Mystery called Prince rocks on
At a celebration/concert for Prince’s new book, late night had turned into early morning, the bar was closing and party organizers were deciding what decorations to pack up first.
But Prince was still on stage – and still captivating the exclusive group of about 200 fans who had gathered in an intimate penthouse loft to hear him perform.
Though he had taken about a two-hour break between sets, Prince, 50, was entering hour four in what would become a nearly five-hour musical extravaganza that included not only his own seminal hits such as “Purple Rain” and “Little Red Corvette” but also interpretations of music from Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and even Janet Jackson and India.Arie for good measure.
It’s this kind of magic that Prince tried to capture with “21 Nights,” a glossy coffee-table book published by Simon & Schuster that documents the glamorous rocker during his record-breaking, 21-night run at London’s 02 Arena last year.
The book steals glimpses not only of his onstage performances, but also behind-the-scenes moments of the star and his band during the unprecedented concert stint.
“No one had ever sold out 21 nights in a row,” said photographer Randee St. Nicholas. “So I thought, ‘We should do a book surrounding this point in his life, because this is a great point in his life.’ ”
“This was a landmark event,” says Prince, sitting on the rooftop with the Manhattan skyline as his backdrop before the evening’s musical marathon. “No one believed that it would do what it did. … Everyone tried to talk me out of it.”
Of course, Prince is used to proving skeptics wrong. These days, he’s regarded as a pioneer for artists’ rights and known for releasing music over the Internet.
But when he left his longtime label Warner Bros. nearly two decades ago after a protracted battle over his creative path, and abandoned major record labels to release music on his own, he left everyone – from fans to musician insiders – wondering if he had lost his mind.
But while Prince exudes hints of frustration, he’s hardly bitter: These days, serenity and good-natured fun seem to be his mantra.
Though he professes shyness, during the show the diminutive artist had fans – which included Spike Lee, Anderson Cooper and Dave Chappelle in the audience – laughing as he cracked jokes throughout.
St. Nicholas, a longtime friend, says Prince’s conversion to the Jehovah’s Witness faith several years ago has helped him evolve into a more spiritual person. Prince’s public image has never been the real Prince that friends see behind closed doors, she adds.
“He’s shy. But he doesn’t necessarily hide or shield himself and attempt this mysterious persona that he has,” she says of the twice-divorced star.
The birthday bunch
Actress Marion Ross is 80. Country singer Jeanne Black is 71. Singer Jon Anderson of Yes is 64. Actor Brian Kerwin is 59. Guitarist Matthias Jabs of Scorpions is 52. Actress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 51. Actress Tracy Nelson (“Father Dowling Mysteries”) is 45. Actor Adam Goldberg (“Saving Private Ryan”) is 38. Actor Craig Robertson (“The Office”) is 37. Actor Mehcad Brooks (“Desperate Housewives”) is 28.