Prince later recall that he was five when he saw his father perform and the experience was

so exhilarating that it made him want to be a musician Prince wrote his first song Funk machine on his

father's piano when he was 7 years old and soon after he also learned to play the guitar and the

drums in high school Prince played football basketball and baseball and studied ballet at the Minnesota Dance Theater he

played guitar for a local band 94 East and recorded a demo which led to a contract with Warner Brothers

records when he was only 19 Prince's early albums for which he played virtually all of

the instruments himself brought him a fan following and critical Acclaim but it was his fifth album 1999

which was released in 1982 that marked his breakthrough as a major recording star 1999

produced three hit singles including Little Red Corvette Little Red Corvette greatly expanded princes fan base with the no receiving

extensive airplay on MTV at a time when the fledgling Music Channel featured few black performers

now joined by Apollonia Kotero and Morris Day here's Prince at the peak of his powers in Purple Rain

Prince later recall that he was five when he saw his father perform and the experience was

so exhilarating that it made him want to be a musician Prince wrote his first song Funk machine on his

father's piano when he was 7 years old and soon after he also learned to play the guitar and the

drums in high school Prince played football basketball and baseball and studied ballet at the Minnesota Dance Theater he

played guitar for a local band 94 East and recorded a demo which led to a contract with Warner Brothers

records when he was only 19 Prince's early albums for which he played virtually all of

the instruments himself brought him a fan following and critical Acclaim but it was his fifth album 1999

which was released in 1982 that marked his breakthrough as a major recording star 1999

produced three hit singles including Little Red Corvette Little Red Corvette greatly expanded princes fan base with the no receiving

extensive airplay on MTV at a time when the fledgling Music Channel featured few black performers

now joined by Apollonia Kotero and Morris Day here's Prince at the peak of his powers in Purple Rain