Prince Page 6

A new EP of unreleased Prince material that was announced in time to mark the first anniversary of the late singer’s death has been pulled from iTunes and other streaming services’ release schedules after his estate filed a lawsuit against the producer.

Barely a day after it was announced on Wednesday (April 19th) that a six-track EP of material from Prince’s fabled Vault, titled Deliverance, would be released this Friday to mark his passing, it has been reported that a lawsuit has been filed to stop its release.

Producer George Ian Boxill allegedly broke a contractual agreement that he “would not use any recordings or property in any way whatsoever”, which includes the title Deliverance.

Continue reading: New Prince EP 'Deliverance' Pulled From Streaming Services After Lawsuit From Estate

The first posthumous EP from Prince is set to arrive this week in the shape of 'Deliverance'; a 6-track collection named for the lead single of the same name. It marks the first anniversary of the singer's death and features all previously unheard material.

Prince pictured at the Super Bowl XLI

The new EP features a set of previously unreleased songs recorded by Prince between 2006 and 2008, including the soaring funk number 'Deliverance' which can be heard today. While the EP is set for digital release on Friday, the physical copies won't be available until June 2nd. 

Continue reading: Prince Celebrated With 'Deliverance' EP One Year After His Death

Much has been made of the ‘vinyl revival’ in albums sales over the last five years or so, with old-fashioned records going ever upwards while CD sales and download sales plateau or tumble. The upsurge in the format’s popularity is in part because of Record Store Day.

Record Store Day 2017

Taking place on a Saturday every April, RSD is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, after it was founded to help out struggling independent record stores that were struggling to compete with supermarkets and the likes of HMV (now, streaming and downloads).

Continue reading: Our Guide To Record Store Day 2017

Nile Rodgers felt he'd been ''struck by lightning twice'' when Prince died.

The 64-year-old artist has admitted he was deeply wounded when he heard the news the 'Purple Rain' hitmaker had died in April this year, although it inspired the title of his album titled 'It's About Time'.

Speaking on his website NileRodgers.com, he said: ''When Prince suddenly died, it was like I'd been struck by lightning twice. It made me ''see'' why I named the next CHIC album ''It's About Time.'' Time is so important, and what we do with it is everything.

Continue reading: Nile Rodgers Felt He'd Been 'struck By Lightning Twice' When Prince Died

The sprawling residence and studio complex of Paisley Park is set to become a permanent shrine to the late pop icon Prince, after the local council approved plans to re-purpose the property as a permanent museum.

In a unanimous vote taken on Monday evening (October 24th), the Chanhassen City Council in Minnesota voted to re-zone Paisley Park as a museum. The 64,000 sq.ft. complex, in Chanhassen City just outside of Minneapolis, was Prince’s sanctuary and creative hub since the late 1980s, and it can now be opened permanently for public tours.

Prince's Paisley Park complex has been granted approval to become a permanent museum

Continue reading: Prince's Paisley Park Is Now Officially A Permanent Museum

The first posthumous releases from Prince are coming soon, starting with a greatest hits collection entitled 'Prince 4Ever'. Along with that comes a never before heard song entitled 'Moonbeam Levels'; an uplifting piano/guitar number with operatic undertones. We can't wait to hear more from 'the vault'.

Prince's unreleased song 'Moonbeam Levels' unveiled

It will be a 40-song bonanza featuring hits the likes of 'When Doves Cry', 'Little Red Corvette', 'Purple Rain', 'Raspberry Beret' and 'Sign O' The Times'; all the hits between 1978's 'For You' and 1992's 'Love Symbol Album'. It also marks the first hits collection to feature 'Batdance' and will also feature the previously unreleased tune 'Moonbeam Levels', which he recorded way back in 1982 originally for the album '1999'. 

Continue reading: New Prince Album To Feature Unreleased Track 'Moonbeam Levels'

Ever since the enigmatic and prolific pop icon Prince died earlier this year, one of the subjects of keen speculation has been about what will happen to the contents of his legendary ‘Vault’ of unreleased material.

Almost precisely six months since the Purple One passed away, it has been announced that the first of the masses of officially unreleased songs will see the light of day, with a new greatest hits package from Warner Bros. plus an expanded re-issue of 1984 album Purple Rain scheduled for the coming months.

Prince's vaults are beginning to open, with the announcement of two posthumous releases

Continue reading: First Posthumous Prince Releases Announced

Stevie Wonder is set to head up a star-studded tribute concert to the legendary Prince in St. Paul, Minnesota next month, that will also feature performances and appearances from people in the late star’s inner circle.

Billed as ‘The Official Prince Tribute’, the show was first announced back in early July, just over two months after Prince had died from an accidental overdose of painkillers, but details of the show have been slow to emerge since then.

In addition to R&B legend Wonder, the line-up also boasts Christina Aguilera, Chaka Khan, John Mayer, Tori Kelly, Anita Baker, Doug E. Fresh and Luke James.

Continue reading: Stevie Wonder And Christina Aguilera Included In Star-Studded Prince Tribute Event

Prince's prodigious backing band the Revolution have reunited in honour of the late 'Purple Rain' singer for the first of three shows at the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. It's the first time the group have performed together as a group since Prince's death in April 2016.

Prince's The Revolution mourn the loss of their frontman

The Revolution announced that they would return to the stage for a set of shows in the Minnesota city, following Prince's untimely departure from this world in the Spring. The first show of the series took place on Thursday night (September 1st 2016) and saw them perform a range of popular hits including 'Let's Go Crazy', 'Little Red Corvette', 'Do It All Night' and 'Sometimes It Snows in April'.

