 |
As his New York publicist says - the Purple One's only connection to the outside word now that he's unplugged himself from the mainstream - "He's Prince. So much of it all is a surprise."
We shared a good laugh over my request for an interview to advance his show at the Jubilee Auditorium 2nite. Prince speaks to no one. He will be photographed by no one. He used to do e-mail interviews, but when even that went awry, he stopped. He is currently represented by no record label and conducts all of his business through his Web site, npgmusicclub.com. The mystery of his personal life - an obsession of the media when faced with a celebrity who demands privacy - deepens with word he's married a Canadian woman and bought a $5.5-million house in Toronto. No confirmation, no denial, no anything from Prince.
Family details are off limits.
"As far as any rumours go, I once read that I was dead. I have to deal with rumours and innuendo every day of my life. I can't justify any of it by responding," he told The Toronto Sun back in 1996, when he wasn't as media-shy. There's hardly been a quote from him since. Just "statements," some quite bizarre.
This guy will do advance phoners with The Edmonton Sun when Bob Dylan guests on The Osbournes.
Perhaps Prince is really just shy. Not every artist whose talent brings him fame actually wants to be famous, hard as that is to believe. Mystery makes him interesting. Perhaps if Prince were an open book, he'd be afraid we'd find out he's just a normal, boring Joe like u or me. Unlikely, however. This is the same guy who changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, then changed it back and has now apparently jettisoned his sex machine persona and turned into a jazzman after finding God.
This is also the same guy who:
* Demonstrated how much he despises major record labels (he's gone through three) by supporting Napster, an Internet file-sharing service that also ripped off artists.
* Released an album that consisted of seven different versions of a love song directed at his then-wife, Mayte. They have since split up.
* Sued former employees after a tragic detail of his personal life was made public. If you don't know, don't ask.
* Is so proprietary over his image and his voice that he will not allow them recorded unless he has control.
* Vowed never to perform his hit 1999 in the new millennium.
* Treats "fam club" members like family - family members with money, of course. For a hefty membership fee, he offers concert pre-sales, free downloads, exclusive album releases and recently, free copies of a new solo piano CD that's not available in stores. While his opulent Paisley Park Studios in Minneapolis is closed to the public, NPG Club members can visit during Xenophobia, June 21-27, a fan convention and concert showcase, with a chance to see His Royal Purpleness up close and personal. Special guests include Maceo Parker, Norah Jones, Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck Band) and good old Sheila E, to give you an idea of the kind of people he's hanging out with these days.
* Has invented his own form of written English. Can u spot examples in this story?
Prince recently announced Canadian dates on his "One Nite Alone" tour with only a few days notice, something he likes to call "hit & run." Tonight's show is his first time in Edmonton (he'd pencilled us in last year and then cancelled with no explanation). Good seats r still available.
What will he do?
Only Prince knows.
A Jam! Music review of Tuesday's tour opener in Vancouver was mixed, describing a "solid but reserved" performance that focused mainly on his latest record, The Rainbow Children - a brilliant album, free of bump 'n' grind but rich in spiritual themes and jazzy influences. Prince seems to come up with one incredible album every decade. His last was in 1992. Its title was the symbol he eventually changed his name to.
He's now playing with a four-piece band in which flamboyance and exhibitionism have been replaced by "blistering jazz jams, often at the expense of the audience's entertainment," the Jam! review goes on. Recognizable hits were few and far between. "Excessive noodling" was the critic's main complaint. Hey, this could've been a Jazz City show. He played the Montreal Jazz Festival last year.
This is a far cry from Purple Rain - and that's the point.
While some say that Prince is past his prime, citing the fact he hasn't had a hit in nearly a decade, it's clear the 44-year-old artist is reinventing himself.
The Artist Formerly Known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince has become ... who knows?
Only Prince.
And he's not telling.