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My boss and mentor knew what a big fan I was. I had camped out for tickets when I was 14 years old and snagged second row cen ter
to the Purple Rain tour. I painted the image from the sleeve to that album on the folding closet doors in my bedroom. (You know,
the one with the falling teardrop). So when Prince invited a number of MTV executives up to his house in the Hollywood Hills to
discuss potential programming ideas in advance of the release of a new album, I got a last-minute invitation. There was the President
of MTV Networks. The President of MTV, itself. The head of the music department. The head of programming. And then there was
me… one of the guys that ran the MTV News department at the time. But, really, I was still that kid who used to come home from
school every day in 1984, hole up in the guest room on the second floor, the room where my family kept the stereo system (don ’t ask
me why), and just crank Prince for hours. On vinyl. Everything from Dirty Mind and Controversy to 1999 and, of course, the album
that changed everything. I don’t even need to name it.
I was the first one out of the vehicle and the first to approach the house. The front door was open. And there, standing in the frame,
he was. In a purple pinstriped suit. Should I really have expected anything less? Soft -spoken and demure, Prince extended his hand.
“Hi, I’m Jim,” I said. “Prince,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” We gathered in the foyer as all us execs made our way in. There was a
large, marble round table in the center of the room. Prince asked that we all please leave our phones there before inviting u s to join
him in the dining room. We took our seats around a glass-top table with that symbol, yes, the symbol, frosted into it. Prince took his
place at the head and I kid you not – yes, this was really happening – I ended up in the seat right next to him. Prince didn’t sit in his
chair. He sat on the arm instead.
Prince lamented the state of the music industry and was particularly troubled by what he believed was the younger generation’s lack
of knowledge when it came to music history, something he, of course, revered. At the same time, Prince wasn’t eager to teach any
lessons for free. The fierce protection of his intellectual property, the same fierceness that led him to forfeit his legendary mo niker
for so many years, was on full display as well. If he was going to do anything with MTV to promote the new album, it was clear that
he expected to get paid.
Jim Fraenkel, television producer formerly of MTV New:
Lawless Entertainment Magazine – www.llemag.com