Neo-soul artist Bilal joined the Revolution (who are Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, BrownMark, Dr. Fink and Bobby Z., plus special guests Dez Dickerson and André Cymone) in an astounding rendition of 'The Beautiful Ones'. The band also led three encores at the end of their set: 'Kiss', 'Baby I'm a Star' and, of course, 'Purple Rain'.

The First Avenue club has particular significance in Prince's world, due to the fact that it rose to fame for being the prime location of many scenes in Prince's iconic 'Purple Rain' movie. The film was released in 1984, not long after the club was re-named as First Avenue, and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.

More: Paisley Park open for public tours

Prince was found dead on April 21st 2016 in an elevator in the complex where he lived at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. It was later ruled by the coroner that he had died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, and he was actually found by the son of a doctor with whom Prince had arranged a consultation regarding opioid addiction. He was 57-years-old.

The Revolution also performed on September 2nd and September 3rd.

Paisley Park, the home and studio complex belonging to the late pop superstar Prince, is to open for public guided tours from October, according to the trust company overseeing his estate.

Bremer Trust announced on Wednesday (August 24th) that the sprawling 65,000-square-foot property in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen will be open to the public from October 6th, and will be managed by the company that runs similar tours of Elvis Presley’s Graceland.

Prince's Paisley Park estate will be opened for public tours from October 6th

Continue reading: Prince's Paisley Park Estate To Opened For Public Tours

James Corden teamed up with Coldplay to pay tribute to the late pop legend Prince at the Hollywood Rose Bowl this weekend, as the two duetted on a version of his song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’.

The British host of ‘The Late Late Show’ also celebrated his 38th birthday at the gig on Sunday night (August 21st), as Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin presented him with a cake ahead of his actual birthday the next day.

James Corden performed a Prince song with Coldplay

Continue reading: Coldplay Invite James Corden Onstage To Play Prince Tribute

It has just been revealed that medication labelled as hydrocodone that was removed from Prince's home following his death actually contained dangerous amounts of the opioid fentanyl which was actually his cause of death. An investigation continues into how the singer came into possession of the drug in the days leading up to his passing.

Prince could have been taking fentanyl without knowing

Pills that were labelled as hydrocodone were removed from Prince's Paisley Park home in Minneapolis following his death in April 2016. Only now a source close to the investigation has revealed to The Star Tribune that the drugs were not, in fact, hydrocodone at all, but another much stronger opiate-based drug known as fentanyl - the same drug which the coroner's office revealed the 'Purple Rain' singer overdosed on.

It's not clear whether Prince was knowingly taking fentanyl from a mislabelled container or if he believed he was taking hydrocodone, but authorities believe that the 57-year-old remained unaware of what exactly he was taking. It wouldn't be the first case of its kind, either, of people unknowingly buying counterfeit drugs in the Minnesota and North Dakota areas without a prescription.

More: Prince bought 'Purple Rain' house before death

Some reports reveal that fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine, while others say it is 50 times stronger than heroin. Without a doubt, however, it is true that no-one could have survived after taking the amount that Prince did regardless of the fact that he was very underweight at the time of his death.

Prince died on the morning of April 21st; his body was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound just one day ahead of his appointment with an opioid addiction doctor. He'd already collapsed several days beforehand on his private jet, and was eventually revived by paramedics. It is thought that he took the fentanyl 24 hours before he eventually died.

Prince secretly bought the Minneapolis house which featured in his 1984, semi-autobiographical movie Purple Rain, it has been revealed. Prince purchased the property just eight months before his death and is said to have paid $117,000 in cash, just a little over the asking price of $110,000.

Prince purchased the home featured in Purple Rain before his death.

Speaking to The Star Tribune the home’s selling agent, Deborah Larson said that one day last July she got a call from a woman in California who wanted to quickly make an offer “sight unseen” on the house.

Continue reading: Prince "Secretly Bought 'Purple Rain' House" Months Before Death

Representatives for singer Chaka Khan have confirmed that the 63-year-old has entered rehab to battle her ‘dependence on prescription pain medications’. Kahn’s decision to seek treatment reportedly came after the passing of her friend Prince in April, who was allegedly addicted to pain medication before his death.

Singer Chaka Khan has entered rehab.

A statement on Kahn’s website reads: “Representatives for Chaka Khan announced today that ten-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist Chaka Khan has entered an addiction rehabilitation and aftercare program which will cause her to postpone all dates scheduled for the month of July.”

Continue reading: Chaka Kahn Enters Rehab For Prescription Drug Addiction

A detailed internet archive showcasing many of Prince’s official websites over the years has been launched today.

Called the Prince Online Museum, it was made available on Monday (July 4th) and arrives precisely 10 years after the star closed his pioneering, award-winning digital NPG Music Club. It contains 12 working versions of a dozen of more than 20 different websites Prince launched during his career.

Paying tribute to the late star, who passed away on April 21st from an opioid overdose, and his pioneering use of the internet to connect with his global fanbase during the noughties, it has also been launched with the aim of inspiring new artists to find ways to do the same.

Continue reading: Prince Online Museum Launches, Archiving The Star's Websites Over The Years

The company overseeing the distribution and management of Prince’s estate are considering opening Paisley Park, the massive studio complex in Minnesota that the late singer called his home, up to the public for guided tours.

