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The Beautiful Ones
From Prince himself comes the brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstardom story of one of the greatest artists of all time—featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks and lyric sheets, and the exquisite memoir he began writing before his tragic death.
Prince was a musical genius, one of the most talented, beloved, accomplished, popular, and acclaimed musicians in history. He was also a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of “Uptown” to the mythical landscape of Purple Rain to the psychedelia of “Paisley Park.” But his most ambitious creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, the greatest pop star of his era.
The Beautiful Ones is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is composed of the memoir he was writing before his tragic death, pages that brings us into Prince’s childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us into Prince’s early years as a musician, before his first album released, through a scrapbook of Prince’s writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince’s evolution through candid images that take us up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book’s fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for Purple Rain—the final stage in Prince’s self-creation, as he retells the autobiography we’ve seen in the first three parts as a heroic journey.
The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring’s riveting and moving introduction about his short but profound collaboration with Prince in his final months—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to each of the book’s images.
This work is not just a tribute to Prince, but an original and energizing literary work, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image, his undying gift to the world.
Prince was a musical genius, one of the most talented, beloved, accomplished, popular, and acclaimed musicians in history. He was also a startlingly original visionary with an imagination deep enough to whip up whole worlds, from the sexy, gritty funk paradise of “Uptown” to the mythical landscape of Purple Rain to the psychedelia of “Paisley Park.” But his most ambitious creative act was turning Prince Rogers Nelson, born in Minnesota, into Prince, the greatest pop star of his era.
The Beautiful Ones is the story of how Prince became Prince—a first-person account of a kid absorbing the world around him and then creating a persona, an artistic vision, and a life, before the hits and fame that would come to define him. The book is told in four parts. The first is composed of the memoir he was writing before his tragic death, pages that brings us into Prince’s childhood world through his own lyrical prose. The second part takes us into Prince’s early years as a musician, before his first album released, through a scrapbook of Prince’s writing and photos. The third section shows us Prince’s evolution through candid images that take us up to the cusp of his greatest achievement, which we see in the book’s fourth section: his original handwritten treatment for Purple Rain—the final stage in Prince’s self-creation, as he retells the autobiography we’ve seen in the first three parts as a heroic journey.
The book is framed by editor Dan Piepenbring’s riveting and moving introduction about his short but profound collaboration with Prince in his final months—a time when Prince was thinking deeply about how to reveal more of himself and his ideas to the world, while retaining the mystery and mystique he’d so carefully cultivated—and annotations that provide context to each of the book’s images.
This work is not just a tribute to Prince, but an original and energizing literary work, full of Prince’s ideas and vision, his voice and image, his undying gift to the world.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
930 people are currently reading
10779 people want to read
About the author
Prince
135 books142 followersPrince Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor.
According to Robert Larsen in his book, History of Rock and Roll [2004], Prince is "one of the most talented and commercially successful pop musicians of the last twenty years", producing ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label, writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of the instruments on his recordings. In addition, Prince has been a "talent promoter" for the careers of Sheila E, Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6, as well as writing songs that became hits for other artists including Chaka Khan, The Bangles, and Sinéad O'Connor, making him one of the most successful artists in music history.
Prince was reported to have written more than one thousand songs, some of which have been released by Prince under pseudonyms or recorded and released by other artists. Prince also has hundreds of unreleased songs in his "vault". He has won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year he was eligible.
In that same year Rolling Stone ranked Prince #28 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In a poll by BBC 6Music listeners in April 2010, Prince was ranked the 8th best guitarist of the previous 30 years.
Prince's music has been influenced by R&B, soul, funk, rock, blues, New Wave, psychedelia, folk, jazz and hip hop. His artistic influences include Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Duke Ellington, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder. Prince pioneered the "Minneapolis sound", a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R&B and New Wave that influenced other musicians.
See Prince . for a disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors who are not the musician Prince Rogers Nelson.
According to Robert Larsen in his book, History of Rock and Roll [2004], Prince is "one of the most talented and commercially successful pop musicians of the last twenty years", producing ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label, writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of the instruments on his recordings. In addition, Prince has been a "talent promoter" for the careers of Sheila E, Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6, as well as writing songs that became hits for other artists including Chaka Khan, The Bangles, and Sinéad O'Connor, making him one of the most successful artists in music history.
Prince was reported to have written more than one thousand songs, some of which have been released by Prince under pseudonyms or recorded and released by other artists. Prince also has hundreds of unreleased songs in his "vault". He has won seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year he was eligible.
In that same year Rolling Stone ranked Prince #28 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In a poll by BBC 6Music listeners in April 2010, Prince was ranked the 8th best guitarist of the previous 30 years.
Prince's music has been influenced by R&B, soul, funk, rock, blues, New Wave, psychedelia, folk, jazz and hip hop. His artistic influences include Sly & the Family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Duke Ellington, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder. Prince pioneered the "Minneapolis sound", a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R&B and New Wave that influenced other musicians.
