Prince first performed his epic Purple Rain at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Photo / Chris Yunker
Prince first performed his epic Purple Rain at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Photo / Chris Yunker
Prince fans wanting to make a pilgrimage in honour of the Purple One will have to head for the otherwise little appreciated US city of Minneapolis. Winston Aldworth compiles a purple path for the devoted to tread.
First Avenue
A fan pays tribute to Prince outside First Avenue. Photo / AP
The club where Prince first performed his epic song Purple Rainhas also played host to everyone from Joe Cocker to Husker Du, and from DJ Jazzy Jeff to Nirvana. The Purple One even recorded some of the songs for the Purple Rain album there and the club features prominently in the bizarre movie of the same name. For details on the venue that bills itself as "Your Downtown Danceteria Since 1970", go to first-avenue.com.
Purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Photo / iStock
In one of the more baffling quotes from the movie Purple Rain, Prince tells a woman: "You have to purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka." For the record, the waterway in question is 24km southwest of Minneapolis and no true Prince devotee passing through this part of the world can miss a skinny dip in its, er, purifying waters. For the really keen, there's a triathlon in June. lakeminnetonkatriathlon.com
Paisley Park
Opened around the time Prince launched his own record label, Paisley Park Records, the studio was the creative HQ for most of the maestro funk output. He died last night in the studio residence.
Media satellite trucks and fans line the street outside Paisley Park. Photo / AP
Inside, there's a wall that features an illustration of his eyes with a "godlike sunburst" coming from them. On the roof of the building, a large glass pyramid would glow purple whenever he was inside.
The Timberwolves at Target Center
Prince was a big fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo / AP
At high school, Prince was a talented basketballer - later proving his chops in an acclaimed pick-up match against Eddie Murphy's brother, Charlie (Google it now) - and he was a keen fan of the Timberwolves, the local NBA franchise. The Timberwolves are having a tough season (they're 29-53), but come one guys! Do it for Prince! We're all Timberwolves fans, now! For tickets, go to nba.com/timberwolves/tickets.
