Prince fans get insight into star’s hidden world on tour
Music fans around the world and Minnesota residents have long wondered about Paisley Park, the late pop icon Prince’s mysterious studio complex to which few have had full access.
Yesterday, the mystery came to an end for some fans who snared tour tickets and descended on the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen to see inside the late Purple Rain star’s 5100sq m inner sanctum.
The unveiling was decidedly muted. Organisers required ticket holders to meet at an offsite location and be bussed into the complex in groups.
Fans described the tour as an emotional experience, especially when they were confronted by Prince’s ashes in a Paisley Park replica urn.
Fan Rhonda Watson travelled 1600km from Tennessee to tour the complex.
“It is very unique and very distinctive, and it’s a very creative space, just like the musician,” she said. “I am very grateful that I am one of the people that got to experience that today.”
Prince died on April 21 from an accidental overdose of painkillers, at the age of 57. The complex opens one week before a memorial tribute concert in St Paul, which is adjacent to Minneapolis.
The public opening of the studio complex i s a milestone for music lovers and historians. It was the pop legend’s “playground”, said Mobeen Azhar, author of the book Prince: Stories from the Purple Underground.
“Paisley Park is where he would play, experiment and most importantly create,” Azhar said. “That spirit of creativity is just so strong. For that reason, as far as I’m concerned, Paisley Park is holy ground.”
The complex opened in 1987, and was a fully functional recording studio used by a number of artists during its peak in the 1990s, including the Stone Temple Pilots, REM and Madonna.
Prince also arranged impromptu free shows and parties there for small groups of fans.
While some parts of Paisley Park were now outfitted to exhibit memorabilia, other areas — such as his working studio — have been left untouched since the singer’s death, tour attendees said.
Public access to Paisley Park was expected to be short- lived, as Chanhassen city officials granted temporary permits on three dates for the complex to offer tours.