Prince parents biography

"I've loved making music and touring from the get-go," said the late Prince, who died aged 57 at his iconic Paisley Park residence in from an accidental overdose. "It's kind of what I was made for." Indeed, it's difficult to imagine the multi-million-selling artist having done anything else. 

Since bursting onto the scene in the mids he lived and breathed music, spanning numerous styles from R&B and funk to jazz and hip-hop. He wrote, recorded, and released hundreds of songs under various monikers, earning the admiration of fans and critics the world over.

Prince's early life

Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis on June 7, , to pianist and songwriter John L Nelson and singer Mattie Shaw. Following the arrival of their daughter Tika Evene two years later, however, his parents drifted apart. His mother's remarriage led to a troubled relationship with his stepfather, and eventually he ran away from home. From an early age music became a refuge. A prodigy, he taught himself to play more than 20 instruments by ear alone, and by junior high school was fronting his own band, Grand Central. The outfit's demo came to the attention of producer Owen Husney, who started contacting record labels and promoting his new star-in-the-making. A bidding war ensued, won by Warner Brothers, which offered full creative control and a contract. Prince went on to record with some of the best-loved artists of the s, including Madonna, Chaka Khan, Kate Bush and Cyndi Lauper, as well as writing several hit songs scored by others, such as Nothing Compares To You for Sinead O'Connor and Manic Monday for The Bangles.

Throughout his career, the musician, who was no stranger to controversy, has attracted attention with his flamboyant stage outfits, which have ranged from bikinis to leg warmers and high-heeled boots. "People say I'm wearing heels because I'm short," he told journalists wh

Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, , in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city with a rich and surprisingly complex history that would shape the young artist in significant ways.

Prince’s parents, John Lewis Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw, found one another through music, and when their child was born they gave him John’s stage name, Prince Rogers.

In the s John Nelson had made a name for himself in the music scene playing piano and leading the Prince Rogers Trio, a jazz group who would play in clubs and community centers on the North Side like the Phyllis Wheatley House, a historic building that opened in to provide social services for African-American families moving to North Minneapolis. It was while he was playing with his group at the Blue Note jazz club that he first met Prince’s mother, Mattie, and recruited her to sing in his band. Their musical union developed into a romantic partnership as well, and almost exactly nine months after marrying (their wedding was August 31, ), they welcomed their son Prince into the world.

“There were 2 Princes in the house where we lived,” Prince wrote in the first pages for his memoir, The Beautiful Ones. “The older one with all the responsibilities of heading a household & the younger one whose only modus operandi was fun.” In those nascent days, the younger Prince was often referred to by his nickname, Skipper.

From a very early age, Prince remembered music filling his home. At his reflective, autobiographical Piano and a Microphone concert at Paisley Park on January 21, , Prince opened the show by sharing a memory of being enchanted by the sight of his father’s piano when he was just three years old.

“Here comes dad… I’m not supposed to touch his piano… but I want to play it so bad.”

– Prince

John and Mattie separated when Prince was 7

American musician (–)

This article is about the American singer and musician. For other uses, see Prince (disambiguation).

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, &#;&#; April 21, ), known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation; he was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona, wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams, as well as and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 18, soon releasing the studio albums For You () and Prince (). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (), Controversy (), and (). In , Prince became the first singer to simultaenously have a number-one film, album and single in the US, with the film Purple Rain, its soundtrack and his first Billboard Hot chart-topping single "When Doves Cry". The album, recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, spent six consecutive months atop the US Billboard chart and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. The movie grossed $ million worldwide and it has been regarded as one of the greatest musical films. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career.

In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in , he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol (known to fans as the "Love Symbol"

American jazz musician, songwriter

"Prince Rogers" redirects here. For the singer, see Prince (musician).

Musical artist

John Lewis Nelson (June 29, – August 25, ), also known by his stage namePrince Rogers, was an American jazz musician and songwriter. He was the father of musicians Prince and Tyka Nelson and a credited co-writer on some of his son's songs.

Personal life

Nelson was born in Webster Parish, Louisiana, one of five children born to Carrie (née Jenkins) and Clarence Nelson. He traveled to Minneapolis to become a musician in Playing the piano, Nelson used "Prince Rogers" as a stage name and started a band called "The Prince Rogers Trio" with local musicians.

In , he met Mattie Della Shaw (November 11, – February 15, ) at a show on the north side of Minneapolis. Shaw was a jazz musician who became the musical group's singer. She had one son, Alfred Frank Alonzo Jackson (July 6, – August 29, ). Nelson married Shaw on August 31, , and the couple had two more children, Prince (–, a musician who was named after his father's stage name) and Tyka Nelson (–, a singer). The couple formally separated in and were divorced on September 24,

John Nelson's grandfather, Rev. Edward "Ed." Nelson was born to a White slaveowner, John Nelson and his Cherokee concubine. Rev. Ed became a travelling preacher for the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church and married Emma, a Black woman.

Death

Nelson died on August 25, , aged 85, in his home in Chanhassen, Minnesota. That year Prince dedicated Joni Mitchell’s song "A Case of U", on his One Nite Alone album, to his father.

Collaboration with Prince

John L. Nelson wrote (or co-wrote) some music that was released by Prince in the s.

ASCAP credits

ASCAP credits, or co-credits, him with the following:

References