Prince [music]

Calvin

Welcome to Headstones and Microphones where we use AI to step into the past through a researched, first-person simulation of history's most interesting people. I am your host, Calvin. While we’ve added some creative storytelling, our goal is to inspire your own study of these fascinating lives. Now, let’s meet our guest.

Calvin

I am so incredibly excited for today’s guest. He’s a true visionary, a multi-instrumentalist, and quite simply, royalty in the world of music. For those who may somehow not know who you are... who are you?

Black Male

Hello, Calvin. I am Prince, though some of you might remember me by a certain symbol or simply as "The Artist." I’ve always believed that music is a gift from the divine, and I spent my life trying to honor that gift by pushing every boundary I could find.

Calvin

It’s an honor to have you, Prince! Let’s go back to the beginning. When and where were you born?

Black Male

I was born on June 7, 1958, right in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota. That city has my soul—it’s where everything started.

Calvin

And what was your given name at birth?

Black Male

My full name is Prince Rogers Nelson.

Calvin

Is there a story behind your birth name?

Black Male

There certainly is! My father, John Nelson, was a wonderful jazz musician. His stage name was Prince Rogers, and he performed with the Prince Rogers Trio. He gave me that name because he wanted me to do everything he wanted to do. It was a name full of expectation, wasn't it?

Calvin

Definitely! What was your hometown like growing up?

Black Male

Minneapolis in the sixties and seventies was a vibrant place. It wasn't like the big hubs of New York or L.A., which gave us the freedom to create our own sound. We called it the "Minneapolis Sound"—a mix of funk, rock, and soul that didn't care about labels.

Calvin

I love that. What was your family life like?

Black Male

It was a house full of music. My mother, Mattie, was a jazz singer. But it wasn't always easy. My parents separated when I was young, and when my father moved out, he left his piano behind. That piano became my best friend. I started playing it when I was seven years old. Later on, I moved in with my friend Andre Cymone’s family, and we would just spend all our time in the basement making music.

Calvin

What kind of kid were you?

Black Male

I was quite small for my age and very shy. I suffered from epileptic seizures when I was very young, and I used to get teased a lot in school. To compensate, I decided I would be as flashy and as loud as possible with my music and my style. If they were going to look at me, I wanted to give them something spectacular to see!

Calvin

That’s a powerful way to find your voice. What did you dream of becoming as a child?

Black Male

I always knew. I didn't have a "Plan B." I was certain of my talents and knew I wanted to lead an influential life through music. By the time I was in junior high, I had already formed my first band, Grand Central.

Calvin

What were some of your favorite activities in school?

Black Male

Aside from the band, I actually loved dance! I took classes at the Minnesota Dance Theatre. People think of me as just a guitar player, but the movement was just as important to the performance.

Calvin

What was your first job?

Black Male

My first real professional step was working as a session guitarist at a local recording studio when I was about sixteen. I was learning how the magic happened behind the boards.

Calvin

Was there a moment where you realized you were different from everyone else?

Black Male

It was early on. I realized I didn't want to just play one instrument—I wanted to play them all. I watched artists like Stevie Wonder and saw how he crafted his own world. I wanted that total creative independence.

Calvin

What was your biggest break?

Black Male

Signing with Warner Bros. Records when I was only eighteen. But the "break" wasn't just the contract; it was the fact that I negotiated to produce my own debut album, For You. At that age, for a Black artist to have sole primary control over recording and production... that was unheard of.

Calvin

What were your biggest struggles before success?

Black Male

Mostly being misunderstood. The industry wanted to put me in a box. They wanted to market me as an "African American artist" in a very specific, stereotypical way. I fought that from day one. I wasn't a category; I was a musician.

Calvin

Did you ever consider quitting?

Black Male

Never. I don't know how any of us grow if we just tread water. You have to keep moving, keep challenging yourself, and keep surprising yourself.

Calvin

Were there any specific daily habits or routines that you feel were essential to your success?

Black Male

Showing up. That is always the first step. I was notorious for my work ethic. I lived in the studio. Sometimes I’d be in the kitchen at Paisley Park at four in the morning, making a snack, and then I’d go right back to the booth because a melody came to me.

Calvin

What job would you have had if fame never happened?

Black Male

It’s hard to imagine, but I suppose anything that allowed me to create. But truly, I was born to do this.

Calvin

How did relationships change after success?

Black Male

It becomes harder to know who is there for the music and who is there for the "Prince" persona. I became very protective of my private life. I spent most of my time at Paisley Park because it was my sanctuary.

Calvin

What misconceptions did people have about you?

Black Male

People thought the flamboyance and the outfits meant I was always "on." In reality, I could be very quiet. And the idea that I was just about the "provocative" side of things—eventually, I even stopped cursing in my songs because I felt sexiness was in the mind, in the imagination.

Calvin

What was life like in your final years?

Black Male

I was very active! I was performing "Piano & A Microphone" shows—just me and a purple grand piano. It was very intimate and intense. I was also working on my memoirs and constantly recording. There is enough music in the vault at Paisley Park to last a lifetime.

Calvin

When and where and how did you pass away?

Black Male

I passed away on April 21, 2016, at my home in Chanhassen, Minnesota—Paisley Park. I was fifty-seven years old.

Calvin

What’s a random fact about you most people have never heard?

Black Male

I was a bit of a secret philanthropist. I’d silently donate to schools, libraries, and community centers, but I always insisted on being anonymous. I didn't want the credit; I just wanted to help.

Calvin

What’s the craziest rumor ever told about you?

Black Male

Oh, there were so many! But one of my favorite things to do was play along with the mystery. I once took a bullhorn from an airplane’s emergency equipment just for a laugh, and we ended up getting locked up for a bit. I spent the time signing autographs in the jail!

Calvin

That’s hilarious! What was your most unique habit?

Black Male

I was a bit of a prankster at Paisley Park. One Christmas, I zip-tied all the scissors in the building shut just to watch the staff try to open the mail. I’d be hidden somewhere just losing my mind laughing.

Calvin

I can see you doing that! What was your favorite food?

Black Male

I loved my own "legendary" scrambled eggs with curry powder and sharp cheddar cheese. And I always had vegan peanut butter Rice Krispies bars in the fridge for a 4 AM snack.

Calvin

Did you have any known rivalries?

Black Male

People always talked about me and Michael Jackson, but it was more of a mutual respect and a drive to be the best. We were both just pushing the limits of what pop music could be.

Calvin

Tell us a story nobody talks about.

Black Male

One time, I had one of my staff members dress up as me for the start of a show. The crowd went wild thinking it was me, and then they whipped off their clothes to reveal a fuchsia bikini and combat boots while I made my "real" entrance. I loved "The Reveal."

Calvin

What advice would you give people chasing success?

Black Male

Don't chase money. Just do your ideas when they come. If you do work that you're proud of, you still have the work, even if the money doesn't come. And remember—be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

Calvin

Prince, this has been an absolute dream. Before we sign off, do you have any closing remarks about our chat or the stories you shared that you'd like to leave with the listeners?

Black Male

Just that I am so happy to have had another chance to share these moments. Life is a beautiful song, and I hope everyone listening finds their own rhythm. Stay creative, stay free, and most importantly, stay kind to one another. Thank you for having me, Calvin. This was wonderful.

Calvin

Thank you, Prince. Truly. What a journey through the life of a legend—from the basement in Minneapolis to the heights of the "Purple Rain" era and the fight for artistic freedom. And that wraps up another conversation from beyond the grave. Thanks for joining us on The Headstones and Microphones Podcast. Remember—legends may die, but their stories never do. Please help spread the word by sharing and following the pod.