The Evolution of Prince
Rest in peace to a legend.
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The Evolution of Prince - April 21, 2016: the day we lost one of music's most prolific and brilliant minds. Prince Rogers Nelson passed away at the age of 57 years old. The impact he will leave on this planet will echo forever. Prince gave us decades of iconic music, fashion and polite protests, setting a precedent for anyone who dare call themselves an artist. Read on for a breakdown of the fantastic voyage to his legendary, purple-tinged throne. Rest well, Prince. We will miss you terribly. — Kathy Iandoli, Alex Gale, Dominique Zonyeé (@DominiqueZonyee), and BET Staff (Photo: Courtesy Columbia Records)
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A Star Is Born - Prince Rogers Nelson was born June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis to John L. Nelson, a jazz pianist and songwriter, and Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer. He was named after his father, whose stage name was Prince Rogers.(Photo: Courtesy thesource.com)
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In Control - After making his first demo at the age of 17, Prince signed a deal with Warner Bros., who gave him substantial creative control. He released his debut, For You, in 1978. Prince produced, arranged, composed and played all 27 instruments on the album and wrote all songs except for the hit "Soft and Wet," which had lyrics co-written by early collaborator Chris Moon. (Photo: Suzie Gibbons/Redferns)
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The Breakthrough - In October 1979, Prince released his self-titled breakthrough album, which hit platinum in the wake of his classic hits "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover.” (Photo: Courtesy Columbia Records)
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Game Changer - In 1980 and 1981, respectively, Prince released two of his masterworks, Dirty Mind and Controversy. With their heavy use of synthesizers, drum machines and classic rock/doo-wop influences, the albums were hugely influential, altering the course of 1980s pop music and establishing Prince as a true genius. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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1999 - In late 1982, The Purple One released his amazing double album 1999, which sold over 3 million copies and was boosted by purple classics like "Little Red Corvette" and the title track, which, along with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," was one of the first videos by a black artist to break through into rotation on MTV. Prince was ascending to his throne.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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A Pop God Is Born - Prince became a pop god with the release of 1984's Purple Rain and the accompanying semi-autobiographical film. One of the best albums of all time, packed with unforgettable hits, the LP sold more than 13 million copies in the U.S. alone while the film topped the box office. (Photo: Courtesy Columbia Records)
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Chart Topper - After ruling the Billboard charts yet again for three weeks in a row with 1985's Around the World in a Day, Prince released Parade, which doubled as the soundtrack for his second film, Under the Cherry Moon, and featured the timeless single "Kiss." (Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage.com)
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New Beginnings - Years after disbanding his long-time band, The Revolution, Prince formed the New Power Generation with a new troupe of skilled players. With their input, he released his thirteenth album, 1991's Diamonds and Pearls, which featured four hit singles, including the title track and "Cream." (Photo: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)
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The Artist Formerly Known as Prince - In 1993, Prince changed his stage name to the Love Symbol, a combo of the signs for male and female. Because the symbol had no known pronunciation, he was often referred to as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.”
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Freedom - In 2000, Prince's contract with Warner expired after years of beefing with the label — punctuated by him frequently appearing with the word "Slave" written on his face. To mark the occasion, Prince reverted to his old stage name and began releasing albums independently through his website. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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The Prince and the Queen - In 2004, Prince signed a one-album deal with Columbia Records to release Musicology. The funky LP was his best selling project in years, bolstered by an impressive arena tour of the same name and a powerful Grammy performance with Beyoncé. The tour and album helped Prince earn $56.5 million, making him the highest earning musican that year. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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Half-Time Takeover - In 2007, Prince performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. The show was seen by 140 million television viewers, the largest audience of his life, and is widely considered one of the best Super Bowl performances ever. (Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Prince Goes World Wide Web - Though he slowed the release of his albums, he stayed connected with fans with more performances, and in 2013, Prince debuted new videos via two new sites, 3rdeyegirl.com and Prince2013.com, and he joined Twitter. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)
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It Ain't Over - In 2014, Prince continued to push back against the game. He sued bootleggers and, for the fans, he's got a new deal to release new music. But don't expect any curse words. The "P---y Control" singer said he abandoned cursing on songs to opt for a more "regal" sound.(Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel)
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Prince Official - Last year he also dropped not one, but two albums simultaneousl: Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum with his all-female band 3rdeyegirl. Both collections came in in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, naturally.(Photos: NPG/Warner Bros)
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Breakfast Can Wait - This year, Prince took a stand for the people of Baltimore (and elsewhere) in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray. He released a song and wailed on the guitar during his Dance Rally 4 Peace.The Purple One definitely reigns. Happy Birthday, Prince!(Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
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Prince's Swan Song - On September 7, 2015, Prince released what would be his final project, HITnRUN Phase One, initially exclusive via Tidal. The album was then released on CD a week later. (Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images)