• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 January #1
  More scrapbook than memoir, this collection of photographs documenting Prince's life from his birth through his 1980s heyday reminds readers how skilled, funky, and glamorous the artist was until his death by accidental fentanyl overdose at home at age 57. An introduction by cowriter Piepenbring, an editor for the Paris Review, is followed by a personal essay by Prince, followed by captions, sidebars, and quotes from rare TV and early magazine interviews, along with expressions of adoration by such greats as Santana, Sly Stone, and Beyoncé. Most touching are passages written in Prince's signature style ("Cari was the 1st girl 2 expose a brotha 2 just straight-up animal lust") and revelations of his deep love for his musician parents ("My parents were beautiful"), especially his father, who taught him the Batman theme on piano, and, after his parents divorced, reluctantly accepted 12-year-old Prince into his apartment when his mother remarried. Here, too are 16 handwritten lyrics for such hits as Dirty Mind and Little Red Corvette. Prince's 11-page treatment for the film Purple Rain wraps up the book's content.There is royal weirdness here. Prince, for example, required of Piepenbring a book proposal and a flight from New York to Australia, where he was left holed up in a hotel room with a stack of draft memoir pages to read and comment on, while Prince stayed next door, uncommunicative. Having finally earned Prince's trust, Piepenbring had to be the one to be aggressive about book advances and early marketing strategies before the book was even fully outlined. After all that, Prince died three months later. A work at turns affecting and raw, given that Piepenbring was not allowed to take notes or record conversations, this is, ultimately, an altar candle lit in the wake of an icon's passing. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 January #1
  More scrapbook than memoir, this collection of photographs documenting Prince's life from his birth through his 1980s heyday reminds readers how skilled, funky, and glamorous the artist was until his death by accidental fentanyl overdose at home at age 57. An introduction by cowriter Piepenbring, an editor for the Paris Review, is followed by a personal essay by Prince, followed by captions, sidebars, and quotes from rare TV and early magazine interviews, along with expressions of adoration by such greats as Santana, Sly Stone, and Beyoncé. Most touching are passages written in Prince's signature style ("Cari was the 1st girl 2 expose a brotha 2 just straight-up animal lust") and revelations of his deep love for his musician parents ("My parents were beautiful"), especially his father, who taught him the Batman theme on piano, and, after his parents divorced, reluctantly accepted 12-year-old Prince into his apartment when his mother remarried. Here, too are 16 handwritten lyrics for such hits as Dirty Mind and Little Red Corvette. Prince's 11-page treatment for the film Purple Rain wraps up the book's content.There is royal weirdness here. Prince, for example, required of Piepenbring a book proposal and a flight from New York to Australia, where he was left holed up in a hotel room with a stack of draft memoir pages to read and comment on, while Prince stayed next door, uncommunicative. Having finally earned Prince's trust, Piepenbring had to be the one to be aggressive about book advances and early marketing strategies before the book was even fully outlined. After all that, Prince died three months later. A work at turns affecting and raw, given that Piepenbring was not allowed to take notes or record conversations, this is, ultimately, an altar candle lit in the wake of an icon's passing. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Prince Rogers Nelson remains one of the most popular and influential musical acts of all time. Known for his style and range, Prince&;s prolific music career included an ever-evolving sound that blended pop, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and soul. Prince sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, making him one of the bestselling artists of all time. He won seven GRAMMY® Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award® for the film Purple Rain. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Prince tragically passed away at his Paisley Park home on April 21, 2016. His legacy lives on through the timeless messages of love in his music and the countless ways his work has touched lives.

Dan Piepenbring is an advisory editor at The Paris Review and the coauthor, with Tom O&;Neill, of Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties.