Join us as we chart Prince's formative years in Minneapolis, Minnesota with biographer Matt Thorne. We discuss his family background, how he came to be named Prince, his early bands & songwriting (he wrote his first song at the age of 7). Prince's early influences remained pretty consistent throughout his life & included Larry Graham, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Sly Stone, the Jacksons, Tower of Power, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Joni Mitchell, Rufus and Chaka Khan. Some of the early gigs Prince attended included James Brown, Joni Mitchell & Todd Rundgren leading to the formation of his first band Grand Central. Prince's remarkable work ethic was there from the start & this leads to his eventual signing to Warner Brothers Records in 1977, then one of the largest contracts for a new artist in history. Part 2 picks up where this leaves off & goes into detail on Prince's first 2 albums, early singles & tours. Signs Key role of British writer/producer Chris Moon The many home recordings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.