker of our truth shapes my response to the news of Prince’s death and my deep appreciation of his life and legacy. This commentary is personal. Not because I knew him…we exchanged words and glances on two specific occasions…but because I know. What I know is, in part, what he knew: our shared experiences as Black
people, living in Minneapolis. Prince rose in a windstorm and troubled everybody’s mind. I remember first hearing Grand Central at the Northside Summer Fun Festival. Grand Central also regularly headlined Juneteenth and the Way’s Youth Appreciation Day events. Grand Central was the first group that Prince led when he emerged
Most relentless, most focused, the most driven
from the powerhouse R&B band called The Family. The Family was the brand ambassador for North Minneapolis youth and community service organization, The Way. Spike Moss, Executive Director at The Way, recalled Prince’s uncanny dedication and single-mindedness when it came to music. “Prince, Andre Cymone and Pierre Lewis were the youngest kids in the music program at The Way. I had reached out to Minnesota’s jazz masters, including the great Bobby Lyle, asking them to teach, nurture and shape the talent, and mold the gifts of music and art that were abundant in our community,” he said. Prince, Andre and Pierre Lewis were 7-, 8-year-old boys when they started on the path. Randy Barber and Sonny Thompson, who grew to become leaders of The Family, were 7th graders when they started music training at The Way. “Remember, back then, you could go downtown and on Lake Street and hear Black music. But
Spike Moss when you walked into the clubs, what you found was white bands performing Black music. Black musicians were not welcome.” “We knew we had to create a space, a resource for our young and aspiring musicians. From this space, from The Way, Prince emerged as the most relentless, the most focused, the most driven to both develop music skills and reveal a world that existed in his mind,” Moss said. But that world was shaped by community, Moss said. “So it is a mistake to think that the artist’s genius was the discovery of music business handlers, white promoters. Prince’s determination
and the instruction-rich environment forged Prince. When they learned about him, he was already made…complete,” Moss said. Part of the making of Prince was his deep friendship with fellow musician Andre (Cymone) Anderson. Unbeknownst to the child Prince and the child Andre, their dads, Fred Lewis Anderson and John Lewis Nelson whose stage name was Prince Rogers, both musicians, had been bandmates. Patricia Anderson, following a broadcast interview on my KFAI “Conversations with Al McFarlane” program Tuesday, said “my sister Linda (Anderson) has the best memory. She told us she remembered Prince’s dad coming to our house. Our dad was a bass player. I remember his bass being behind the couch, and you’d better not touch it! I didn’t recall the two of them together in our home, but Linda did.” Linda Anderson was a part
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Prince gave millions of dollars to charities, organizations, and causes to better humanity Dr. Julian Stafford, Alexandria, VA & Eagan, MN Longtime readers probably will be astonished that XI Chapter (University of Minnesota) and Epsilon Rho Chapter (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN) of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. will forever be grateful to Mr. “Prince” Rogers Nelson for a selfless deed he did for both chapters forty years ago. More on this later. But first, both XI and Epsilon Rho Chapters, along with Omegas in the Twin Cities metropolitan area were saddened by the news that Prince had died. It is with a heavy heart and a real sense of loss that we extend our sincere sympathy to the Nelson family. Our love, thoughts and prayers are with Prince’s family, colleagues, friends and fans. We know there are no words that adequately express the magnitude of their loss; please know our love and support will always be with the Omegas for the Nelson family during this time and beyond. Both the brotherhood of XI and Epsilon Rho wants the family to know that Prince is held in high admiration for what he meant to us and Minnesota’s diverse communities throughout his proficient life. As a celebrated American genius, “Prince,” the singer, performer, songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and actor, has been a major figure in popular music for more than three decades. He was an astute businessman as a “master of his fate…” Prince will live forever in our hearts, and in the hearts and minds of those yet to be born through his musical legacy. Prince’s debut upon the Twin Cities musical scene
