He revolutionized pop, pushed style 2 the limit, and celebrated sex 4 all.
Inside the wild world and final days of music’s enigmatic icon.
This article originally appeared in the May 6, 2016 issue ofEntertainment Weekly.Buy that issuehere.
Credit: Trunk Archive
It was the second of two performances that evening.
Im not supposed to be here.
But here I am.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
And so, we thought, he would always be.
Meanwhile, artists ranging fromBruce Springsteento the cast ofHamiltonpaid tribute with live performances.
Since his 1978 debut album,For You, Prince was in constant motion.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could ever have imagined.
Madonna Louise Ciccone invented Madonna, David Robert Jones morphed into David Bowie but Prince was always Prince.
That was true of both his name and his royal talent.
Matt Kent/WireImage
He didnt have the height, but he was amazing.
Prince would never stray far from his hometown, but in those formative years he found Minneapolis restrictive.
There was no technology.
He was there for a lot of firsts in my life.
It was like naked Prince, prancing around…in a teeny bikini, giggling!
)Dirty Mindtook on unprecedented levels of salaciousness.
Head described a steamy encounter between Prince and another mans bride-to-be, while Sister hinted at incest.
Weve all used shock value to sell things, Prince told EW in 2004.
Back when I was doing freaky songs in freaky outfits, we were exploring ideas.
Even as his celebrity rose, his passion for music never wavered.
And itd be something like 1999, and youre just like, Who does this?'
He also took a keen interest in developing and shaping female artists.
(It eventually went to then unknown Apollonia Kotero.)
Prince was so prolific, it led to conflicts with his label.
In 2007, he threatened lawsuits against eBay, YouTube, and his own fansites for violating his copyrights.
But he was hardly a Luddite.
While Prince joyfully shared his art with the world, he was intensely guarded about his private life.
Still, certain facts regarding his life outside the spotlight have emerged.
It changed his life, says Sheila E. of his conversion.
He wanted to be more outgoing and more approachable at times.
[Becoming a Witness] helped him have a go at do that.
In his final days, Prince was hardly a Norma Desmond of pop music.
He looked laid-back and just kind of breezing through….
It looked like he was just enjoying a nice sunny day, McKensie Hasse recalled of one mid-April encounter.
New joke, new anecdote, new lesson to be discovered.
You know that old lady inSunset Boulevard, trapped in her mansion and past glories?
Getting ready for her close-up?
I dont run with that.
