Prince, a major name in the music world was a person who became famous as a singer/songwriter/musician but came from very humble beginnings in Minneapolis. His parents were Jazz musicians and he learned to sing and play an instrument, the piano, when he was very young. He learned to play more than 27 instruments over his lifetime. He was not born into royalty, even though his name was Prince.
He wrote his first song when he was seven years old and was taken by his step-father to see James Brown on stage, where he joined the performers on the stage as he wanted to dance; he loved to dance and sing. Once he became a student at the Minneapolis Dance Theatre, a star was on its way to being born.
At 19 he recorded his first album, but it was the second one titled Prince that saw him become a super star and from then on, he made and broke all the rules both musically and in his personal life. He performed with his band, acted in movies and the song from the movie of the same title Purple Rain became a people’s hymn.
But like so many people who become famous, and then go on to break all the rules, he died in 2014 at the age of 57 from an accidental drug overdose. He left the legacy of 1000 songs of the funk, rock and pop genres, showing the world through his music and lifestyle, the world is not black and white, but rainbow; made up on many colours, shades and people- that the world can be free from limits. He is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of his time.
Once again the wonderfully created Little People Big Dreams series captures his life in brief in flamboyant colour with the words designed to suit a wide range of ages and reading ability. That Prince was different, that he lived a rich and full life, leaving a tremendous legacy for the world to enjoy, is truly inspirational for children everywhere.