According to newly released probate court filings, disclosed in a court order issued by the judge overseeing the case in favour of Bremer Trust, the company hired to temporarily oversee Prince’s estate. Bremer had sought permission from District Judge Kevin Eide to hire “monetisation” and “entertainment” experts to convert some of Prince’s assets into cash.

The estate is believed to be worth between $150 million and $300 million, according to various experts.

Continue reading: Prince's Paisley Park Estate Could Be Opened Up To Guided Tours

Tidal are celebrating what would have been Prince’s 58th birthday today by adding 15 more of his albums their catalogue. Prince had been a vocal supporter of Jay Z’s Tidal and he released his final two albums, Hitnrun Phase One and Hitnrun Phase Two exclusively on the streaming service last year.

Tidal have just released 15 Prince albums.

The 15 new albums include his follow up to Sign O' The Times, the Black Album which Prince scrapped a week before its release in 1987. There’s also 1995’s The Gold Experience, 1999: The New Master, The Rainbow Children from 2001 and a collection of live albums.

Continue reading: Tidal Releases 15 Prince Albums To Mark His 58th Birthday

Test results show that Prince died of an opioid overdose, according to an anonymous law enforcement official who has seen the report.

The Associated Press on Thursday (June 2nd) quoted the official, who “spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.” The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet officially released test results, and the most recent statement from them merely said “we have no new information”.

Prince performing at Roskilde Festival 2010

Continue reading: Prince Died From Opioid Overdose, Official Quoted As Saying

Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis has revealed that Prince was close to performing at this year’s festival, which will now be headlined by Adele, Coldplay and Muse. Speaking to The Sun, Eavis said he was sad to learn of Prince’s passing last month, saying he was a ‘real star’ the festival had never had.

Michael Eavis has said Prince was ‘in talks’ to perform at this year’s Glastonbury.

“I was going to meet his agent, it was all planned but it didn’t happen,” Eavis said. “His death was so sad. That’s a real star that we never had.” Prince had previously been close to headlining the festival in 2014, before Metallica took the spot.

Continue reading: Michael Eavis Reveals Prince Was 'In Talks' To Headline This Year's Glastonbury

A Beverly Hills auction house is selling a uniquely shaped, bright yellow guitar used by the late Prince, just over a year after the current owner first bought it at auction. Heritage Auctions is selling the ‘yellow cloud’ electric guitar, which was used by the late singer to perform songs such as ‘Cream’ and ‘Get Off’.

One of Prince’s yellow cloud guitars is going up for auction in June.

The auction will begin on June 24 and has an opening bid of $30,000. The current owner Richard Lecce, bought the custom instrument for around $30,000 over a year ago from the same auction house.

Continue reading: Prince's Bright Yellow Guitar To Go Up For Auction

A 39 year old man currently imprisoned in Missouri has come forward with a claim that he’s the biological son of the late singer Prince, and has requested a DNA test to prove it, according to sensational new reports.

ABC News claims that Carlin Q. Williams, serving time in a federal prison in Colorado for weapons transport, filed a paternity claim against Prince’s estate in the form of an affidavit on Monday (May 9th) alleging that he is the singer’s “sole surviving heir”.

Williams maintains that his mother, Marsha Henson, had a one-night stand with Prince in July 1976 at a hotel in Kansas City, nine months before his birth on April 8th, 1977.

Continue reading: Man Claiming To Be Prince's Son Requests DNA Test

Glastonbury Festival is planning a tribute to Prince, in addition to its confirmed plans to commemorate the late David Bowie next month.

The festival’s organiser Emily Eavis told the BBC on Wednesday (May 4th) that a metal sculpture in the shape of a lightning bolt, inspired by the iconic cover art of Bowie’s 1973 album Aladdin Sane, will hang above performers on the Pyramid Stage.

Massive acts such as Adele, Coldplay and Muse are set to grace the main stage as headliners at the three day festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, in late June.

Continue reading: Glastonbury Plans Prince And David Bowie Tributes

As the mass media continues to speculate as to the cause of Prince’s death, a Californian doctor has claimed that he was scheduled to meet with the legendary artist on April 22nd – the day after he died.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dr Howard Kornfeld, an authority on opioid addiction and its treatment, was contacted by Prince’s representatives on April 20th to help with a “grave medical emergency” because the singer was battling an addiction to painkillers.

Prince had been scheduled to meet with the opioid addiction doctor on April 22, the day after he died

Continue reading: Prince Was Scheduled To Meet With Opioid Addiction Doctor The Day After He Died

Prince’s iconic jacket from 1984 movie Purple Rain is set to be sold at auction in June by California auction house Profiles in History. The jacket was worn by the late singer in the film, most memorably during the scene in which he rides through the woods with leading lady Apollonia.

Prince’s jacket from Purple Rain is going up for auction.

The jacket was said to having been given to a make-up artist who worked with Prince on the film by the singer himself, the day after filming finished. The make-up artist’s sister is the consignor for the sale, according to Jeff Hare, a spokesman for Profiles in History.

Continue reading: Prince's Iconic 'Purple Rain' Jacket Goes Up For Auction

Prince once turned down a cameo in 'New Girl' because it was too racy.

Although the 57-year-old musician went on to have a guest starring role in season three of the sitcom, he originally rejected an offer to appear in a season two episode called 'Virgins' because the devout Jehovah's Witness wasn't comfortable with it.

