Early Life
Prince Rogers Nelson grew up in Minneapolis and taught himself to play many instruments. He signed with Warner Bros. Records as a teenager, negotiating unusual creative control for a new artist.
Career
He rose to fame with 1999 (1982) and Purple Rain (1984), the soundtrack to his film debut, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. Hits included “When Doves Cry”, “Let's Go Crazy” and “Kiss”. In the 1990s he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol during a dispute with his record label, and he kept releasing music prolifically, often with his band the New Power Generation.
Legacy
Prince won seven Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and played the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in the rain in 2007. He died at his Paisley Park studio complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota, in 2016, at age 57.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24