Prince Biography: Updated Edition

Prince, a figure of legendary reticence, perversity, and a penchant for misdirection, remains one of the few 1980s superstars who, perhaps intentionally, has never been fully explained. Now a firmly established icon within the pop canon, his classics such as 'Purple Rain', 'Sign o' the Times', and 'Parade' regularly feature prominently in Best Ever Album polls. Yet, Prince remains, as he always was, an enigma. His live performances are the stuff of legend (witness his 21-night residency at the O2 in 2007), and while his more recent releases have met with modest success at best, his profound influence on urban music, and R'n'B in particular, has never been more apparent. The distinctive Minneapolis Sound he pioneered can now be heard ubiquitously.

Matt Thorne's Prince, the result of years of meticulous research and insightful interviews with former Revolution members Wendy and Lisa, offers a compelling account of a pop maverick whose groundbreaking experiments with rock, funk, techno, and jazz revolutionised popular music. With detailed reference to every song, both officially released and unreleased, spanning over 35 years of recording, Prince is poised to stand for years to come as the definitive book on this extraordinary artist. Thorne's work promises to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the Great Man while celebrating his undeniable musical genius and lasting impact.