Plan to share best of Prince by opening Paisley Park

THE FAMILY of late pop star Prince are to open his home to the public. Tours of Paisley Park – a sprawling house and recording studio – are to begin in October, run by the company that has turned Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion into a major tourist destination. Prince died of an overdose of painkillers at the gated complex in the Chanhassen, Minneapolis, in April. His family insist plans were in hand before his death to throw open the doors of Paisley Park.

Tickets will cost between £30 (about R555) and £75.

“Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on,” the Purple Rain singer’s sister, Tyka Nelson, said yesterday.

“Only a few hundred people have had the rare opportunity to tour the estate during his lifetime.

“Now, fans from around the world will be able to experience Prince’s world for the first time as we open the doors to this incredible place.”

Elvis died of a heart attack in his home in August 1977, but it was not until 1982 that Graceland was opened to the public.

The second most visited home in the US after the White House, it attracts more than half a million visitors a year.

The plan to offer tours at Paisley Park has yet to be approved by the city council.

Tours would include visits to the studio where Prince recorded most of his hits and the soundstage where he rehearsed for tours and gave private concerts. Exhibits will include his concert wardrobe, awards, musical instruments, artwork, rare recordings, concert memorabilia, cars and motorcycles.

“The museum will display Prince’s genius, honour his legacy, and carry forward his strong sense of family and community,” said the heirs to his estimated £174-million estate. – Daily Mail