Show creator Liz Meriwether explained in an article for Vulture: ''We had originally approached Prince in season two for a cameo in an episode called 'Virgins'. He said no. Obviously, in hindsight: The episode was too racy. But we were told he would be interested in coming back to do something else another time. I thought that was just the polite bulls**t of the casting world. So when his manager reached out at the beginning of season three to ask if we were still interested in having Prince on the show, I was shocked.''

Continue reading: Prince Turned Down 'racy' Sitcom Cameo

Prince’s former backing band The Revolution have announced they will be reforming in his honour for a series of reunion shows. The band made the announcement in a video posted to Facebook, explaining that after spending time together grieving they had decide to reunite.

Prince’s former backing band are reuniting.

“We have decided, after spending three or four days together now grieving over the loss of Prince, that we would like to come out and do some shows,” guitarist Wendy Melvoin said, sitting among her bandmates.

Continue reading: Prince's Former Band The Revolution To Reunite For Reunion Shows

Less than a week after his sudden death that shocked the world, Prince’s sister is moving to become the administrator of the late star’s estate and have the assets distributed because he reportedly left no will.

The Associated Press reports on Tuesday (April 26th) that Tyka Nelson, Prince’s only surviving full sibling, has filed paperwork at a Minneapolis court to name her as special administrator of her brother’s estate with authority to “manage and supervise” its assets, and to determine the identity of any heirs, since he died intestate – i.e. leaving no will.

Prince died without leaving a will, according to his sister Tyka Nelson

Continue reading: Prince's Sister Claims He Died Without Leaving A Will

Kate Bush has penned a heartfelt tribute to Prince, following his untimely death last Thursday (April 21st). The notoriously private star took to her website to share her sadness over his death, describing the singer as ‘playful and mind-blowingly gifted’.

Kate Bush has paid tribute to Prince following his death on April 21st.

“I am so sad and shocked to hear the tragic news about Prince,” Bush wrote. “He was the most incredibly talented artist. A man in complete control of his work from writer and musician to producer and director. He was such an inspiration.”

Continue reading: Kate Bush Posts Heartfelt Tribute To Prince

Many famous faces have made appearances in ‘The Simpsons’ over the years, including Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and JK Rowling, but one star whose planned episode sadly never made it to screens was the late Prince. On twitter showrunner Al Jean treated fans to a look at two pages of the un-produced episode, which was rejected by the singer himself.

Prince had been asked to appear in his own ‘Simpsons’ episode.

According to ‘Simpsons’’ lore, the episode was a follow-up to season three opener ‘Stark Raving Dad’ in which Leon Kompowsky believed he was Michael Jackson, with the King of Pop providing Leon’s voice.

Continue reading: 'The Simpsons' Show Producer Shares Script From Rejected Prince Episode

Actor Will Smith has posted a heartfelt tribute to his friend Prince, revealing he spoke to the musician the night before his death. Writing on Facebook, Smith expressed his shock and sadness at hearing Prince had died on Thursday (April 21st) aged just 57.

Will Smith has revealed he spoke to Prince the night before his death.

“I am stunned and heartbroken,” Smith wrote. “I just spoke with him last night. Today, Jada & I mourn with all of you the loss of a beautiful poet, a true inspiration, and one of the most magnificent artists to ever grace this earth.”

Continue reading: Will Smith Reveals He Spoke To Prince The Night Before His Death

Prince is back in the UK charts this week, just hours after after news of his untimely death broke on Thursday evening. Early numbers also indicate that Prince could find himself on top of the UK charts later this week, despite most of his music being unavailable on streaming services.

Prince has re-entered the UK charts following his death on Thursday.

In the album chart two Prince complications re-entered the top 20. Ultimate Prince, released in 2007, went straight in at number 10, after previously debuting at number six nine years ago. Another compilation, The Very Best Of Prince, from 2001, re-entered at number 18.

Continue reading: Prince Re-Enters UK Chart Just Hours After His Death

Our hearts broke yesterday when we discovered that legendary funk/soul/rock/pop genius Prince had passed on so suddenly. But he's left behind an unforgettable legacy and a back catalogue of music that will be played and re-played for decades more to come.

Prince's musical legacy lives on

The artist...
Prince was a Minneapolis born musical innovator who passed away on April 21st 2016 at the age of 57. He was known for the sexual suggestion in his music, his androynous style and his ability to create across all genres. He sold 100 million records worldwide and won no less than seven Grammy awards.

Continue reading: Album Of The Day: 'Sign O'The Times' By Prince

Justin Bieber has become exceptionally gifted at making people annoyed with him over the last few years. His latest controversial venture has been to totally disrespect (whether intentionally or not) the memory of recently deceased musical legend Prince, who stands as one of the greatest entertainment innovators of all time.

Justin Bieber insults Prince fans 

While celebrities and fans were sending out heartfelt tributes and messages to the 'Purple Rain' singer, Bieber took the chance to remind everyone that there are still other legends alive and well in the world. Unfortunately, he appeared to be referring to himself.

Continue reading: Justin Bieber's Guide To Annoying Prince Fans

Noel Gallagher took the opportunity to pay tribute to the late pop icon Prince on the opening night of his latest UK tour last night in Glasgow, as the venue’s operators bathed the outside of the SSE Hydro Arena in purple light in honour of the star.

As reported late on Thursday (April 21st), Prince was discovered dead, reportedly in an elevator, at his Paisley Park home and studio complex in Minnesota at the age of just 57. No cause of death has yet been stated, but tributes have been flooding in from around the music world ever since the news broke.

