Growth Expert Gian Fiero's presentation on lessons learned from Prince with an emphasis on dealing with record companies, becoming an independent artist, the significance of building a strong brand, and developing superlative songwriting and performance skills.

1. Lessons Learned From
P r in c e
Success Strategies for Signed & D.I.Y A
. rtists
Conducted By Gian Fiero

2. OBJECTIVES
• Analyze
• Identify
• Extrapolate
• Apply

3. ORIGINS
• Prince was born June 7, 1958

4. ORIGINS
• Mother, Mattie Shaw
• Father, John Nelson
• Prince Rogers Trio
• Father had three children from
previous marriage (Lorna,
Sharon, and John)
• Mother had a son from a
previous marriage (Alfred)
• 2 parents, 6 children, from 3
different marriages

5. ORIGINS
Tyka Nelson

6. ORIGINS
• He started playing the piano at 5; was proficient by age 7

7. ORIGINS
• Loved basketball
• Bullied as a child
• His mom nicknamed him
“Skipper”
• Parents divorced when he
was 10

8. ORIGINS
• His mother re-marries
• Prince hated his new
step father
• Ran away; moved in
with his father
• Got kicked out at the
age of 12

9. ORIGINS
• Vagabond at 12
• Met Andre Anderson
• Bernadette Anderson
• Started a band (Grand Central)
• Jim Hamilton
• Champagne
• Replaced drummer with Morris Day
• LaVonne Daugherty

10. INFLUENCE
• Sly & The Family Stone

11. ORIGINS
• Pepe Willie
• Studio experience
• 94 East
• Champagne demo
• Graduates in 1976
• Meets Chris Moon

12. ORIGINS
• Chris makes a deal
• Prince dumps group
• Studio time &
mentorship
• Creates “Soft And Wet”
with Moon’s help
• Goes to New York to
shop for record deal

13. ORIGINS
• Moon plays demo for Owen
Husney
• Prince gets rejected by Atlantic
• Tough time in Big Apple
• Returns to Minneapolis to meet
Owen
• Hires him as manager

14. ORIGINS
• Formed American Artists
• Immediately invested
$50,000
• Prince’s allowance was
$50.00 per week
• Got Prince an apartment
• Purchased new musical
equipment
• Leased rehearsal space
• Formed strategic plan for
getting record deal based
on Prince’s USPs

15. ORIGINS
• Young
• Extraordinary musicianship
• Ability to record an entire album by
himself
• Highly creative
• Natural allure/mysteriousness
• Innovative
• Not just an R&B artist
• Mass market appeal

16. ORIGINS
• Meets with:

17. ORIGINS
Incredible!

18. ORIGINS
Verdine White

19. ORIGINS
• Russ Thyret, high level executive, Mo
Ostin, chairman, and Lenny
Waronker, president
• Russ was the main influence
• Acknowledged Prince’s USPs
• Signed 3 album deal, June 25, 1977,
for $180,000

20. RECORDS FIRST ALBUM
• “For You” released April 28,
1978
• Cost $175,000
• Sold 150,000 units
• Reached number 21 on
Billboard’s Soul Chart
• Prince was irate
• Manager (Husney) quits

21. GETS NEW MANAGEMENT
• Firm of Cavallo &
Ruffalo
• Steve Fargnoli
(manager)
• Assembled band
• Organized tour

22. PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE
• Opened for Rick James
• Hated Rick James
• Learned from Rick James
• Records second album

23. SECOND ALBUM
• “Prince” released in October,
1979
• “I Want To Be Your Lover”
• The song reached number 1 on
the Soul singles charts
• Sells 1.75 million
• Prince was dissatisfied

24. THIRD ALBUM
• Desired to reach white
audiences
• Dirty Mind released in October
1980
• Features “Dirty Mind,”
“Partyup,” “When You Were
Mine,” and “Uptown.”
• Became increasingly sexual
• Showed up to company
meetings dressed like this >

