Prince: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
The most useful biography is Liz Jones, Purple Reign: The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (1998). Jon Bream, Prince: Inside the Purple Reign (1984), is an insightful study by a critic from Minneapolis who observed Prince’s rise firsthand. Two other books illuminate his work and impact during the 1980s: Dave Hill, Prince: A Pop Life (1989); and John W. Duffy, Prince: An Illustrated Biography (1992). Robert Walser, “Prince as Queer Poststructuralist,” Popular Music and Society, 18(2):79–89 (Summer 1994), is a more academic treatment of certain aspects of Prince’s career.
Prince’s former wife, the dancer Mayte Garcia, published the memoir The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince (2017). Notable works that assess his legacy include Ben Greeman, Dig If You Will the Picture: Funk, Sex, God and Genius in the Music of Prince (2017); Touré, I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon; and Neal Karlen, This Thing Called Life: Prince’s Odyssey, On + Off the Record (2020). Nick Hornby, Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius (2022), considers his prolific creative output.
Representative Works
- Prince (1979)
- Dirty Mind (1980)
- 1999 (1982)
- Purple Rain (1984)
- Sign ’O’ the Times (1987)
- Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
- Emancipation (1996)
- Musicology (2004)
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
- Robert Walser
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Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anniversary information added. | Jun 03, 2026 | ||
| Anniversary information added. | Apr 17, 2026 | ||
| Modified link of Web site: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Prince. | Jan 05, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: BBC News - Prince: 12 things we've learned since his death. | Oct 02, 2025 | ||
| Added a photo of Prince and Warner Records chairman Mo Ostin. | Jun 02, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Mar 17, 2025 | ||
| Added head levels for readbility and listed a few of his honors. Updated bibliography. | Jun 23, 2024 | ||
| Added a photo and video. | Jun 23, 2024 | ||
| Link added. | Jun 03, 2024 | ||
| First paragraph modernization. | Apr 23, 2024 | ||
| Changed “black” to “Black.” | Sep 25, 2020 | ||
| Added the memoir The Beautiful Ones. | Oct 31, 2019 | ||
| Noted that Purple Rain won a Grammy Award and an Academy Award. | Jul 12, 2018 | ||
| Updated album titles and noted the cause of his death. | Jun 03, 2016 | ||
| Updated for his death. | Apr 21, 2016 | ||
| Add new Web site: BlackPast - Biography of Prince Rogers Nelson. | Nov 02, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: African American Registry - Biography of Prince. | Nov 02, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: Turner Classic Movies - Prince. | Sep 18, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Prince. | Jun 26, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: AllMusic - Prince. | Jun 26, 2013 | ||
| Final editorial review. | Jun 24, 2011 | ||
| Added two photos of Prince. | Jun 21, 2011 | ||
| Add new Web site: Fact Monster - People - Biography of Prince. | Dec 22, 2010 | ||
| Article revised. | Dec 17, 2004 | ||
| Article revised. | Apr 15, 2004 | ||
| Article revised. | Sep 27, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | Feb 09, 2000 | ||
| New article added. | Aug 05, 1998 |