Legendary musician Prince died on April 21, 2016. Whether he was performing solo or with his bands, the Revolution and the New Power Generation, Prince was iconic for his sexy lyrics, funky grooves, and flamboyant on-stage persona. Over a career that spanned several decades, Prince wrote many chart-topping hits for himself and others (he wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” for Sinead O’Connor, “Manic Monday” for the Bangles, and “I Feel for You” for Chaka Khan). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and is #27 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. A deeply private person, he never wrote a memoir, but there are some good books about Prince out there for fans.
There’s no doubt that this brilliant, prolific, and complex artist was taken before his time. Learn more about his life and music in these books about Prince.
Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain
Author: Alan Light
Alan Light, a former senior editor of Rolling Stone magazine, tells the behind-the-scenes story about the making of the legendary album Purple Rain, which was the soundtrack to the loosely autobiographical movie of the same name. It’s often called the best soundtrack of all time, selling over a million copies in its first week and topping the charts for six months (the album eventually sold over 20 million copies). But how did this seemingly impossible project get made? With plenty of research and in-depth interviews, this book shows how the smash-hit movie and album set the stage for Prince’s global rock-star fame.
Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks
Author: Ronin Ro
This comprehensive 2011 biography follows his life from a childhood in Minnesota to his sudden, swift rise to fame in the 1980s and his enduring, groundbreaking career in pop music. His dragged-out battles with record labels, and the resulting protectiveness of his intellectual property, are told in full detail (this is why you can’t find YouTube videos of Prince’s songs). Music journalist Ronin Ro shows how Prince’s albums defined and inspired a generation of musicians. Take a journey beyond the colorful public persona and into Prince’s personal life.
Prince: The Man and His Music
Author: Matt Thorne
A complicated and eccentric person, Prince was famously private — an unimaginable concept in our social-media-saturated times. This new biography follows the development and phases of his long and influential musical career. But there was a surprising contrast between Prince’s glam-rock pansexual persona, explicit lyrics, and his deeply reserved, intensely private life. Drawn from decades of research and interviews, this 2016 U.S. edition has been updated since its original UK publication in 2012. (Maybe they’re kicking themselves now for not waiting a little longer?)
Purple Rain
This last one isn’t a book, but it is essential viewing for Prince fans, and a must-have reference if you’re reading Let’s Go Crazy (see above). It’s been described as more or less a feature-length music video, but what a video! Based (sort of) on Prince’s own life, it’s the story of a talented and strong-willed musician, “The Kid,” who struggles with his own inner demons and an abusive, alcoholic father. When he learns to channel his suffering and genius into his music, it creates an amazing sound that launches the young musician into stardom. Prince won an Oscar for the score, which includes hits like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.” Can’t wait? You can also rent it online for instant gratification.
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He did not write Nothing Compares 2 U for Sinead O’Connor – It was written for his side project The Family
Duh, Prince did write it – do some research dummy. It’s well documented, including his own words in an interview.
I feel a bit funny, to be pointing this out, so long after simba’s response, and I wonder if it’ll be read by him (pretty certain it’s him). But Alex, the original poster, did not say that Prince didn’t write it. Please ask yourself why you were so aggressive: not just because you thought Alex was wrong, I can tell you that.
Yeah he wrote it, duh. He just didn’t write it for Sinead add the previous commenter stated. He wrote it for The Family.
Alex is correct and he didn’t say that Prince didn’t write the song. Read much? Prince wrote Nothing Compares 2 U for The Family. He demoed it once and eventually recorded two other versions.