Prince date of birth

Prince (musician) born
Prince age at death
Prince real name

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Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city with a rich and surprisingly complex history that would shape the young artist in significant ways.

The Prince Rogers Trio / Photo by John F. Glanton, courtesy Hennepin County Library

Mattie Shaw and Prince / Copyright The Prince Estate

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 1950s 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 1924 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

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Prince

(1958-2016)

Who Was Prince?

Prince's early music career saw the release of Prince, Dirty Mind and Controversy, which drew attention for their fusion of religious and sexual themes. He then released the popular albums 1999 and Purple Rain, cementing his superstar status with No. 1 hits like "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy." A seven-time Grammy winner, Prince had a prodigious output that included later albums like Diamonds and Pearls, The Gold Experience and Musicology. He died on April 21, 2016, from an accidental drug overdose.

Early Life

Famed singer, songwriter and musical innovator Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were John Nelson, a musician whose stage name was Prince Rogers, and Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer who performed with the Prince Rogers Band.

Prince became interested in music at a young age and taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums. His parents broke up when he was about 10, and he and his sister split their time between their parents’ h

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Prince (musician)

American musician (1958–2016)

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

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.^[7] He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona;^[8]^[9] his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings.^[10] 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.