Prince is one of the most widely recognized musicians in the industry. Known for his sexuality and high-energy performances, Prince has spent a lot of time in the spotlight. Despite his time in the public eye, there are still some things that most people don’t know about the singer and performer. Here, we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Prince. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Wrote His First Song When He Was Seven Years Old. Not only that, but the song was quite adult. It was called “Funk Machine.”
Number Fourteen: He Sent Fan Mail to Joni Mitchell. Growing up, Prince was a huge Joni Mitchell fan, and he would even write her fan mail. However, Mitchell’s office would see it and throw it away.
Number Thirteen: He Was Once So Poor He Could Not Eat. Rather than beg for change, Prince was once so poor that when he could not afford food, he would just stand outside of a McDonald’s and smell the food. He admitted this in a 1985 interview with Rolling Stone.
Number Twelve: He Rejected a Deal When He Was 19 Years Old. At the young age of 19, Prince rejected a deal with CBS because they told him that Verdine White of Earth, Wine, and Fire would have to produce his first three albums.
Number Eleven: He Fired Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Though you might know Jam and Lewis as the popular and successful production duo, Prince once fired them when they were members of The Time and were working with him on an album.
Number Ten: Two of His Videos Gave People Diarrhea. While filming the music videos for “1999” and “Little Red Corvette,” there was so much smoke that most people on set got diarrhea from all of the mineral oil in the air.
Number Nine: He Holds a Record With the Beatles. Prince is the only artist, other than the Beatles, to have the number one single, album, and movie out in the United States at the same time. He achieved this with Purple Rain and “When Doves Cry.”