See Prince . for a disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors who are not the musician Prince Rogers Nelson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,207 reviews
October 29, 2019
Prince's unfinished memoir is captured here, in The Beautiful Ones, out now on Penguin Random House. It’s a stunning package, but a difficult proposition. It’s not his memoir. It’s partly that. It’s not a photo book, but it’s partly that. And it’s not a no-hold-barred insight into the man himself, although again — it’s partly that. What we have here is a package created with struggles, but with love. What he wrote of his memoir, combined with unseen photos, lyric sheets, notes, and the original handwritten treatment for the movie Purple Rain.
Prince’s memoir, and the story of how it came about, told by editor Dan Piepenbring, are heartfelt, real words that should be read with care and understanding, and thus it almost doesn’t matter that this book is unconventional. Prince was unconventional. Prince defied normal concepts of time and music. And in this book, we get just enough of a peek behind the purple curtain to leave his mystery intact. Perhaps, in a way, that’s what he would have wanted from this book. Prince’s insights into power, ownership, blackness, music industry conglomerates, and his own troubled childhood are enough for us to understand some of the key tenets of who he really was. And as for the rest? Well — it already exists, in the seemingly endless, iconic, and diverse catalog of music that he released in his 57 years on this planet. And with all the unreleased music in his legendary vault, we’ll still be hearing his story play out for many years to come.
Prince’s memoir, and the story of how it came about, told by editor Dan Piepenbring, are heartfelt, real words that should be read with care and understanding, and thus it almost doesn’t matter that this book is unconventional. Prince was unconventional. Prince defied normal concepts of time and music. And in this book, we get just enough of a peek behind the purple curtain to leave his mystery intact. Perhaps, in a way, that’s what he would have wanted from this book. Prince’s insights into power, ownership, blackness, music industry conglomerates, and his own troubled childhood are enough for us to understand some of the key tenets of who he really was. And as for the rest? Well — it already exists, in the seemingly endless, iconic, and diverse catalog of music that he released in his 57 years on this planet. And with all the unreleased music in his legendary vault, we’ll still be hearing his story play out for many years to come.
January 17, 2020
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo, this book has THEEEE longest introduction EVER, in the whole world... how selfish Dan, this story isn’t about you! I got the audiobook cause I thought it was going down but NOPE. Esperanza Spalding read the book and while I THOROUGHLY enjoy her music, she can’t read a damn thing to me. Sorry E 😬.
This book is pieced together as if held together by gorilla glue, WHEW LORD! Three people read the 3 hour audiobook. THREE PEOPLE, THREE HOURS, SAME MAN, ONE BOOK... chiiiiiiiiiilllllleee BYE! And Dan takes up 1:46:00 of it, HA! Prince would not have wanted this fractured work to be put out in his name. If you want a complete, whole, finished, wonderfully thought through memoir... go read Morris Day’s “On Time” or even Mayte’s “The Most Beautiful” she loved Prince, she put her heart and soul into that book.
Overall, MEH... it’s just a struggle for me, a fan of Prince, to believe that this or even a fraction of this to be a reflection of Prince— maybe I don’t understand it 🤷🏽♀️. Maybe cut out Dan’s recount... it’s unnecessary because Prince is no longer here to combat or edit?? Or maybe he should have put it at the end of the book & don’t call it an introduction cause two hours, my guy, is NOT an intro but an endless epitaph... but I’m no writer— also, there are TONS of Prince celebrity fans, have them say something about him between each chapter, COMPLETE THE BOOK BEFORE YOU DROP IT TO GET PAID. The back and forth of voices REALLY sucked; I know Prince was a Gemini but DAMN! Y’all really DID TEW MUCH 😡. I’m returning it.
YIKES!
This book is pieced together as if held together by gorilla glue, WHEW LORD! Three people read the 3 hour audiobook. THREE PEOPLE, THREE HOURS, SAME MAN, ONE BOOK... chiiiiiiiiiilllllleee BYE! And Dan takes up 1:46:00 of it, HA! Prince would not have wanted this fractured work to be put out in his name. If you want a complete, whole, finished, wonderfully thought through memoir... go read Morris Day’s “On Time” or even Mayte’s “The Most Beautiful” she loved Prince, she put her heart and soul into that book.
Overall, MEH... it’s just a struggle for me, a fan of Prince, to believe that this or even a fraction of this to be a reflection of Prince— maybe I don’t understand it 🤷🏽♀️. Maybe cut out Dan’s recount... it’s unnecessary because Prince is no longer here to combat or edit?? Or maybe he should have put it at the end of the book & don’t call it an introduction cause two hours, my guy, is NOT an intro but an endless epitaph... but I’m no writer— also, there are TONS of Prince celebrity fans, have them say something about him between each chapter, COMPLETE THE BOOK BEFORE YOU DROP IT TO GET PAID. The back and forth of voices REALLY sucked; I know Prince was a Gemini but DAMN! Y’all really DID TEW MUCH 😡. I’m returning it.