in the early 1970s as a teenager was electrifying. He captivated audiences with his signature clothes, unique hair, and eclectic-dance moves gave us what became known as the Minneapolis sound a combination of R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop. The music was something that we had never witnessed before and it helped to promote Minneapolis club scene and both cities’ funky vibes. An earlier prophesy: In July 1975, XI Chapter (University of Minnesota) and Epsilon Rho Chapter (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN) of the Omega Phi Psi Fraternity, Inc. of MinneapolisSt. Paul, MN could not find a band to perform at our social event to raise funds for the Omega Scholarship Fund. The Purple and Gold fraternity booked Prince and his band. At the youthful age of 17, Prince and the 94 East Band excitedly performed for the Omegas at the old Butler Square Building in downtown Minneapolis, leaving everybody “star-struck.” There was an indisputable consensus by all in attendance that Prince was destined for musical greatness. The Omegas at Prince’s performance forty years ago were filled with paternal and brotherly pride as they were to watch him grow as a musician to become world renowned. Brothers James Hewitt III (Municipal Judge – Cleveland, OH); Alan Brown (Viet-Nam War retiree & U.S. Postal Employee – Minneapolis, MN); Marty Warner (Philadelphia, PA – Financial Planner), and Julian Stafford (Retired Public School Superintendent – Alexandria, VA) booked Prince and the 94 East Band for the fundraiser. The Fraternity will be forever grateful to Prince for his
Young Prince eagerness to get both XI and Epsilon Rho Chapters out of really a difficult situation. Prince, with his band Revolution, performed throughout the world. For his many accomplishments and achievements he received recognition and numerous awards such as Academy Award (Oscar), seven Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, MTV Awards, NAACP Image Award and BET Award and enshrinement in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Similar to Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van
Beethoven, Prince’s musical genius and legendary musical portfolio will live on as will the gift of sharing his talents with other musicians. He selflessly mentored, supported and developed hundreds of aspiring musicians (i.e., Janice Jackson, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monáe, Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson, etc.). For centuries yet to come, Prince will be recognized as the most elite rock & rock musician and song writer among his peers in the world. His acclaimed songs, Little Red Corvette, Purple Rain,
Delirious, 1999, Let’s Go Crazy and When Doves Cry, will serve to mark milestones in the lives of generations of fans as they did for Prince. Moreover, similar to his graduation remarks made about the iconic Prince to the graduates at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 7, 2016, while in England two weeks earlier, President Barack H. Obama, along with First Lady Michelle R. Obama, adorned in a Purple violet Oscar De La Renta dress, acknowledged Prince’s worldly significance: Today, the world lost a creative icon. Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of the popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time; Prince did it all. ‘A strong spirit transcends,’ Prince once said – and nobody’s spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his band and all who loved him. As a devout religious and private person, unbeknownst to many people, Prince gave millions of dollars to various charities, organizations and to a plethora of causes to better humanity, even more so in the Twin Cities. He cherished working and lending his fortunes and providing philanthropic efforts to worthy causes. Like a gentle cool breeze on a smoldering hot day he was a welcome relief for those in need. Few examples, Prince funded the green-solar panel initiative in Oakland, CA that facilitated skill acquisition for African-American youths, while contributing to the 2010 Haitian Earthquake Relief
efforts. He gave two free musical concerts after the riots as a result of Freddie Gray’s death in Baltimore, MD in April 2015 and later in New Orleans, Chicago and Atlanta, thereby embracing the Black Lives Matter Movement. He funded the YesWeCode Charity technology writing-code initiative in Atlanta, GA in 2014; funded African-American Youth Dance Studios in both Minneapolis and Harlem, NY; fiscally supported the United Negro College Annual Fund raising campaigns, etc. A reminder: Prince is being profiled in the 2016 MN African-American Heritage Calendar for the month of June 2016. Prince had a sweet and inspiring soul. His persona was transitional and intolerant of injustices here in America and around the world. Prince never left his much-loved Minnesota, which was home. Omegas will always remember him as an honest and cheerful individual and good neighbor. In the months to come, the Omegas will cherish even more all the happy memories he brought us. Unquestionably, we are mindful that he has “Gone Too Soon.” We will soulfully miss Prince. The Both XI and Epsilon Rho Brotherhood will continue to love and care about the entire Nelson family. May the graceful “Prince” rest in a welldeserved eternal peace, along with a few of his American musical intergenerational contemporaries: Sam Cooke (1964), Jimi Hendrix (1970), Elvis Presley (1977), Jackie Wilson (1984), Marvin Gaye (1984), Ray Charles (2004), Luther Vandross (2005), James Brown (2006), Michael Jackson (2009), Whitney Houston (2012) and B.B. King (2015). Rest sweet Prince, (a.k.a.) “The Purple One!”
