Prince (L) in concert with guitarist Dez Dickerson in his first public concert at the Capri Theater on January 5, 1979 in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images
It was the dawn of 1979: Sony Walkman’s suddenly gave us a soundtrack to life and “My Sharona” by The Knack was the popular song of choice. But something else was happening, something bigger than anyone could have anticipated.
The world was about to meet an artist called, Prince for the very first time.
The date was, January 5th, 1979.
The venue: Capri Theatre, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The band: Prince (vox, guitar, drums, bass, keys), Bobby Z. (drums), André Cymone (bass), Dez Dickerson (guitar), Matt Fink (keys), Gayle Chapman (keys)
Tickets: $4 (!!!)
Starting at 8 pm, the 60-minute extravaganza must have been a busy night for Prince. If the records are correct, the prolific and legendary multi-instrumentalist made his extraordinary abilities clear right from the start, playing every instrument on stage – what an entrance!
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince’s passion and talent for music were obvious from a young age when he penned his first song at seven. He was signing record deals by the age of 17, and never looked back.
His prominently explicit lyrics may have inspired a parental crusade in the name of political correctness, but his blending of funk, dance, and rock music, matched with his inexplicable, extraterrestrial talent was about to reinvent the meaning of the term ‘Pop Star’ in ways no one could have ever imagined.
So, on this day, let’s take a minute to celebrate the debut of Prince - 40 years since the rulebook of stardom was thrown out the window and, "our first post-everything pop star” (LA Times) arrived.
SETLIST ON THE NIGHT:
"For You"
unidentified instrumental
"Soft And Wet"
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"So Blue"
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"Just As Long As We're Together"
Here at ILYOS, we don't just like Prince, we love him! Turn up our Prince: Funknroll Royalty playlist and celebrate all the moments of genius, controversy, sexy and cool the superstar packed into the last 40 years.