YIKES!
December 2, 2020
I gifted this book to my husband and brother, then decided to read it myself, being a Prince fan. Grew up dancing to his music. Something special happened to my body when the DJ put his funky songs on and those disco lights danced across the floor and our writhing figures.
So I enjoyed this peek into his world and into his mind and I loved as a writer seeing his handwritten songs and his drawings. He had the most exquisite penmanship and was an artist to boot (who knew he had that skill, too?).
I think the "coauthor" did his best to present what they could. It for sure leaves you feeling cheated of the brilliance that could have been offered in a true memoir, if Prince had lived. But then again, he loved being unique and mysterious, and by putting it all out there, I think he would have compromised his life's code.
As a flash fiction writer, loved his belief that the music was between the notes. Another great quote: "A word is shaped in the mouth & velocity or subtlety that a word is sung [with] is what characterizes a funky singer or not." Think of that next time you hear a Prince song.
I saw his movie Purple Rain and am glad to discover his parents were not as bad as they were in the movie. He actually adored them, had a special bond with his talented father, also named Prince. (Note he was NOT Prince Jr., ever!)
Overall I felt very sad when I got to the last image in the book. Him alone, back silhouetted at a concert on stage. All black, just him in the spotlight. But a fitting way to end. As he said in 1999: "Everybody's got a bomb we could all die any day/Before I let that happen I'll dance my life away." No matter that dancing in high heels is probably what did him in early, he certainly left us some special music and never compromised his artistic beliefs.
So I enjoyed this peek into his world and into his mind and I loved as a writer seeing his handwritten songs and his drawings. He had the most exquisite penmanship and was an artist to boot (who knew he had that skill, too?).
I think the "coauthor" did his best to present what they could. It for sure leaves you feeling cheated of the brilliance that could have been offered in a true memoir, if Prince had lived. But then again, he loved being unique and mysterious, and by putting it all out there, I think he would have compromised his life's code.
As a flash fiction writer, loved his belief that the music was between the notes. Another great quote: "A word is shaped in the mouth & velocity or subtlety that a word is sung [with] is what characterizes a funky singer or not." Think of that next time you hear a Prince song.
I saw his movie Purple Rain and am glad to discover his parents were not as bad as they were in the movie. He actually adored them, had a special bond with his talented father, also named Prince. (Note he was NOT Prince Jr., ever!)
Overall I felt very sad when I got to the last image in the book. Him alone, back silhouetted at a concert on stage. All black, just him in the spotlight. But a fitting way to end. As he said in 1999: "Everybody's got a bomb we could all die any day/Before I let that happen I'll dance my life away." No matter that dancing in high heels is probably what did him in early, he certainly left us some special music and never compromised his artistic beliefs.
July 16, 2025
I'm glad I read this, but I must say it was incredibly sad to read about what this book was going to be, what Prince had planned to talk about -- a memoir, but also a guide to being an artist.
"If I want this book to be about one overarching thing," Prince told me that day, "it's freedom. And the freedom to create autonomously. Without anyone telling you what to do or how or why."
I think if he'd had the chance to see it through it would have been an invaluable book, probably one of those autobiographies that becomes a classic. It also would have been unlike most other books of it's kind.
As it is, we get a fascinating introduction by Dan Piepenbring, who details all the things Prince had said about his intentions for the book. There are recollections of conversations about what would be included, brief glimpses of would have undoubtedly being a captivating book.
We have the handful of pages Prince had handwritten -- even in these early stages, what he had was good. My heart dropped a little when I got to the end. Then there are pictures and snippets of information, and an early outline of what eventually became Purple Rain. This book has been put together well, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Prince, but there is something quite sad about holding what is ultimately an unfinished product. I'm not suggesting that the saddest part about Prince's death is that he couldn't complete this book, but there is a loss to the literary world that we don't get to read the book that could have been. While reading this I kept thinking about how in The Sandman there is that library that has all the books that the authors only finished in their dreams --- I can picture a finished copy of this on a shelf there.
December 7, 2019
2.5 stars
This is a mish-mash of material that could have been an excellent book if Prince had lived to complete it. The first 57 percent of the book is an introduction by Dan Piepenbring, the writer Prince chose to collaborate with him on the autobiography. Dan tells of his very brief association with Prince lasting only a few months. He explains how he got the job, the time he spent getting to know Prince as they began work on the book, and what happened after Prince died.
The intro is followed by a very brief section in Prince's words that he wrote in longhand about his early life. It's interesting and lyrical, and gives you a glimpse of what the book might have been. The rest of the book is just a bunch of long quotes from magazine and television interviews Prince had done over the years, and a story treatment he wrote for a film.