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Honoring Prince with 57 days of music lessons By Davy Kline, Jr. I grew up on Prince. We used to clean the house to his albums when I was a kid and my elders would dance and sing. Later in 1984 when I saw “Purple Rain” with my father Prince became a hero of mine. Musically he was a genius and a local hero. I met Prince working at Guitar Center. We used to get invited out to Paisley Park from Takumi, his guitar technician. I built a Purple Paisley guitar Telecaster just two days before he passed. I love Prince. He made me work harder as a musician and person. Because of Prince I offered to teach guitar for free. I offered this to Sabathani Community Center for 57 days, one day of guitar lessons for every year he was here with us.
Photo by Laura Smith
Pictures of my guitar
Me jamming over A Purple Rain backing track! My Tele and a little Purple licks over a backing track! This song always did something for me as a kid and even further as an adult. I am using a V-Pick Tradition Lite and a Blackstar ID core 10 and no effects other than the delay in the amp itself.
INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com
Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Assistant to the Publisher Shumira Cunningham Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford
Collector’s Edition 12” picture disc (serial no. 03015) signed by Prince and New Power Generation band members. Circa, 1991.
Prince
Associate Editor Afrodescendientes Carmen Robles
From 6
Associate Editor Nigeria & West Africa Chief Folarin Ero-Phillips Associate Editor Culture and Education Dr. Irma McClaurin Associate Editor Leadership and Social Enterprise Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Sunny Thongthi Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Melvin Carter, Jr. Harry Colbert, Jr. Julie Desmond Fred Easter Timothy Houston Penny Jones-Richardson Alaina L. Lewis Michelle Mitchum Darren Moore Carmen Robles Artika Tyner Toki Wright Photography David Bradley Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.
Photos by David Bradley
Prince’s tambourine given by Prince to a fan at Paisley Park at the close of the “Thunder” concert (1991).
Thursday, June 30, 2016 5:30 pm • Social Hour | 6:30 pm • Dinner Program
$90 per Ticket | $1,000 per Table Hilton Minneapolis | 1001 Marquette Avenue | Minneapolis, MN 55403
of the Grand Central band that took to the stage for the Family Day event. She was the keyboard player. “She was a helluva drummer. She wanted to be a drummer,” Patricia Anderson said. “But Prince told her ‘We already have a drummer,’ and he put her on keyboards. He taught her keyboards.” Their brother Andre Cymone, Prince’s best friend, was the bass player. It was Andre who brought Prince into the Anderson household, almost like another son or nephew to mom, Bernadette Anderson. Bernadette Anderson was one of the godmothers of Minnesota’s Black Consciousness movement. She fought white supremacy and racism like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, and she demanded that everyone around her stand and fight as well. “My mom and Prince went back and forth with what she felt he should get from negotiating contracts with the industry,” recalled Patricia Anderson. “She always instilled in Prince, and in us, that fighting spirit. ‘Stand up. Know absolutely what you need from something and never compromise your integrity or your dignity. Be respectful,’ she would say.” Patricia Anderson said her brother Eddie Anderson and businessman John Jefferson both advised and influenced Prince. She said Eddie told Prince, “they are offering you carrots but you will not get anywhere near the money that you will actually make for them.” She said Prince took to heart Eddie’s advice: “Don’t apologize for standing up for yourself.” Moss said, “When the country accepted Prince, it was too late for Minnesota. What took him to another level was not only his appearance on “American Bandstand” but more importantly, his appearances on “SoulTrain.” Now the Black world could know his music. It took us to another level. And it forced Minnesota to finally deal with us as musicians and stop denying us. “We had the talent. So we helped ourselves. And we built this empire,” said Moss. “We want to do a memorial. We want all the guys who did all the Northside Summer Fun Festival shows to come back home and do a big tribute to Prince and to themselves… maybe down by Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. We want to go back down there, have our own reunion and give it to the world again,” he said.