Noel Gallagher performing at the Glasgow SSE Hydro Arena on April 21st

Continue reading: "Heartbroken" Noel Gallagher Pays Tribute To Prince At Glasgow Gig

Celebrity tributes are rolling in in their vast numbers on Twitter following the announcement of the shocking sudden death of pop legend Prince yesterday (April 21st 2016). The 'Purple Rain' superstar passed away at just 57 after battling the flu for several weeks. He was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park home.

Prince receives a lot of love from fellow stars

He'd only just announced that he was working on an autobiography, set to be released in 2017. But now it looks like that plan's unlikely to follow through given the tragic circumstances. It's not just a shock in terms of the death being unexpected, but it's that he's the latest in a string of surprising deaths this year following the likes of David Bowie, David Gest, Alan Rickman, Maurice White, Victoria Wood... the list goes on.

Continue reading: Everyone From Madonna To President Obama Express Their Sadness Over Prince's Death

Prince’s death has triggered an outpouring of emotion from all around the world but Lily Allen has found herself in trouble from both Prince and Rita Ora fans after she appeared to criticise the former X Factor judge’s memory of her idol.

Rita Ora posted a lengthy tribute to Prince after his untimely death

Rita - who featured on Prince’s last album released in December HITRUN Phase One - wrote a lengthy tribute to the Purple Rain hitmaker remembering the time they spent making music together.

Continue reading: Lily Allen Faces Backlash Over Her Criticism Of Rita Ora's Prince Tribute

Soul star Aretha Franklin has described the untimely death of Prince as "such a blow". The RESPECT singer paid tribute to the Purple Rain hitmaker who passed away at his home on Thursday, April 21 after displaying ‘flu-like symptoms’. Describing Prince as a "unique individual", Aretha Franklin, 73, said he was into his music "to the max".

Prince has been mourned by many across the world

Female First reported that Aretha said: "It’s really surreal. It’s just kind of unbelievable."

Continue reading: Aretha Franklin Describes The Loss Of Prince As A "Blow"

American pop legend Prince has died suddenly at the age of just 57, the star’s publicist confirmed. The singer was reportedly found unresponsive at his home in Minnesota on Thursday morning (April 21st), and was later declared dead, according to TMZ.

The entertainment site reported that police responded to a medical call at Prince’s Paisley Park estate. The medical examiner and crime department reps showed up, but the identity of the deceased was first revealed by the singer’s publicist Yvette Noel-Schure.

Prince performing in 2014 at Leeds First Direct Arena

Continue reading: Pop Legend Prince Dies Suddenly At His Home In Minnesota, Aged 57

Fans or not, Prince doesn't want you sharing his performances.

The 55 year-old singer is suing 22 of his fans for allegedly posting links to illegal downloads of his live performances.

The singer filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in the Northern District of California on Jan 16th against 22 people for $1 million each, totalling to a $22 million, The Independent reports.

Continue reading: Prince Sues 22 Fans For Posting Bootlegged Copies Of Performances Online

Prince will be bringing his Hit & Run tour to U.K shores. He’ll play "iconic venues in and around London", after arriving on 3 February, according to a statement, while the dates are in support of a new album, PlectrumElectrum, recorded with his all-female band, 3rdEyeGirl.

Prince rocking out at Hop Farm in 2011

Tickets are likely to be in high demand for the Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret and Cream singer, whose live shows have been praised for their frenetic showpieces and electric energy. "Details about the event are very hush-hush at this time but as we find out more, you will be the 2nd ones to know," said a press release.

Continue reading: Watch This Space If You Want To See Prince Live In London - Dates To Be Announced

Golden Globes Glory: Last weekend's Golden Globe awards set hearts racing ahead of March's Oscars with plenty of deserving winners next to a few jaw-dropping snubs. 12 Years A Slave predictably came out on top with the big gong but a few unpredictabilities set award odds and Oscars speculation askew. Newbie comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine saw off rivals to claim two awards whilst Blue Jasmine's Cate Blanchett took the leading lady award alongside Dallas Buyers Club's  for the men.

Gravity's Alfonso Cuarón stole Best Director from Steve McQueen whilst Breaking Bad and Behind The Candelabra snatched the big TV awards. The surprise wins also made for some truly memorable speeches too, with Elisabeth Moss exclamation of "Oh s**t!" and Jacqueline Bisset's sweary ramble marking two particular highlights. Read about all the winners here.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Globes And Oscars Mania, Prince Finds His Funny Bone, Lena Dunham Gets A Vogue Make-Over

Arcade Fire are officially headliners at Glastonbury 2014! After much speculation and finger crossing, the Canadian alt-rockers have been confirmed as the first headline act for 2014's outing at Worth Farm in Somerset next June.

Arcade Fire will headline Glasto for the first time

The band confirmed their billing themselves, taking to Twitter to reveal a list of European dates due to take place in the same week at the end of June. As well as the stop off at Worthy Farm, AF will also be paying Rock In Roma and Villa Franca Di Verona a visit, as well as headlining a show at Marlay Park in Dublin. The band's own announcement was later followed up by a tweet from festival organiser Emily Eavis, with a statement from the festival's own Twitter page reading: "We're very pleased to announce that Arcade Fire will headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2014 on Friday 27th June."