It's worth a look if you loved Prince. Just start with low expectations. I think Prince would have been least best pleased with this publication. It does have a lot of fun photos from his early life.
This is a mish-mash of material that could have been an excellent book if Prince had lived to complete it. The first 57 percent of the book is an introduction by Dan Piepenbring, the writer Prince chose to collaborate with him on the autobiography. Dan tells of his very brief association with Prince lasting only a few months. He explains how he got the job, the time he spent getting to know Prince as they began work on the book, and what happened after Prince died.
The intro is followed by a very brief section in Prince's words that he wrote in longhand about his early life. It's interesting and lyrical, and gives you a glimpse of what the book might have been. The rest of the book is just a bunch of long quotes from magazine and television interviews Prince had done over the years, and a story treatment he wrote for a film.
It's worth a look if you loved Prince. Just start with low expectations. I think Prince would have been least best pleased with this publication. It does have a lot of fun photos from his early life.
October 27, 2019
It's impossible to know what Prince would have made of the book just published under his byline, and it's probably best not to speculate...but you have to imagine he'd be happy to feel the weight of it. Both literally and figuratively, it's a heavy book, its 280 pages printed on substantial stock and bound between purple covers with a gold dust jacket.
The Beautiful Ones is one of the signal publishing events of 2019, and it's also one of the most poignant. In the last months, indeed the very last days, of his too-short life Prince was actively working on a book project that was, even by the iconic musician's own high standards, ambitious.
"Can we write a book that solves racism?" he asked his collaborator Dan Piepenbring.
Of course Prince didn't actually think he was about to solve racism with a single book — he didn't even wait for Piepenbring to venture an answer before peppering him with another question — but he was certainly thinking about his memoir as an opportunity to advance high-level conversations around race, music, and creativity.
For all its author's vast vision, the book is most crucial in the way it brings Prince down to earth. I reviewed The Beautiful Ones for The Current.
The Beautiful Ones is one of the signal publishing events of 2019, and it's also one of the most poignant. In the last months, indeed the very last days, of his too-short life Prince was actively working on a book project that was, even by the iconic musician's own high standards, ambitious.
"Can we write a book that solves racism?" he asked his collaborator Dan Piepenbring.
Of course Prince didn't actually think he was about to solve racism with a single book — he didn't even wait for Piepenbring to venture an answer before peppering him with another question — but he was certainly thinking about his memoir as an opportunity to advance high-level conversations around race, music, and creativity.
For all its author's vast vision, the book is most crucial in the way it brings Prince down to earth. I reviewed The Beautiful Ones for The Current.
April 19, 2024
Aaaaahhhh, what could have been: This book contains the first thirty pages of the memoir Prince started to write before his untimely death. The text is prefaced by an introduction in which his literary collaborator Dan Piepenbring explains how they met and what the duo intended to achieve with the planned memoir: They wanted it to be a manual for creative people, rendered in an unusual, experimental format. Plus, we get interview bits, scrapbook entries and an excerpt from the original treatment of "Purple Rain" (the movie, that is).
After reading Rocko Schamoni's depiction of Prince's legendary show at the Große Freiheit in Hamburg, I borrowed this audio book on a whim, which means that I missed out on the many images contained in the printed edition. As someone who used to live in the Twin Cities, there's always a candle burning for The Purple One in the cathedral of my heart, and this short conglomerate of texts reminded me that I need to read Mayte Garcia's The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince soon.
After reading Rocko Schamoni's depiction of Prince's legendary show at the Große Freiheit in Hamburg, I borrowed this audio book on a whim, which means that I missed out on the many images contained in the printed edition. As someone who used to live in the Twin Cities, there's always a candle burning for The Purple One in the cathedral of my heart, and this short conglomerate of texts reminded me that I need to read Mayte Garcia's The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince soon.
October 31, 2019
”Those considered “different” R the ones most interesting 2 us.”
5 stars. Such a bittersweet read. I’ve been anticipating this book since it’s announcement years ago when Prince was still alive. Reading it now, with him no longer here and this being unfinished made it so somber. I can’t even imagine what all he would’ve done with this book but for what we got it was still a really beautiful (no pun intended) read. I loved that there were a lot of notes and letters in his handwriting and all of the personal family photos were a great addition. I already look forward to reading it again and picking up a little things I might’ve missed the first time around. If you are a fan of Prince, of course I recommend this book 1000%, just don’t listen to his first album For You while doing so like I did because you will shed tears. Trust me I know.
There will never be another Prince so seeing just a little bit of a more personal side to him and hear his story in his own words was a gift. This was well worth the wait.
