Prince doesn't know his presidents.

While doing his recent interview on Tavis Smiley's PBS show, Prince talked about a song he has written that begins "I was born on a plantation in the United States of the red, white and blue." Then, Prince got into the deep water, as Smiley watched and did nothing on air to save Symbolina. "We're all indentured servants," Prince pontificated. "When I found out there were eight presidents before George Washington, I wanted to smack somebody. I wanted to know why I was taught otherwise. Just tell me the whole story -- I'll fill in the blanks. But don't tell me something that you think I'm supposed to know."

Sounds as if blanks were already filled in and incorrectly so. Smiley didn't follow up on the eight presidents, but he did remark, "We're indentured servants and we've got a black president now?" Prince said as a member of the Jehovah's Witness denomination he doesn't vote. However, "That's not to say that I don't think Barack Obama -- President Obama -- is a very smart individual and he seems like he means well." What condescension from Symbolina, who is no intellect compared with Obama.

With the help of a colleague, I easily found a website that talks about the presidents before Washington. Given the facetiousness of much that is posted on the Internet, I could also probably find a website devoted to Martians who have served in government. To explain Prince's confusion, I needed a human howitzer of history, if you will. Ladies, gentlemen, kids and princes everywhere, a few words from Larry Jacobs, political science prof at the U and teacher of a class that Symbolina should check out.

"George Washington was the first president of the United States. There were no presidents before George Washington because we didn't have a ratified Constitution. Prince is off the mark," Jacobs said. "He should go back to elementary school history class. He could be confused. Maybe he's thinking about the confederation, but the Constitution was drawn up in 1787... Washington was the first and second president; he served two terms. That's why people call him the Father of Our Country. Again, elementary school kids know this. I teach a class on the presidency. Prince is welcome to take it. I can guarantee you my students wouldn't get this wrong."

Prince clearly considers himself an intellectual, as he revealed to Smiley: "When you [and Cornel West] come over to the house and we sit and just talk about heavy things, I just become thankful."

And, now, comedy from Prince Prince was also very funny. "I've seen some really strange rewrites of my stuff," Prince told Smiley. "One time they said the lyrics to 'When Doves Cry' was [sic] 'Dig, if you will, the picture of me, Marvin Gaye and the kids." (The actual lyrics: "Dig if you will the picture, of you and I engaged in a kiss.")

Then once again, off into the deep water Prince went. "This person will go unnamed. She didn't speak the English language too good [sic]. She had a really cute daughter, so that's why we was [sic] acquaintances. But she swore up and down 'Little Red Corvette' was 'Pay the rent collect.'"

That's great comedy, and Prince delivered the lines beautifully, but he shouldn't denigrate the speaking skills of others when his speech is so easily [sic]ced.

She was front and center for Billy Joel Fox 9's Marni Hughes was Billy Joel's "Up-grade Girl" last week.

Joel and Elton John's "Piano Men Tour" made a stop at St. Paul's X. E-mail from tipster Kevin Schwartz read: "A couple of guys from Billy Joel's crew typically walk around the arena before his concerts to look for attractive females so they can upgrade their tickets and sit them in the first few rows in front of Billy. Hughes must have resembled Billy's former wife, Christie Brinkley, as Billy's crew approached her in the lobby and upgraded her seats. "

How did Schwartz know all this? He said he overheard the conversation between Joel's crew and Hughes' party. Hughes is on maternity leave and "not really in touch with work right now," she explained when I reached her, so there were hurdles to contacting the anchor. Hughes said Schwartz accurately characterized what had happened to her and her girlfriends Lisa and Lynea as they arrived in the lobby.

"I take that as a compliment. I had a baby nine weeks ago and if they approached me for that reason, I think that's very flattering," Hughes said.

Hughes' new baby is a boy, Mackentyer aka Mack, who joins sisters Sydney, 4, and Addyson, 1.

Hughes said they purchased seats on the main floor because they splurged for this event, but being moved closer was great.

According to Schwartz's e-mail, "She looked like she was having a lot of fun dancing up front when Billy was on the stage. Brock Lesnar was also at the concert with his wife, but he wasn't dancing as much as Marni."

Lesnar was there with his wife, Rena, the former WWE diva Sable, Brock's agents confirmed.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.