Blog — People of Paisley Park

Ask Me About His Life

Fans gather in the Love4OneAnother Room at Paisley Park for a routine, unexplained party, but the atmosphere is different. Why isn’t there any music playing? It’s been almost an hour; where’s Prince? Did you hear his mom passed away last week? I heard the funeral was today; why is he throwing a party and not at the funeral? Why isn’t there any music playing? Oh, look!

Prince drifts down the stairs at the back of the room, pausing on a step in the middle of the staircase. Without greeting the crowd or answering any of the questions incubating in their minds, he starts to sing a Capella

The SnippetsSamantha McCarroll-HyneMarch 13, 2018 Comments

Energy Transfer: Piano & A Microphone Gala

"He had the whole building singing together in a way that can only be described as freeing. Even after he left the stage, we continued to sing, 'Free! Free yourself! You gotta free yourself!' Nobody was ready for the music to end, so we did what any sane group of people would and continued performing the show for a few minutes despite Prince’s absence."

The ReviewsSamantha McCarroll-HyneJanuary 21, 2018 Comments

Golden Memories

"As a person, Prince taught me to follow my heart…to listen to that voice in your head that tells you to do things a certain way, even when the whole world tells you otherwise. To stand your ground if you know you’re right."

The CommunityLori HolmquistDecember 9, 2017 Comments

Not Like I Love My Guitar

After his journey back to Paisley Park in September 2016, Nick started making more replica guitars, if nothing else, to soften the grief of losing his musical hero. “I gifted a few to people I've met, and now I'm basically making my way through all his most notable guitars and instruments. It's a complete joy.”

The CommunityLori HolmquistNovember 21, 2017 Comment

Rediscovering Purple Rain

Someone needed to be on his side, and I had yet to meet anyone else who was willing to share his pain in his battle for continued evolution. From then on, I took his hits off my playlists and was often described by new acquaintances as “the only person [they’ve] ever met who doesn’t like Prince’s 80s music.” This finally changed when I read Duane Tudahl’s new book, Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984.

The ReviewsSamantha McCarroll-HyneNovember 15, 2017 Comment

Creative Mourning

Discussing death doesn’t always mean wallowing in grief. Acknowledging death also means delving into the beautifully fleeting nature of life. From the very beginning of the event, Andrea Swensson as well as host Drew Gneiser were joking about death, creating an atmosphere as light as the breakfast being served.

The ReviewsSamantha McCarroll-HyneNovember 11, 2017 Comment

Because of Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson was born to create music; in his own words he said, “I am music”. Debate it if you want but don’t bother trying to convince singer/songwriter Gail George it isn’t so. The life and music of Prince has fueled her creative fire, but like so many it was his death that fanned the flame and brought her to a place of surrender, where she faced her fears and those things that have held her back in her life and work.

The CommunityLori HolmquistNovember 10, 2017Comment

Some Days I Feel Tangerine, Some Days I Feel Blule

“'I received a simple, short email from his manager at the time. I saw the email after waking up. Until I got to confirm the authenticity of the request, I didn’t really believe it. Then, it’s hard to describe. Probably akin to what one would feel if one was suddenly able to float in the air. I was also a bit annoyed: the painting he wanted to buy was a gift I created for my husband. I now had to take it back from him.'”

The ArtistsSamantha McCarroll-HyneOctober 24, 2017 Comments

One Man Behind Many Faces

"As he sat in the MSP Airport, advertising for the album flooded the terminals, newspapers, and online news sites; it even completely took over the Rolling Stone website. Already overwhelmed by seeing his creations recognized so publicly, Martin became teary-eyed when someone sent him a picture of his art on display in Times Square."

The ArtistsSamantha McCarroll-HyneOctober 1, 2017 Comments

Exposing the Impossible

"Prince put a lot of trust in every single person he kept in his world and had an equal amount of faith in each person’s abilities. Parke recalled many opportunities where '[Prince] would say, "Can you do this?" And I said, "Yes." And he believed me.'"

The Artists, The ReviewsSamantha McCarroll-HyneSeptember 19, 2017 Comments