5 stars. Such a bittersweet read. I’ve been anticipating this book since it’s announcement years ago when Prince was still alive. Reading it now, with him no longer here and this being unfinished made it so somber. I can’t even imagine what all he would’ve done with this book but for what we got it was still a really beautiful (no pun intended) read. I loved that there were a lot of notes and letters in his handwriting and all of the personal family photos were a great addition. I already look forward to reading it again and picking up a little things I might’ve missed the first time around. If you are a fan of Prince, of course I recommend this book 1000%, just don’t listen to his first album For You while doing so like I did because you will shed tears. Trust me I know.
There will never be another Prince so seeing just a little bit of a more personal side to him and hear his story in his own words was a gift. This was well worth the wait.
October 31, 2019
So unfortunate for us Prince did not get to C this thru....Memories R Good
November 3, 2022
What could have been…
July 6, 2020
I NEED MORE! This book contains 26-pages that Prince wrote intended for his memoir. It's just not enough. The rest of the book features handwritten song lyrics from some of his early songs in the 70s and 80s and quotes from magazine interviews he did and lots of photos; many of them never-before-seen from the 70s and early 80s. How badly I wish he was able to finish this as it started off so beautifully. It was a tribute to his parents. I absolutely loved the anecdotal stories he told of his youth. He was everything you'd expect someone like Prince to be as a boy and young man: the smartest person in the room. He seemingly remained so for the duration of his life. Had he lived to complete it, this book would have been quite a labor of love for him. I truly believe that. Towards the end of his life, he began to be very introspective and this was very apparent during his last tour, Piano & A Microphone. He reflected a lot on his life and the people that came in and out of it over the years. But mostly, I think the purpose of this memoir was to set the record straight about who he was and everything that influenced this, beginning with his parents. I think this is especially true of his father. Both of his parents played a profoundly important role in his life and in a positive way. I think people might be surprised by that because what many fans think is that his family life was similar to the one depicted in the movie "Purple Rain".
Anyway, as a lifelong fan of Prince (starting at age 7), I appreciate even getting a little bit of his story from his own words. This was an emotional read for me because it signaled a sort of final goodbye. It's been over 3 years now since his death and I'm honestly still not over it. I don't think I'll ever be, but in a way, I feel like this memoir sort of helped with a bit of closure, although it wasn't finished. No matter what though, the music and spirit of Prince will be around forever. I'm confident about that. He was indeed an enigma and I'm so grateful I got to live in his lifetime and got to see him perform live a few times. I can still remember thinking during the last time I saw him perform in 2015 that I couldn't believe we were in the same room, breathing the same air, at the same time haha I'm such a Prince stan and I'll forever remain one. I experienced the funk and it will live within me until I take my last breath. Love you, P! Read this book!
Anyway, as a lifelong fan of Prince (starting at age 7), I appreciate even getting a little bit of his story from his own words. This was an emotional read for me because it signaled a sort of final goodbye. It's been over 3 years now since his death and I'm honestly still not over it. I don't think I'll ever be, but in a way, I feel like this memoir sort of helped with a bit of closure, although it wasn't finished. No matter what though, the music and spirit of Prince will be around forever. I'm confident about that. He was indeed an enigma and I'm so grateful I got to live in his lifetime and got to see him perform live a few times. I can still remember thinking during the last time I saw him perform in 2015 that I couldn't believe we were in the same room, breathing the same air, at the same time haha I'm such a Prince stan and I'll forever remain one. I experienced the funk and it will live within me until I take my last breath. Love you, P! Read this book!
January 14, 2020
This book is not a memoir written by Prince! This is a biography written by Dan Piepenbring. I am highly disappointed with this book. The information within these pages were not approved by, nor provided by Prince for the purpose of producing this book. A memoir is a book written by an individual who has chosen to share the details of his or her life. Prince did not write these details to be published in this way. The pictures and paraphernalia in the book was acquired after his death. So without his permission how could this be his memoir? Inquiring minds want to know🧐!
There is so much in this book that I am bothered by. Beginning with the cover picture. As a true Prince fan I am 100% sure Prince would not have chosen that picture for his book cover. Next, there are way too many blank pages. Also, the photos and photo details are in two separate places. A description of each photo can be found in the back of the book, instead of being placed on the same page as the picture🤦🏽♀️. Furthermore, the first 47 pages of the book is written by someone other than Prince. And the list goes on & on.
When I first heard Prince’s memoir would be released I was beyond happy. But then, within the first 80 pages I knew this was not what Prince had intended for his book. This is not Prince’s vision. Clearly Prince did not leave behind enough content to adequately write this book. Therefore, the publisher did whatever they could to stretch this book out.
As a Prince fan I am very unhappy with what I have read. My displeasure is mainly because Prince is named author of the book. But that is not true. I believe the publisher should call this book what it is...a biography! Then maybe I will be able to appreciate it’s content.
