Timeline: Prince in Minnesota

April 22, 2016 at 6:00AM
Prince performed in the 1980s in Minneapolis.
Prince, born in Minneapolis in 1958, was recording his first demos by the age of 17. Before he was 20, he was performing at places like the Capri Theater. (Star Tribune file photo/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

June 7, 1958: Born Prince Rogers Nelson at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis to parents John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw. A jazz pianist, John used Prince as a nickname and stage name. • March 1975: Recorded his first demos with his band Grand Central. • April 7, 1978: Warner Bros. Records issued his first album, "For You," on which he played all the instruments at age 18 (though news releases claimed he was only 17). • Jan. 5-6, 1979: Performed his first shows as Prince with a new band at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis, a tryout of sorts for Warner Bros. execs. • Feb. 9, 1980: Played to a half-full Orpheum Theatre before hitting the road as Rick James' opening act. • March 9, 1981: Made his debut at First Avenue nightclub, then called Sam's, just a few weeks after playing "Saturday Night Live" and a few months after issuing his breakthrough album, "Dirty Mind." The show sold out fast and would be his last gig there to be advertised with more than a few days' notice. • March 15, 1983: Played his first local arena show at Met Center after climbing the charts with his "1999" LP. • Aug. 3, 1983: Under the guise of a benefit concert for Minnesota Dance Theatre, he debuted a new lineup of the Revolution and new songs in concert at First Avenue, including "Purple Rain" and "I Would Die 4 U." Recordings of those songs from that night would be used for the album and film "Purple Rain." • Sept.-Dec., 1983: "Purple Rain" film crew took over Minneapolis, including a three-week shoot at First Avenue plus downtown and the Longfellow neighborhood. • Dec. 23-28, 1984: With "Purple Rain" topping the album charts and breaking box office expectations, he played to 100,000 hometown fans over a five-night stand at * St. the St. Paul Civic Center, with Christmas Day the only off day. • 1987: To the tune of about $10 million, he built Paisley Park studios near his house in Chanhassen, which would be his primary recording and rehearsal space and the site of countless late-night parties with Prince as host and sometimes headliner. • Dec. 1989: Opened his own nightclub, Glam Slam, on 5th Street in Minneapolis' Warehouse District, which became Quest in the late 1990s after his time there.• Summer 1990: A film crew shot his "Graffiti Bridge," which drew a tepid response. • Nov. 1996: At war with Warner Bros., he declared his "Emancipation" with a three-disc set. • June 7, 2007: Gave three shows in one day to celebrate his birthday: a promotional set at Macy's, then a Target Center concert (his last local arena show), then an after-hours jam at First Avenue (his last act at the club). That jam was stopped by police after 45 minutes because he went on around 2 a.m. • Jan. 16-18, 2013: Played six gigs over three nights at the Dakota Jazz Club, his most intimate and celebrated hometown shows in decades, and debuted his new all-woman backing band 3rdEyeGirl. • May 25, 2013: Played two sets with 3rdEyeGirl at Myth nightclub in Maplewood, his last hometown shows outside of Paisley Park. • Jan. 21, 2016: Hometown fans a preview of his Piano & a Microphone Tour, playing two intimate sets to rapturous response. They would be his last time performing at home. • April 16, 2016: Two days after an emergency hospitalization in Moline, Ill., he hosted a dance party at Paisley Park to reassure fans he's OK. "Wait a few days before you waste your prayers," he said on stage. chris riemenschneider

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