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Page 10 • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Insight News Special Edition
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Celebrating
Prince By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Dear friends and avid readers of Insight News called me to report that people were at Paisley Park and at First Avenue celebrations for Prince, selling copies of our free newspaper, Insight News, for $1 - $2 per copy. They called concerned for our business and our brand. I appreciated the calls and I smiled upon hearing the news. I thought it was absolutely great that entrepreneurial minded young Black guys saw the opportunity in the midst of tragedy, loss and pain. And I want to thank and encourage them to always examine our incidents and issues, our conditions and challenges differently. I encourage them to always see beyond the pain to discover the promise, to look deeply into conditions and challenges to unearth opportunities and solutions, and to see incidents and issues not as barriers, but rather as mileposts, markers on our path to freedom. That’s what Prince did. That’s who Prince was, from my point-ofview. He destroyed the mold. He challenged the voluntary slavery that chained Black artists to bad deals. He looked at patterns of our conditions and he chose to act differently. A Prince Story It was near midnight. Prince’s purple motorcycle roared down the alley beneath my 4th Floor office window at the Kickernick Building, 430 1st Avenue N., in downtown Minneapolis. It’s the building on the corner of 1st Avenue and 5th Street North. The alley running south to north separated our building from the Wyman Building, 1st Avenue and 4th Street N., which occupied the rest of the block. This night, like a knight mounted on his purple steed,
Prince roared into to alley from First Avenue, set to knock over his nemesis, Morris Day, and get the girl. Camera were rolling. But before Prince could get to Morris, my daughters, Selene, Krissy and Shelley, leaning out of the window, like teens are prone to do, shrieked his name. Loudly. Again and again. “Prince! Prince! Prince!” The movie making stopped. Set masters turned their faces skyward following their flashlight beams, attempting to discover the source of the unscripted sound. My daughters ducked out of sight. But my office window was the only one open overlooking the alley in the eight-story warehouse building. “Up there,” said a voice training in my open window. “Up here,” I responded, stepping up to the window. “Up here on the 4th Floor.” In a matter of seconds, set security guards were knocking on the Insight News office suite. My daughters no doubt felt betrayed by Dad, but they had agreed to be quiet and just watch to movie making from our office window. “Would you pleeeeze not do that again?” the security officer asked. “It wastes a lot of money to shoot scenes over and over again. Your screaming means we have to shoot this scene over.” “Tell you what,” he added, “if you promise to be quiet, you can come downstairs with us and sit on the set behind the cameras.” They were delighted. I was delighted. And, we remembered the incident over lunch just days before the news of Prince’s April 21st death at Paisley Park shocked the world. Reflecting on both the lunch conversation and the “Purple Rain” filming incident, I recognized my delight, then and now, is because a kid I knew, from my neighborhood, was downtown making a movie. Not a Super 8mm firm home video, but a real movie, Hollywood style. He was making a movie that would