Continue reading: Arcade Fire Confirmed As First Headlining Act For Glastonbury 2014

Rita Ora is set to release her sophomore album sooner than you might have expected, as the singer recently told The Mirror her still-untitled second LP is just about done. Want to thank someone for getting the album up and running so soon? how about the artist formerly and currently known as Prince!

Rita has some big names lined up for the new release

The Purple One has contributed to at least one of the tracks on the follow-up to 2012 No. 1 album Ora, although she remained coy over just how much they have worked on together. She told the paper, "I have met him and I have had the honour of being in the same studio as him. We messed around with some music and you know, I can't believe he can play so many instruments. All I can say is that we've definitely done some music together."

Continue reading: Rita Ora Says New Album Is Almost Done (Thanks To A Little Help From Her Friends)

Rita Ora has a pretty booked up schedule ahead of her. In addition to filming her part in the upcoming movie adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey, the singer is also working hard on her sophomore album, but on the plus side she has been getting help from some of the best in the business to bring her second album to life.

Rita has described both Prince and Stefani as her biggest influences

We're not exaggerating when we say 'the best' either, because Ora has been working with the one and only Prince! The 'Radioactive' singer revealed recently that she and the legendary Purple One have been in the studio together, but without getting specific she only went as far as saying the pair have "done some music together."

Continue reading: Rita Ora Recruits Prince, Gwen Stefani, For New Album

2013 is the year of the 'selfie,' the Oxford English Dictionary reckons at least, as the word used to describe a self-shot photograph has been named as the word of the year by the established dictionary authority. According to the Oxford English Dictionary web page, the decision to adopt selfie as word of the year was a " unanimous" decision, noting a 17,000 per cent increase in the usage of the word over the past 12 months.

Mariah Carey is one star who has helped boost the 'selfie' craze

The powers at the Oxford English Dictionary have gone on to chart the rise of the word selfie, tracing its origins to a 2002 ABC Online forum posting. The word experts noted the wider use of the word in 2003 and its adoption into common usage by 2012, but it isn't until 2013 that selfie has become worthy of the Word of the Year title. It beat such buzzwords as 'bitcin,' 'showrunning' and the ever popular 'twerk' to emerge victorious, but what is it that has made 2013 the year of the selfie?

Continue reading: 'Selfie' Is The Word Of The Year: Charting Its Rise To The Top

George and Harry listen up: there's another Prince in town and he's got more 'Groovy Potential' than you. After it was reported that that singer had been spotted backstage at Kings of Leon's Shepherd's Bush gig, 'The Purple One' has now confirmed his UK presence with a series of shots entitled "LONDON."

Prince Is Getting Used To This Twitter Lark.

Posting from the Twitter account named after the band he's been recently touring with, 3rdEyeGirl, the star began to learn the art of the Tweet with the standard "selfie," the food shot, a video post and now - the cherry on the cake of Twitter ubiquity - some travel shots.

Continue reading: Prince's Twitter Explodes Into Life With Cryptic 'London' Photos

Prince has decided to grace us with his presence on Twitter. The elusive and technophobic singer, who famously declared in 2010 that the "internet's completely over", has finally decided to join the social networking site. Posting his comments under the name '3rdeyegirl', he named his account for the band who has been accompanying him on his tour this year. 

Prince 'Bourne Ultimatum' After Party at Shoreditch House - departures London, England 

Although Prince initially chose not to control the account himself (presumably allowing representatives to Tweet for him) he took charge on Tuesday (13 August), announcing his presence by writing "PRINCE'S FIRST TWEET. TESTING.1,2." 

Continue reading: Prince Declares The Internet Is "Not Over" By Joining Twitter

Ok, so this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, featured intimate performances from the likes of Prince, Justin Timberlake, the Sound City Players, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Green Day and Kendrick Lamar, though one memorable moment from 2013 appears to be making all the headlines. "Drunk bully gets knocked out" is a video that began pulling in the YouTube views midway through the festival, after one attendee captured an incident on the Austin streets on a smartphone. Of course, we don't condone violence, but isn't there something sweet about seeing a drunken bully stumble around hitting innocent bystanders, only to be given a taste of his own medicine? Sure there is.

After reading the video title, you just know what's going to happen. The only thing left to do is try and guess which of the SXSW festivalgoers gives the drunken bully a face full of fist before it actually happens. Eagle eyed watchers will have spotted the guy with the grey t-shirt asking his friend whether he has his back, around 10 seconds into the video. From there, he plans the whole thing out, waits for his moment, and BOOM. 

Continue reading: SXSW Memorable Moments: Drunk Bully Gets Knocked Out (Video)

Prince cause one heck of a 'Housequake' when he brought the Austin, Texas music and film festival South by Southwest to a memorable close on Saturday night, ensuring that the party kept going until the early hours as he even outlasted some of the fans. The pint-sized pop star went on until 3 am, bringing the festival to an end in pure Price style, by leading a brass band-backed, funk showcase that even featured hip hop legends A Tribe Called Quest.

In front of only 300 people in the tiny La Zona Rosa venue, Prince went on and on behind a giant video board, occasionally dropping his rock-star act to serve as band leader of the massive backing group he brought with him for Saturday night's grand spectacle. For a festival that drew in 2,200 bands and artists this year alone, Prince's intimate yet extraordinary performance topped off the week with a show-stopping display that saw him play such hits as 'Purple Rain', '1999' and even a Curtis Mayfield and a Michael Jackson cover. With a potential finisher coming to a close, Prince reminded his fans that the show wont be a brisk run through of some hits, telling the audience "Don't make me hurt you. You know how many hits I got?"