25. THIRD ALBUM
• “Partyup,” was written by
former drummer, Morris Day
• Album reaches 45 on Pop
charts
• Sells 1.8 million
• Prince is irate

26. KEY ALLY
• Lisa Coleman replaces Gayle Chapman

27. FORTH ALBUM
• Prince gets a stylist
• Warner Bros oversees new
album cover >
• Controversy released in
October of 1981
• Features single “Controversy,”
“Let’s Work,” “Do Me Baby”
• Captures the curiosity of black
and white audiences.
• Sells 2.3 million
• Prince still not satisfied

28. CONTROVERSY TACTICS
•Buzz created
•Is now controversial
•Radio intrigued by
“Do Me Baby”
•Gets and likes the
attention

29. MEDIA COVERAGE
• Howard Bloom
• Rolling Stone, February of
1981
• Public interest was
building
• Performance offers
increased

30. THE ROLLING STONE INCIDENT
• 3 nights in LA
• Largest crowd ever for Prince
• Received catcalls, boos, and had
paper cups thrown the first night
• Bill Graham intercedes

31. THE ROLLING STONE INCIDENT
• Orange juice, a grapefruit, and
a bag of chicken thrown at them
• Prince storms of stage

32. SIDE PROJECTS
• Recruited Morris Day for drums
• Recruited Alexander O’Neal for lead
vocals
• Alexander rejected the offer
• Inserted Morris Day as lead
• Creates The Time, records album

33. SIDE PROJECTS
• Album released in 1981
• Consists of: Morris Day
(lead vocals)
• Jesse Johnson (guitar &
vocals)
• Jimmy Jam (keyboards &
vocals)
• Jellybean Johnson (drums
& percussion)
• Terry Lewis (bass & vocals
• Monte Moir (keyboards &
vocals)

34. SIDE PROJECTS
Vanity 6
• Susan Moonsie, Brenda
Bennett, and Denise
Matthews
• Album released in August,
1982
• Reached number 6 on the
Black Charts
• Sold 500,000 units

35. FIFTH ALBUM
• Prince releases 1999 in 1982
• Objective: crossover success
• MTV plays video for "1999"
• Follow-up is "Little Red
Corvette"
• It crosses over...somewhat
• Sells 5 million
• Media attention grows
• Tour is organized with Prince,
The Time and Vanity 6

36. WENDY THE WONDERFUL
• Wendy Melvoin replaces Dez Dickerson

37. THE REVOLUTION BEGINS
• Mark Brown, Bobby Z, Matt Fink, Lisa Coleman, and
Wendy Melvoin – The Revolution

38. PURPLE DROPLETS
• 1984 - You’re fired!

39. PURPLE REIGN
• Management contract is set to
expire
• Warner Bros Films rejects Purple
Rain
• Mo Ostin loans 2 million for movie
production
• Casts The Time and Vanity 6 as
co-stars
• Fires Vanity after she sleeps with
the director
• “Dreams”

40. PURPLE REIGN
• Replaces her with
Apollonia
• Vanity 6 now called
Apollonia 6
• Morris Day develops
cocaine habit
• Steals the spotlight

41. PURPLE REIGN
• Purple Rain released in
summer 0f 1984
• The single "When Doves Cry"
hits number 1
• Best selling single of the year
• Album number 1 for 24 weeks
• Sells 16.3 million units
worldwide
• Cross over success is
achieved!
• Prince is not irate
• Tour is organized

42. PURPLE DROPLETS
• Soundtrack contains "Darling
Nikki"
• Tipper Gore's daughter likes
it…a lot
• PMRC passes legislation
• Parental advisory becomes
standard
• Thanks to Prince