There is so much in this book that I am bothered by. Beginning with the cover picture. As a true Prince fan I am 100% sure Prince would not have chosen that picture for his book cover. Next, there are way too many blank pages. Also, the photos and photo details are in two separate places. A description of each photo can be found in the back of the book, instead of being placed on the same page as the picture🤦🏽♀️. Furthermore, the first 47 pages of the book is written by someone other than Prince. And the list goes on & on.
When I first heard Prince’s memoir would be released I was beyond happy. But then, within the first 80 pages I knew this was not what Prince had intended for his book. This is not Prince’s vision. Clearly Prince did not leave behind enough content to adequately write this book. Therefore, the publisher did whatever they could to stretch this book out.
As a Prince fan I am very unhappy with what I have read. My displeasure is mainly because Prince is named author of the book. But that is not true. I believe the publisher should call this book what it is...a biography! Then maybe I will be able to appreciate it’s content.
October 29, 2019
You can't knock stars off it for being incomplete. What I, for one, would give for it to possibly have been completed. It means he would still be here for us.
November 1, 2019
This is not a memoir. It should have been a feature story in Rolling Stone or any number of literary journals. The sketches that are actually written by Prince are fleeting, still mostly unformed, but engaging and worth reading because of the singularity of the talent. Dan Piepenbring's introduction (half the book, really) is illuminating, but again, probably only worthy of a podcast, article or interview and not a book sold as "by Prince." Prince talks about being an alpha creatively, knowing what he wanted, and I'm guessing this book would make the Purple One puke. Fortunately, there's no way to please or displease the dead.
November 10, 2019
I loved Prince from the get go, but facts being facts, it's an interesting yet unfinished work.I'm not discounting the book, but it speaks of his life from birth to him writing the first draft of Purple Rain. Mostly pictures, some writing and his draft which was so good, it make you wish he either started sooner or live long enough to finish. Still, many thanks to those who brought it to this. Thank you.
June 10, 2022
Easy read. Picture and memorabilia book. For Prince fans mostly, though any lover of music may enjoy. Nothing too profound or enlightening here. But, Prince was probably the most talented pop-star musician of all time. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder might be a couple of his only rivals(neither compare to him as a pure entertainer; however, it would be tough to put anyone above McCartney as a song writer).
I imagine there are more accomplished musicians somewhere, but whoever they are, they obviously are not on the level of stardom as the aforementioned. Some pop music aficionados might nominate Todd Rundgren or Lenny Kravitz because of their multi-instrumental abilities, but neither of them reached icon status the way Prince did.
Not only was Prince a virtuoso guitarist, a master pianist-keyboardist, excellent bass player, and underrated drummer, but he could dance better than about anyone of his day, save maybe Michael Jackson; but Michael could play no instruments proficiently, let alone to the level Prince had reached by about age 19.
Prince was as good of a front-man as about anyone: Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, James Brown. And vocal range: baritone to his signature falsetto in an instant. Captain Beefheart comes to mind.
Notwithstanding all this, he did write many great songs and songs in nearly every style of popular music. He was a new-wave pioneer, a funk master, a pop hit machine, an under-appreciated lyricist, and was inventive with electronic music. He could rock. He could write a ballad. And how many Grammy winners have also written and starred in a hit movie, and even won a couple Oscars?
For one quick example of his visionary musical prowess, take the song, "The Cross," from the 1987 album "Sign o' the Times." Here we see Prince prefiguring the grunge music of the early 90's. The bands The Verve Pipe, Live, and Stone Temple Pilots might have heard that one, because it could have fit on one of their 90's albums perfectly.
The best part of this book is the beginning where the co-author describes some of the time he was able to spend with Prince. It gives us some insight into the personality of the purposely mysterious "Little Man".
Overall, there is not much to say about the work itself; but I enjoy the opportunity to laud one of the greatest artists of modern times.
I imagine there are more accomplished musicians somewhere, but whoever they are, they obviously are not on the level of stardom as the aforementioned. Some pop music aficionados might nominate Todd Rundgren or Lenny Kravitz because of their multi-instrumental abilities, but neither of them reached icon status the way Prince did.
Not only was Prince a virtuoso guitarist, a master pianist-keyboardist, excellent bass player, and underrated drummer, but he could dance better than about anyone of his day, save maybe Michael Jackson; but Michael could play no instruments proficiently, let alone to the level Prince had reached by about age 19.
Prince was as good of a front-man as about anyone: Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, James Brown. And vocal range: baritone to his signature falsetto in an instant. Captain Beefheart comes to mind.
Notwithstanding all this, he did write many great songs and songs in nearly every style of popular music. He was a new-wave pioneer, a funk master, a pop hit machine, an under-appreciated lyricist, and was inventive with electronic music. He could rock. He could write a ballad. And how many Grammy winners have also written and starred in a hit movie, and even won a couple Oscars?
For one quick example of his visionary musical prowess, take the song, "The Cross," from the 1987 album "Sign o' the Times." Here we see Prince prefiguring the grunge music of the early 90's. The bands The Verve Pipe, Live, and Stone Temple Pilots might have heard that one, because it could have fit on one of their 90's albums perfectly.