A new Prince mural painted at 26th & Hennepin by artist Rock “Cyfi” Martinez go on the win an Oscar and evolve into in international cult classic. Prince and “Purple Rain” put Minneapolis on the map. Not just Minneapolis, but First Avenue as well. And not just First Avenue, the “Purple Rain” battle of the bands venue, but First Avenue the street where my business was located. Somewhere, said Reginald McKeever, Jr., at our family luncheon, “there is some footage that was cut and probably stored in a vault, of Krissy, Shelley and Selene screaming ‘Prince!’ and a director yelling ‘Cut!’” In my article for this series last week, I talked about Prince’s band, Grand Central, performing for neighborhood festivals and community concerts. I pulled a couple of paragraphs because I hadn’t had a chance to confirm what I thought I remembered. I had the impression that the first time I met Craig Taylor, now Director of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development Department (CPED), was at a Northside Summer Fun Festival event, likely at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center on Plymouth Avenue outside The Way, a youth and community service
Good-night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
organization, a site bulldozed to make way for the current 4th Precinct Police Station, and to erase the evidence of a robust Black liberation movement at home in the heart of the Black community. I called Craig, too late for that story, but curious nonetheless: “Craig, I have this image in my mind of us meeting for the first time at a Summer Fun Fest Event back in late 70s or early 80s. You were on a stage and I was on the ground at the edge of the stage. I think you were standing by keyboards. I remember us talking about the band Grand Central. Were you in the band? Did you play with Prince?” I asked. I could see him smiling through the telephone. “I was the keyboard player for Midwest Express and Prince and Grand Central would be our opening act,” Taylor said. Taylor described, and I remember, Midwest Express as the region’s premiere touring bands, drawing crowds to concerts, festivals, and night club/bar gigs. “We saw ourselves as mentors to them, in a way. Not because we were better, but because we were older. They were 15- 16-years-old and we
were in our early 20s. But we were very impressed. We said, ‘Wow, they are great!’ And we asked them to open for us whenever possible,” Taylor said. “Prince was shy. Always reserved. Always respectful. But always aware, taking in the entire surroundings, sorting people out, taking note of how authentic people were,” he said. “He was always by himself, except for when he was with his bandmates. But there was never any clowning. There was a reservoir of something,” recalled Taylor. Taylor said he’d run into Prince at the Northside YMCA on Saturday mornings for pickup basketball games. “He was so short and you’d wonder why he would want to mix it up on the court. But he could shoot. He would blow people away. He was not only a great musician, but he was a great athlete as well,” Taylor said. Reflecting further, I remember Prince’s debut of his first album For You (Warner Bros., April 1978), at Capri Theater in North Minneapolis. I had balcony seats that allow a complete and unobstructed
David Bradley
view of the entire stage, and a great vantage point for assessing the vibe and response of this hometown crowd. What I remember is the volume of talent on that stage and Prince, only 20-years-old, and his band’s irresistible joy and innocent swagger. A swagger not born of grinding battle, winning, losing, getting up dusting off and heading back into battle. That would certainly come later. But this was a swagger anchored in innate confidence. Confidence because you just know. It’s the confidence when you fully acknowledge your gift. For in that moment you find a certain freedom, a freedom that allows you to embrace discipline so engrossing that it almost seems antithetical to the notion of freedom. And therein lies the essence of the thing: Discipline as the gateway to freedom and, the discovery the freedom’s very heart is discipline. Editor’s note: I am interested in your stories and photos about Prince. Insight presents a second special edition celebrating Prince’s birthday and life work on June 13.
THE TWIN CITIES ARTS COMMUNITY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. T H A N K YO U F O R A L LOW I N G A L L O F U S T O S H A R E I N YO U R TA L E N T, YO U R C R E AT I V I T Y, A N D T H E G E N E R O S I T Y O F YO U R H E A R T.
