Prince Rogers Nelson left this universe behind on April 21, 2016, leaving fans worldwide in mourning. Maybe nowhere in the world has felt this loss as profoundly than Prince's home state of Minnesota. And to The Current, a radio station from Minnesota Public Radio, Prince was more than an artist, he was our friend. That's why, in memory of the Purple One, we’re sharing the many conversations we’ve had with musicians, critics, reporters and more about Prince: his life, his music and his legacy.
Latest episodes
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6 min
Jellybean Johnson unveils plans for Minneapolis Sound Museum
Jellybean Johnson is Minneapolis music royalty. The drummer for the Time also leads the Jellybean Johnson Experience. Plus, he played with Prince, and co-produced the hit song “Bla…
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39 min
Andre Cymone discusses Prince's 'Controversy,' released 40 years ago
Andre Cymone is an essential part of the story of Minneapolis music, and he continues to tour and release albums, and Andre's story is inextricably linked with the story of Prince…
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28 min
Michael Bland and Tommy Barbarella of the New Power Generation talk 'Diamonds and Pearls'
On the 30th anniversary of Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls" album, Sean McPherson had the chance to talk to drummer Michael Bland and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella of the New Power Ge…
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12 min
Taja Sevelle - Prince's philanthropy and mentorship
Taja Sevelle was one of the first artists on the Paisley Park record label. She recorded the Prince-penned "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me?" (on her self-titled 1987 release); Prince…
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16 min
Dr. Fink: 'When Prince sang live, he was just impeccable'
Matt Fink - aka Dr. Fink - was one of Prince's first keyboard players and is a member of the Revolution. In conversation with Andrea Swensson, Dr. Fink reflects on performing, reco…
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24 min
Fred Armisen: 'I could talk about Prince endlessly'
Actor, comedian and musician Fred Armisen ('Saturday Night Live'; 'Portlandia'; 'Late Night with Seth Meyers') discovered Prince shortly after the release of '1999.' In a conversat…
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25 min
LeRoy Bennett: 'Prince was beyond anybody'
Production/lighting designer LeRoy Bennett began working with Prince in 1980 and continued working with him until 1994. 'I was blessed that I started my life and this career with h…
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15 min
Jellybean Johnson, 'Prince knew we had something special here in Minneapolis'
Drummer and guitarist Jellybean Johnson came up as a musician in North Minneapolis, playing with - and competing with - Prince. Johnson is a founding member of The Time, and in thi…
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39 min
Bobby Z: 'Prince went from a caterpillar to a butterfly in that one purple trench coat'
Bobby Z first met Prince in the mid-'70s when the two were teenagers, and Bobby went on to become drummer for the Revolution. In conversation with Andrea Swensson, Bobby Z offers a…
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46 min
Lisa Coleman: 'Prince and I just connected musically'
Prince's longtime collaborator and keyboard player, Lisa Coleman, joined Prince's band in the early 1980s and became a member of the Revolution. Coleman spoke to The Current's Andr…
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21 min
Nile Rodgers: 'Prince made such an impression on the world'
Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and musician Nile Rodgers talks to Andrea Swensson about his friendship with and the influence of Prince. 'Prince made such an impression on the…
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7 min
Sheila E. on Prince's humanity, music in the vault
Over the course of his career, Prince worked with many talented musicians, but one of the closest relationships he had with any of his musicians was with Sheila E. An iconic drumme…
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10 min
Brittany Howard: 'Prince always stayed true to himself'
Brittany Howard, solo artist and frontwoman of Alabama Shakes, talks to Andrea Swensson about discovering Prince as a youngster and about how much Prince continues to inspire her w…
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43 min
Dez Dickerson: 'Put an explosion over it'
Prince's first guitarist, Dez Dickerson, talks with The Current's Andrea Swensson, taking us back to the early days, into the recording studio, and from the smallest clubs to the b…
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52 min
The sound of Prince and Peggy McCreary
In the early 1980s, Audio Engineer Peggy McCreary contributed significantly to several projects from the massively creative mind of Prince, including Vanity 6's self-titled debut a…
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11 min
After talking with Robert Hilburn in 1982, Prince stopped giving interviews for three years. We talked to Hilb…
The Los Angeles Times' music critic Robert Hilburn was the only journalist to interview Prince about the 1999. In fact, Prince would not grant interviews to journalists again for s…
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16 min
'Purple Rain' Director Albert Magnoli
Film director Albert Magnoli describes the events that led to his first meeting with Prince, and the making of the film 'Purple Rain.'
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22 min
Bobby Z - What Makes 1999 Great?
Legendary drummer Bobby Z of The Revolution sat down with Jim McGuinn to talk about working for Prince and what made the 1982 album '1999' an essential masterpiece that catapulted…
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52 min
Sharon Smith-Akinsanya on bringing Prince's Glam Slam nightclub to life
Sharon Smith-Akinsanya managed marketing of the Prince-inspired nightclub Glam Slam at all three of its locations: Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Miami. In 2017, she sat down with J…
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20 min
DJ Michael Holtz's true stories from Paisley Park
Michael Holtz was one of Paisley Park's house DJs starting in 2014, and he still plays Paisley Park After Dark events. He tells Erianna Jiles about his time at Paisley Park from hi…