43. SIDE PROJECTS
• “The Family” album
released in 1985
• Features “Screams
of Passion,” and
“Nothing Compares
To You”

44. SEVENTH ALBUM
• Records "Around The World In A
Day" while on Purple Rain tour
• Releases it in 1985
• Prince turns in artistic, multi-genre
influenced album
• Warner Bros hates it all - except
"Raspberry Beret"
• Prince requests that it not be
promoted
• It hits number 2 on R&B charts; 3 on
Pop charts
• It sells just 3 million units (US) (4.3
million Worldwide)

45. UNDER THE CHERRY MOON
Follow-up to Purple Rain…but not a sequel

46. EIGHTH ALBUM
• 1986 - Releases “Parade”
• Features “Kiss”
• Sold 3.5 million

47. PARADE…MARCHES ON
• September, 1986, Wendy & Lisa get fired

48. TIME 4 A LABEL
• 1986 – Starts Paisley Park Records

49. SIDE PROJECT
• 1987 - Releases jazz inspired side project

50. NINTH ALBUM
• 1987
-Releases
“Sign O’ The
Times”
• Formerly
“Crystal Ball”
• Sells 3.75
million
• Becomes very
irate

51. OWNERSHIP
• 1988 - Builds Paisley Park Studios

52. TENTH ALBUM?
• Records “The Black Album”
• Cancels its release

53. TENTH ALBUM
• 1988 - Releases “LoveSexy”
• Sells 2.7 million
• Organizes tour

54. MANAGEMENT CHANGE
• 1989 – fires Cavallo,
Ruffalo, & Fargnoli
• Hires Albert Magnoli
• Visits the set of Batman
• Tim Burton
• “1999” and “Baby I’m A
Star”
• Enamored with The
Joker
• Soundtrack album
results

55. ELEVENTH ALBUM
• 1989 - Back to number #1 / Sells 4.4
million
• Contains “Partyman,” and “Batdance”

56. MANAGEMENT CHANGE
• Albert Magnoli
quits
• Arnold Stiefel &
Randy Phillips
• Gets $8 million for
Graffiti Bridge
• Anna Garcia,
Madonna & Kim
Basinger
• “Awful”

57. CLIMATE CHANGE
• 1989 - NWA releases “Straight Outta Compton”

58. GRAFFITI BRIDGE
• 1990 - Releases
“Graffiti Bridge”
• Sequel to Purple Rain
• Tevin Campbell
• Featured Ingrid
Chavez
• Featured The Time
• Peaks at # 6 in the US
and reach #1 in the UK
• Sells 1.95 million in the
US
• 4.2 million worldwide
• Considered a major flop

59. SIDE PROJECT
• 1990 – Starts to “produce” Tara Leigh Patrick aka Carmen Electra

60. TRANSITION
• 1991 - Forms new band New Power Generation

61. DIAMONDS & PEARLS
• 1991 - Sells 6.3 million worldwide
• Organizes Tour

62. SIDE NOTE
• Involved with 4 women simultaneously

63. CONTRACT YEAR
• 1992 – Gets new
contract worth 100
million dollars
• Quota put in place

64. DRAMA
• Releases 5 more albums
with Warner Bros
(1992):Love Symbol,
(1993): Greatest Hits,
• (1994): Come, (1995):
The Gold Experience,
and (1996): Chaos And
Disorder
• Becomes irate
• Wants out of contract

65. EMANCIPATION
• 1993 - Changes name
• Released - Carmen Electra’s project (1 million lost)
• 1994 - Releases “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” under
new moniker with STAX records
• Publicity campaign
• Launched on CBS-TV's Miss America Pageant
• First UK #1 hit

