Celebrate Prince’s Birthday by Going to Paisley Park
Visiting Prince’s Hometown and Literal Home
June is the month Prince Rogers Nelson was born. There is no finer way to celebrate his birthday than visiting Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN, just outside Minneapolis. I grew up around Prince, though it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I met him; we often occupied the same spaces at different times. We were both born in North Minneapolis around the same time, although I moved to South Minneapolis when I was five.
We had friends in common; I went to high school with Jellybean, the drummer from The Time. He wasn’t Jellybean yet; Garry Johnson was always drumming on something with sticks, real or imagined. His nickname then was “Buddy Miles,” a drummer whose fame Garry would near. I played on sports teams against Terry Lewis; he played basketball and ran track, as did I. I’ve met Jimmy Jam, though he wouldn’t recall it.
I wasn’t into the Minneapolis music scene when I lived there. I left Minneapolis for college five years before Prince released his first album, “For You.” I kind of liked the single “Soft and Wet,” but it wasn’t until his second album, “Prince,” that I was truly hooked. Prince was releasing an album every year around then, and “Dirty Mind” in 1980 became my favorite until the next album came out and the next.
I moved away from Minneapolis in 1977, but I would occasionally return to visit my family. I first saw Prince at a table at The Taste nightclub. He was a star by then, but looked like he wanted to be left alone, so I left him alone. I saw him again when Minneapolis hosted its first Super Bowl. We were at a downtown restaurant owned by Minneapolis native Ricky Davis. I let him be then as well.
Sometime before that, I’d seen him in concert in Jacksonville, FL, opening for Ashford & Simpson; he came out in black bikini briefs, which was his usual attire at the time. I saw him another half-dozen times during his career. Each show was the best concert I’d ever attended.
I won’t try to convince anyone I was a bigger Prince fan than they were. At one arena show in Tampa, I sat on the floor near the stage in the New Power Generation Club section. Everyone in the section stood for the whole show and sang along with almost every song. When they knew the words to a couple of songs even I didn’t know, I gave a silent bow to their greater knowledge of Prince material. I was at a show in Lakeland where he performed Purple Rain for the first time in several years, so there’s that.
His passing at so early an age hurt me badly, but life for the rest of us goes on. I recently returned to Minneapolis to attend a reunion. I took advantage of the opportunity to visit Paisley Park, his former home and recording studio, which is now a museum open for tours.
If you’re a Prince fan, you can’t appreciate how much there is to see and know about Prince without going to Paisley Park. There are sections where picture-taking isn’t allowed. I’ve sprinkled some photos throughout this story of some parts where you can take pictures.
I was wary of how well Paisley Park would turn out as a museum, given the family's dysfunction and the practicality of converting existing space. Everything wasn’t perfect. The cafe you pass through while exiting is mediocre, and almost nobody stops. The gift shop sells the same items you would expect to find at a concert: T-shirts, hats, and predictable items. I used to be in that business and could offer some suggestions. The rest of the tour is AMAZING!
Between the photos, the videos, the shoe collection, outfits, motorcycles from Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge, the studios, pianos, and the steady flow of Prince music. The two hours I spent on the VIP tour were complete and gratifying. I left with a better understanding of the man and his music. My love for Prince only grew.
Multiple groups of fans were crisscrossing the 65,000-square-foot facility, but it was well organized, and our guide was very knowledgeable. The only negative was that the staff had on better Prince gear than we could find in the gift shop. Members of our 16-member group came from all parts of the United States, and we had one family from Australia.
Because we were staying downtown, we took a spin past First Avenue, though we didn’t go inside. I went to Minneapolis for other reasons, but Paisley Park was the highlight of my trip. Chanhassen, MN, where Paisley Park is located, is primarily an industrial park, and I wondered how Prince selected a site there. He did avoid nosy neighbors. Go if you get a chance.
Very Cool. GONE TOO SOON!
Good Palate Cleanser for the updates on Tour Of The Close Minded Happily Bigoted South.
I found it sadly poetic that An Elevator Did Bring Him Down. Maybe he wouldn't have wanted to get old. He is Star Stuff Now. Living and Breathing Music in The Boundaryless Universe.
My favourite consert moment came when Prince visited Norway in 2010. Twice he said Good night! and walked off stage and people started to leave but I stayed - and behold, he came back on to play Sometimes it shows in April. During the refrains he stopped singing, so what I heard was my own voice and Prince playing guitar. I refer to it as the time I sang karaoke with Prince...