The best part of this book is the beginning where the co-author describes some of the time he was able to spend with Prince. It gives us some insight into the personality of the purposely mysterious "Little Man".
Overall, there is not much to say about the work itself; but I enjoy the opportunity to laud one of the greatest artists of modern times.
January 26, 2024
I think a big reason for the lower ratings on this book is it's really a coffee table book masquerading as a memoir. (Although the format is not coffee table book-sized). Lots of pictures and Prince memorabilia photographed, pictures, hand-written song lyrics, etc., are abundant, but there are only 26 pages of Prince's just-begun memoir, with another 40+ by his co-author telling the story of meeting Prince and beginning to write the memoir. The short time I spent with this book, I enjoyed it and still mourn the loss of this tremendous artist.
October 30, 2019
Obviously, I was going to give this book five stars from the second Prince announced it. But these five stars are deserved. Prince’s autobiographical section is quite slight. But in so few pages, he brings his charm, wit and astuteness. His words provide insight about his formative years. And Dan Piepenbring's introduction is a delight.
We will never know what could have been. But I am thankful for the small amount that was shared.
We will never know what could have been. But I am thankful for the small amount that was shared.
January 18, 2020
This is less a memoir by Prince, more an article written by Dan Piepenbring. The audio is only 3 hours long, so I checked out a physical copy from the library afterward. It’s loaded with photos and notes and such. If this had been completed prior to Prince’s untimely death, it could’ve been brilliant. This is just a bunch of stuff thrown together. Not enough material nor substance.
May 28, 2021
Even though this was unfinished at the time of his death and is essentially a rough draft. It is still great to read one of the last things he was creating. Sad reminder of the great genius that his freinds, family and the world lost. R.I.P. Prince.
March 21, 2020
It's enjoyable for how much (or little) there is. Too bad it never got to completion the way it deserved. I could listen to Prince's musings about music day and night.
November 6, 2019
First off, Prince is one of my all-time favorite artists! But I'm a little disappointed by this book.
Because Prince died in the early stages of writing the book we only get to read roughly 28 pages that he actually wrote. The majority of the book is made up of personal photos and handwritten song lyrics that were found in Prince's home after he died. Throughout the book, there are a series of excerpts from magazine and newspaper articles with quotes from Prince. Although I enjoyed the personal photos, I had hoped this book would delve a little deeper into him personally. Even if Prince were alive to write the entirety of the book I'm not sure he would have even dug too deep into his personal life as he always maintained an air of mystery. Overall, I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Because Prince died in the early stages of writing the book we only get to read roughly 28 pages that he actually wrote. The majority of the book is made up of personal photos and handwritten song lyrics that were found in Prince's home after he died. Throughout the book, there are a series of excerpts from magazine and newspaper articles with quotes from Prince. Although I enjoyed the personal photos, I had hoped this book would delve a little deeper into him personally. Even if Prince were alive to write the entirety of the book I'm not sure he would have even dug too deep into his personal life as he always maintained an air of mystery. Overall, I'm left feeling a bit unsatisfied.
November 6, 2019
Glorified coffeetable book for die hard fans masochistically driven to destroy the mystique. The much too long intro written by the co-author is, in my opinion, literate but tone deaf fanzine blogslop: visiting Prince for dinner at Paisley Park takes on the sinister shades of Jonathan Harker trapped and mesmerized at Dracula's castle.
January 14, 2020
#1) this book is physically GORGEOUS. GORGEOUS. Like absolutely stunning and beautiful. Much like the man, the legend, Prince. #2) Dan Piepenbring - the introductory essay was fantastic. It was so extremely well written without being exploitative. I felt like I really got a look into the man without it being biased out of anything but love. You could feel his love for Prince. His artistry. His work. You could feel how personal Prince can be for people. We all interpret Prince so differently, even from how Prince interprets and explains himself, his life, his upbringing.
There's so much more that I wish I knew. However, I did find the most compelling aspect of this book, outside of the pictures, was the descriptions of love his parents wanted to have for each other, and how they could and couldn't achieve that love and how that affected him as a child, a teen and an adult. I respected how deep he got into the ethos that is his mother. I love that Prince was committed to fully combating the ideas of whiteness around him; and that he got mad James Baldwin in so many segments of the book. I loved his championing of women, creative, strong, beautiful women with wild imaginations. I loved that he saw a powerful imagination as a beautiful thing. I love that he talked about how much work his music took to make. His descriptions of going to live with his father and what that meant to him and what that looked like and how hard his father worked.
The photos, the journal entries, the letters, the cards, the passport photo where he looks like a GOD, the look into Purple Rain and his relationships - honestly, it's all more than we ever deserved. This is the kind of book you have to get a copy of. It's beautiful and it belongs in your home. I loved reading it and I will cherish mine forever.