The show, which was sponsored by electronics manufacturer Samsung, was a strictly no cameras affair, as is the attitude of Prince towards the prospect of piracy. Still, it didn't stop the audience enjoying the hit-parade as it went on into the night - those that lasted anyway. Prince was competing with fellow festival closers Justin Timberlake and the Smashing Pumpkins, but it was easily the little purple man who did the festival justice with the final performance of the festival. Green Day, Dave Grohl, Vampire Weekend, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs also all performed at SXSW this week too, who knows how organisers are going to top it next year!

Continue reading: Prince Brings SXSW To A Memorable Close With Mammoth Show!

250 lucky competition winners will get the chance to see Prince perform with a 21-piece band at the SXSW closing party this week. The legendary singer has been confirmed as a performer for one of the Texas' festival's closing shows, before an intimate crowd of contest winners, reports The Guardian.

Electronics giant Samsung will fund Prince's SXSW debut show, in the same way it bankrolled Kanye West's gig at a launch event in 2012. To be eligible for a ticket for the concert on Saturday (March 16, 2013), fans must be either SXSW badge-holders or owners of a Samsung Galaxy phone. The room at La Zona Rosa will be strictly limited to just 250 people, where Prince will perform a career-spanning set with his band. "Prince is a legend and true creative and musical genius who has been pushing the boundaries of music for more than 35 years," Todd Pendleton, Samsung's chief marketing officer, told Mashable. "Having Prince in Austin at his first SXSW show will truly be a one-night-only experience that our Samsung Galaxy owners and friends will remember for years to come."

It's certainly SXSW's biggest draw of the week, though the festival in Austin, Texas, is also scheduled to include performances from the likes of Green Day, Depeche Mode, Justin Timberlake and Dave Grohl's all-star group the Sound City Players. 

Continue reading: Want To See Prince Perform With 21-Piece Band At SXSW?

We've all had that moment; looking at photos of our favourite celebs and then jumping out of our seats screaming, 'He's HOW old?!' Well, we've been doing a lot of that here at ContactMusic. Some stars seem to have crept up the age ladder pretty sneakily, the odd wrinkle and grey hair barely registering on our radar, while others don't seem to have aged at all! English football player David Beckham was in his twenties when he rose to global popularity and, looking at his recent H&M underwear advert, it seems that his iconic hairstyles and tattoos are our only way of working out the old from the newer pictures of him. However, he is only 37 and has plenty of time to catch up yet. It's the over-50s that have really had our mouths agape in recent times as we've been scouring the net for the most youthful looking middle to old aged stars. 

(Anthony Kiedis, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey)

Continue reading: Good Genes Or Good Ops: Which Male Celebrities Don't Show Their Age?

Annually, the Grammys is one of the biggest events for music across America and in Europe. In fact, it has dubbed itself 'music's biggest night'. Celebrating the best in pop, hiphop, soul, R&B and much of what comes in between, it never fails to be a veritable who's who from the Spotify playlists of the masses. And this year will be no different. Not only are the nominees ones to look out for, absences are worthy of note, as are this year's presenters and some very special performances.

As Yahoo report, this year's presenters include Grammy royalty, Prince, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, all of whom have been nominated or won Grammys before.  

In terms of performances to look forward to, this year we have some unusual and largely unexpected pair ups. Elton John and Ed Sheeran will take to the stage together. An unusual pairing, they're both Brits with unusual song writing talent. While John is a true showman and is well known for his intereSting outfits and outrageous glasses, Sheeran is distinctly more low key. We're not sure how this is going to work, but we're guessing it'll be great. Bruno Mars, Sting and Rihanna will all also perform together, as will Alicia Keys and Maroon 5, and Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert. 

Continue reading: 55th Grammys Preview: 'Music's Biggest Night' Wont Fail To Impress

Prince didn't waste any time in reigniting old feuds. Just days after releasing new material; the single 'Screwdriver', with an all-female trio, the legendary pop icon is speaking about Madonna, again. 

When talking about his old relationship with Warner Brothers, Prince took the opportunity to bring Madge into it. "It was also about Madonna," he says to Billboard. "She was getting paid, but at the time we were selling more records and selling out concerts on multiple nights. It wasn't about her. This was about business." Following their frankly strange relationship, way back in 1985, and their collaboration on 1988's 'Love Song', the pair have had often aired their dirty laundry in public. "[He] was a little troll," Madge said of Prince said during a 1994 interview, "He was just sipping tea, very daintily. I have this theory about people who don't eat. They annoy me."

And on Maroon 5, who perhaps don't have the same star status as either him or Madonna, Prince has plenty to say.  They included a cover of his song 'Kiss' on their latest album. "I do pay performance royalties on others' songs I perform live, but I'm not recording these songs and putting them up for sale," he says. "Why do we need to hear another cover of a song that someone else did? Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what's already there."

Continue reading: Prince Slams Madonna, Maroon 5 Too; He's Back!

If Prince releases a song called ‘Screwdriver,’ you can bet your bottom dollar that he’s not started waxing lyrical on the pros and cons of various DIY tools.

Sure enough, Prince’s latest song has the 54 year-old singing “I’m your driver, you’re my screw” proving that he’s not lost his touch, when it comes to shoe-horning a good old sex metaphor into his tunes.

