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
about the writer
The "winners" have all been Turkeys, no matter the honor's name.