66. PULLING THE PLUG
• 1994 – Paisley Park Records folds
• Mo Ostin steps down as chairman of Warner Bros.

67. MANAGEMENT CHANGE
• Arnold Stiefel &
Randy Phillips out
• Gilbert Davison in
• ?

68. MANAGEMENT CHANGE
• 1995 - Gilbert Davison quits

69. EMANCIPATION
• 1996 – Financial
problems
• Gets married on
Valentines Day
• Lays off band
• Hospitalized

70. EMANCIPATION…FREE AT LAST!
• 1996 – Releases Emancipation

71. EMANCIPATION
• 1997 – Releases “Crystal Ball”
• 5 CD set
• 84,000 pre-orders
• Most unfulfilled

72. EMANCIPATION
• 1998 - Mayte miscarries
• They divorce in 1999

73. FAN BASE?
• 1998 Internet
growth
• Sues fan websites
out of business
• Uptown Magazine

74. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 1999 meets Clive Davis
• Signs with Arista/BMG to promote and
distribute new project (P&D deal).
• Receives 11 million dollar advance
• Releases “Rave In2 The Joy
Fantastic”
• Lead single “Greatest Romance Ever
Sold”
• Organizes tour

75. EMANCIPATION
• 2000 – Changes name back to Prince

76. EMANCIPATION
…but still uses

77. EMANCIPATION
• “Rave” only sales
500,000 units
• 2000 – Dissolves
agreement with
Arista
• Prince says to Clive
Davis, “I thought
you’d be different.”

78. MARRIAGE NUMBER II
• 2001 – Marries Manuela Testolini

79. EMANCIPATION
• 2001 - Starts the
NPG Music Club
• Membership came
in two options:
$7.75 for basic
monthly access or
$100 per year.

80. EMANCIPATION
• 2001 – Releases “Rainbow Children”
• Sells 130,000 units

81. EMANCIPATION
• 2002 – Releases “One Night Alone”

82. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2004 - Prince's releases
“Musicology”
simultaneously with tour
• Best-selling album in
years
• Moves more than
632,000 copies in five
weeks
• Attributed to “bundling.”
• SoundScan forbids it

83. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2005 – Signs distribution deal with Universal

84. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2006 – NPG Music Club closes down

85. MAINTENANCE LESSON
…so does second marriage

86. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2007 - Performs at half-time of Super Bowl

87. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2007 – Launches fragrance line

88. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2007 - Prince launches his new Planet Earth album as a free giveaway
with a national Sunday newspaper in London (loss leader)
• Sony/BMG was irate.

89. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2008 - Performs at Coachella

90. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• 2009 - Releases 3 album
set called LotusFlow3r
exclusively through
Target, a chain based in
Prince's home base of
Minneapolis, Minnesota
for $11.98.

91. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• Launches LotusFlow3r,
a subscription
• Gives access (for a fee)
to just about every
Prince concert since
1984 ever recorded, plus
music videos.
• Costs $77 per year

92. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• Fashion line?

93. MAINTENANCE LESSON
• Visual Evolution

94. FLASHBACK

95. The Internet Is Dead!
• Pronounces the “Internet
is dead,” refuses to use
any digital platforms to
distribute his music
• Honored with BET
Lifetime Achievement
Award
• Releases Twenty10 – His
27th Album

96. Welcome To America 2011
21 Night Stand
• 85% of tickets made
available for $25 - including
service fees.

97. LESSONS LEARNED - INTANGIBLES
• Extraordinary talent
• Vision
• Identity
• Belief
• Branding
• Confidence
• Drive & Determination
• Sacrifice
• Persistence & Resilience

98. LESSONS LEARNED - TANGIBLES
• Community
• Ally Support
• Game-plan
• Financing
• Vehicle (s)

99. CONCLUSION
• Lessons taught, and
lessons learned are
not the same thing…

100. STILL GOING
The Time (2009)
Morris Day (lead vocals); Jesse Johnson (guitar & vocals); Jimmy Jam
(keyboards & vocals); Jellybean Johnson (drums & percussion); Terry Lewis
(bass & vocals; and Monte Moir (keyboards & vocals)

101. STILL GOING
Wendy & Lisa (2009)
• Music Scoring/TV &
Film
• Nurse Jackie
• Heroes
• Soul Food
• Something New
• Toys
• Dangerous Minds

102. The END