The song itself, which is currently streaming on YouTube in the form of a colourful lyric video, starts out as a Beatles-esque stomper and takes on a glam rock style. In fact, Prince somehow manages to cram pretty much every rock and roll cliché into one song, yet still make it sound like one of the freshest things released in years. Prince hasn’t released an album since 2010’s aptly titled 20Ten and speaking to Billboard, he insisted that he’s no longer in the business of churning out albums.

Continue reading: Prince's New Song 'Screwdriver' Is A Glam-Rock Stomper

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson were spotted letting off some steam at a Prince concert, which should go some way towards answering the ‘are they still together?’ question. 

According to TMZ, “Rob and Kristen rolled up to the Sayers Club in Hollywood in the same SUV . . . and sneaked into the back entrance to see the Purple One live in concert. A short time later, the couple rushed back into the car — trying to cover their faces — but it was too late . . . they'd been made.” During the show, "He was behind her – holding her around her hips," an onlooker told PEOPLE. "They were sweetly affectionate and tender. They stood the entire show and loved every second." Just in case any of you were struggling with the aforementioned question, the answer is increasingly looking like a big old yes, which a few months ago would have been a ridiculous thing to suggest, considering the high profile infidelities that seemingly ripped their young love to pieces. 

The pair were probably just enjoying some quality time together after, like a naughty partnership at the back of the class, they were separated for promo duties for the Breaking Dawn. Robert was down under in Australia while Kiristen was putting in the hours in Japan. Life’s tough. 

Continue reading: Kristen Stewart And Robert Pattinson Go To Prince Concert On A Date?

Beyonce being announced to perform at the Super Bowl was like the Coca Cola Christmas ad or watching Forest Gump on a public holiday: it just felt right. And given the pantheon of stars to perform at the event, which now gleans over 100 million views, Beyonce has some high company indeed.

Michael Jackson famously performed at Super Bowl XXVII, which featured the late king of pop leaping from the Rose Bowl scoreboards to his stage on the 50-yard line, where a whopping 3,000 dancers accompanied him as he blasted out some of his most infectious tunes. Another timeless,Super Bowl perfoemance, though not at half time, was Whitney Houston at match XXV. Another late star, Houston powered through an almighty rendition of the national anthem, taking its rightful place alongside Marvin Gaye's stirring rendition of the anthem before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. Ah, memories. Diana Ross at Super Bowl XXX back 1996 can’t go by without a mention either; in her prime, the diva fitted nearly all her hits into one performance, and made sure she gave a varied one, with nearly as many costume changes.

U2 and Prince took the stage for Super Bowl’s XXXVI and XLI respectively, and both gave astounding shows. U2’s was particularly pertinent because it was the first after 9/11, and Prince? Well it rained a lot for Prince’s go, but he still worked the crowd like a pro. Beyoncé has some gargantuan pop-shoes to fill, but given that she’s one of the most talented artists of today, she’ll make it happen we’re sure. Anyone got any odds on a cameo from Jay Z?

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe quipped that he could put a revolutionary new twist on the character of James Bond.

The 18-year-old actor was celebrating with fellow cast members after Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was voted best film and Radcliffe named best male at the first ever National Movie Awards.

After beating sex symbol Daniel Craig to the best male award, Radcliffe was asked whether he'd like to one day take over as 007.

"It would be weird to suddenly be involved in another big franchise, but hey, it takes a big man to turn down Bond."

When quizzed as to who his ideal leading lady would be, he quipped that his top choice would be co-star Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

"I'm going to say Rupert," Radcliffe joked. "I'll be the first gay James Bond!"

But the young star – who is expected to reprise his critically-acclaimed performance in Equus on the Broadway stage – accepted that he might not have the goods to play the spy with a licence to kill.

"I don't think the world's ready for a short-a**e Bond," he moaned.

Questioned if he'd fancy playing the role in a decade, Radcliffe, only 5ft 5ins, admitted: "I'll still be a short a**e!"

Radcliffe is currently starring in Australian coming-of-age drama December Boys and is set to soon begin filming on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth feature in the Jk Rowling franchise.

Continue reading: Radcliffe: I'll Be First Gay Bond!

Following a strange appearance on American Idol, Prince has come under fire from Simon Cowell for his performance on the show's season finale on 24th May, 2006. The flying visit annoyed Cowell, as the 'Purple Rain' singer arrived very briefly for two songs, before leaving without saying anything to the audience or contestants.  

Simon Cowell hopes his contestants will not repeat Prince's performace

Ryan Seacrest - the host of American Idol, explained how he wasn't even sure that Prince would arrive on the show, as he only arrived at the Kodak Theatre within a matter of minutes before he was scheduled to go on stage to perform. Prince then left, refusing to greet the audience or talk to any of the contestants. 

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Criticises Prince Over American Idol Performance

Singer turned actress, Nona Gaye - known for her appearance in the 'Matrix' sequels - has stated that she was left heartbroken by the musician Prince. The singer/songwriter was 16 years older than Gaye when he suggested that the couple would be married. He then turned around and proposed to his later wife, Mayte Garcia, breaking the heart of Gaye.

Related: Prince Signs Major New Record Deal With Warner Bros

The actress discussed the relationship, by saying "I never really knew him, and I never let him really know me. I tried to be this woman I thought he wanted - very passive, letting him lead. He told a friend of mine he was going to marry me and take care of me. I knew I wouldn't get anything better than that from him, so I believed it."

Continue reading: Marvin Gaye's Daughter Will Never Forgive Prince