Prince Rogers Nelson was born on June 7, 1958, to Mattie Shaw and John L. Nelson. Being raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince’s parents separated when he was still young.  Later, when Prince was adopted into the Anderson family, he became friends with the family’s son, Andre Anderson, and Charles Smith.  They formed a band called Grand Central, which did not last long.   

Prince began working on demo tracks and signed onto the Warner Brothers Record Label at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest to sign with the label.  While his music was fairly noticed in the industry, his single “1999” was the kick-starter for his career.  Later singles like “Purple Rain” and “Let’s Go Crazy” would also prove to help his musical career.   

One of his most iconic performances was the performance of “Purple Rain” in the 2016 Superbowl half-time show.  With an audience of over seventy thousand, many chimed in to see not only Prince himself, but many other artists as well.   

Prince was just 57 when he died on April 21, 2016, just months after his legendary Superbowl performance.  Even in death, Prince was remembered and loved for his androgynous style.  He was not afraid to be himself, and let his music speak for itself. Critics may not have always been the kindest to Prince, but nonetheless, he stood a hero.