There's so much more that I wish I knew. However, I did find the most compelling aspect of this book, outside of the pictures, was the descriptions of love his parents wanted to have for each other, and how they could and couldn't achieve that love and how that affected him as a child, a teen and an adult. I respected how deep he got into the ethos that is his mother. I love that Prince was committed to fully combating the ideas of whiteness around him; and that he got mad James Baldwin in so many segments of the book. I loved his championing of women, creative, strong, beautiful women with wild imaginations. I loved that he saw a powerful imagination as a beautiful thing. I love that he talked about how much work his music took to make. His descriptions of going to live with his father and what that meant to him and what that looked like and how hard his father worked.
The photos, the journal entries, the letters, the cards, the passport photo where he looks like a GOD, the look into Purple Rain and his relationships - honestly, it's all more than we ever deserved. This is the kind of book you have to get a copy of. It's beautiful and it belongs in your home. I loved reading it and I will cherish mine forever.
December 16, 2019
uhh this is mostly the story of one young white man's tragic big-break-that-could-have-been then about 30 handwritten pages that prince almost certainly would have wanted to edit. what's good is one of prince's scrapbooks from when he was 19 & of course loads of other pictures of prince who would honestly look hot in a burlap sack rapidly rolling down the side of a mountain. it's a big marketing scam but a great way to hide that is of course to show somebody so many pictures of prince they're foaming at the mouth & smashin that Life Alert button w/ abandon. maybe don't give these people any more money since they're doin some spiritual organ harvesting w/ this one...
April 28, 2020
Prince unfinished memoir..... I loved and still love prince! Such a talent🥰
November 27, 2019
Let me start by saying that I love Prince. I was excited to hear this book was coming out. But unfortunately it is a huge disappointment and like a slap in Prince’s face as well as a slap to all his fans who were really expecting a memoir. This is NOT a memoir. This is someone’s very poor attempt to capitalize on Prince’s name by throwing together this half assed piece of trash and putting his name on it. Shame on yall for this. I’m sure Prince would not have approved of this and he’s most likely looking down throwing eternal shade on all responsible. In the extremely long 47 page intro, Dan recounts Prince’s wishes for the book. Then you turn the pages and none of this shit even remotely is what Prince would’ve wanted. Yall just gathered scraps from various parts of his life and pasted them in a book. Random pieces of old interviews from the 70s and 80s that take up a small corner of the page and the rest is just blank. Old lyrics, some where the ink has bled so you can’t even make out what was written. A bunch of random photos, some of which a quick google search or pinterest dive will turn up. It’s hard to even use the word book because none of the pages are completely filled with writing. And those that are have huge lettering in the first sentence that takes up nearly half the page. Not one page is written completely to the margin. Part 2 is a bunch of notes Prince wrote in very hard to read handwriting. After I struggled through those pages, the very next section is all of that typed out legibly. So basically you printed the same shit twice to take up more space. I’m glad I borrowed this from the library instead of buying it. I love Prince but this so called memoir is a disgrace to his name. The one constant thought that kept going through my head as I read this was ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?
November 27, 2019
"Rhythm came from Africa. We need to stop frontin' about that. Rhythm and heartbeats."
Despite a few close calls I never got to see Prince. My last chance I skipped because it was five hours away and my daughter was less than a week old. It was more tempting when it was rescheduled a week later but I still didn't go, relatively unperturbed because he'd begun doing more frequent tours. It ended up being his last show when he passed a week later.
A book was conceived during that same time period and it would have been exciting to see what he would have created. This book does a good job of picking up the pieces left and creating something beautiful and human.
I'm thankful to share with my daughter a bootleg of that last show in Atlanta.
Despite a few close calls I never got to see Prince. My last chance I skipped because it was five hours away and my daughter was less than a week old. It was more tempting when it was rescheduled a week later but I still didn't go, relatively unperturbed because he'd begun doing more frequent tours. It ended up being his last show when he passed a week later.
A book was conceived during that same time period and it would have been exciting to see what he would have created. This book does a good job of picking up the pieces left and creating something beautiful and human.
I'm thankful to share with my daughter a bootleg of that last show in Atlanta.
April 24, 2020
How does one rate an incomplete book? I listened to the audio version (as I always do), and it was only three hours long. Literally half of that was spent on the introduction. There are a few chapters written by Prince, as well as a collection of various magazine and TV quotes (which were, oddly, read by two different female narrators, despite being in the first person POV of a man). I grew up listening to Prince so, as a fan, I did enjoy hearing more about his life, especially in his own words. I just couldn't shake the feeling that Prince, who was such a perfectionist, would not have been happy with this being released unfinished. I so wish he was still here, and we had been given the opportunity to see what this book - and the rest of his life - might have been.
October 28, 2019
A beautiful book.
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