Prince, b.

Prince (b. Prince Rogers Nelson) (1960–  ) rock singer, songwriter; born in Minneapolis, Minn. Defiantly basing himself in his hometown, he did not gain much of a following with his first albums from 1978 and 1979, but his popularity rose with Dirty Mind (1980). Subsequent albums include Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1983), with the hit "Little Red Corvette." In 1984 he starred in the movie Purple Rain, which yielded a Grammy Award-winning album and the hit "When Doves Cry." Subsequent movies did not do as well. After his North American tour in 1984, he withdrew again to work in Minneapolis, where he built expensive recording and film facilities.