— F R O M A L L O F U S AT AT T H E —
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Alas
Insight News Special Edition • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Page 11
By Peter Reynosa
Alas The royal blood be fallen muse-Geist, American Tiber miracles no more; Wretchdom reigns across New World imparadised, As whispers ponder life’s doomful shore. Truth-spirit peacocked roared impish Africanity delight, Flowering with bewitchment of troubadour’s. Mighty Stonehenge might. Yet, our Negro spiritual poetizes one last alchemy spell, Rapturing in present ecstasy as if so heaven dwell, Though prayer-dreaming for the world of light that ends our worldly hell.
Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons
Graffiti in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain), 2009, Zarateman
Tribute to Prince By Todd Davidson This mixed medium painting I created was supposed to be a gift to Prince but I was too late to present it to him. As music is to Prince, art is to me and creating this piece was almost spiritual. As a fan and fellow artist, it would be an honor to have my creation used to help convey the message of creativity, acceptance, diversity, individuality and freedom of expression, which is a direct reflection of what this multi-talented Minneapolis icon represented. May his soul find peace fulfillment. Todd Davidson
Page 12 • June 6 - June 12, 2016 • Insight News Special Edition
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June 6 - 12
Aesthetically It! is a list of picks from the editors of Aesthetically Speaking. Aesthetically It! features venues, events, outings and more that are worthy of “It” status. If you have a venue, event or outing that you feel is “It” worthy, email us at aestheticallyit@ insightnews.com
Monday, June 6 OPEN MIC Freedom of Xpression Open Mic Capri Theater 2027 W. Broadway, Minneapolis 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Desdamona hosts Freedom of Xpression, a monthly open mic with various special guests.
Tuesday, June 7 POETRY/PERFORMANCE
Where Purple Reigns: Minnesota Poets on Prince University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., Minneapolis 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Join Minnesota poets, musicians, and multidisciplinary artists as they honor the passing of Prince with short performances. The event features E.G. Bailey (emcee), and several area spoken word artists paying tribute to Prince Rogers Neslon. DANCE/PARTY Prince: A Celebration of Life and Music Aloft Hotel, Minneapolis 900 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis 7 p.m.
This event starts with a viewing of the “Sign ‘O’ the Times” film followed by a dance party in honor of Prince.
Wednesday, June 8 ZOO Tropical Reef Dive Show Minnesota Zoo 13000 Zoo Blvd., Apple Valley 10:30 a.m. A spectacular floor-to-ceiling underwater viewing area allows visitors to watch as aquarium staff interact with and feed sharks and tropical fish that inhabit coral reefs.
Thursday, June 9
DANCE/PERFORMANCE Rooted: Hip-Hop Choreographers’ Evening Cabooze 917 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis 8 p.m. Winner of the 2014 Sage Award for Outstanding Dance Performance, “Rooted” is a celebration of the foundations of hiphop. Performers include A+, All Day, B Boy J-Sun, Brandi Phillips, Kenna Cottman, Krumpers Salute, North Community High School dancers and more.
Friday, June 10 MINNEAPOLIS SOUND/ PERFORMANCE
The Minneapolis Sound Experience: Part I. Shout House Dueling Piano 110 N. 5th St., Minneapolis Members of the Minneapolis Sound bring you live performances from Mazerati and Tamara, The Seen and more.
Saturday, June 11 OPEN MIC The Free Black Table Open Mic Illusion Theater 528 Hennepin Ave., 8th floor, Minneapolis 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. The Free Black Table is a spoken word performance event hosted by the Illusion Theater and Keno Evol,
poet, teaching artist and activist. The Free Black Table is an evening of performance dedicated to the celebration of Black artists and artists of color.
Sunday, June 12 FILM “A Spike Lee Joint” Trylon Microcinema 3258 Minnehaha Ave., Minneapolis (Friday – Sunday in June) Raised in Brooklyn with a keen eye for injustice, Spike Lee views Blackwhite relations with biting humor and bracing anger. His first films are especially personal and thoughtful. The Trylon will present five films from his early period.