Born Prince Rogers Nelson at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis to parents John L. Nelson and Mattie Shaw. A jazz pianist, John used Prince as a nickname and stage name.
June 7, 1958
Recorded his first demos with his band Grand Central.
March 1975
Warner Bros. Records issued his first album, "For You," on which he played all the instruments. He was 18 years old, but press releases claimed he was 17.
April 7, 1978
Performed his first shows as Prince with a new band at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis, a tryout of sorts for Warner Bros. executives.
Jan. 5-6, 1979
Played to a half-full Orpheum Theatre before hitting the road as Rick James' opening act.
Feb. 9, 1980
Made his debut at First Avenue nightclub, then called Sam's, just a few weeks after playing "Saturday Night Live" and a few months after issuing his breakthrough album, "Dirty Mind." The show sold out fast and would be his last gig there advertised with more than a few days' notice.
March 9, 1981
Played his first local arena show at Met Center after ascending the charts with his "1999" LP.
March 15, 1983
Under the guise of a benefit concert for Minnesota Dance Theatre, he debuted a new lineup of the Revolution and new songs in concert at First Avenue, including "Purple Rain" and "I Wound Die 4 U." Recordings of those songs from that night would be used for the album and film "Purple Rain."
Aug. 3, 1983
The "Purple Rain" film crew took over Minneapolis, including a three-week shoot at First Avenue that wrapped just before the holidays, plus locations around downtown Minneapolis and in the Longfellow neighborhood.
Sept.-Dec., 1983
With "Purple Rain" topping the album charts and breaking box office expectations, he plays to nearly 100,000 hometown fans over a five-night stand at the St. Paul Civic Center, with Christmas Day the only off day.
Dec. 23-Dec. 28, 1984
To the tune of about $10 million, he built Paisley Park Studio near his house in Chanhassen, which would be his primary recording and rehearsal space and the site of countless late-night parties with Prince serving as host and sometimes headliner.
1987
Opened his own nightclub, Glam Slam, on 5th Street in Minneapolis' Warehouse District, which became Quest in the late-1990s after he was no longer involved in it.
December 1989
He brought another film crew to the Twin Cities to shoot "Graffiti Bridge," released that November to a tepid response.
Summer 1990
After waging war with Warner Bros., he declared his "Emancipation" with a three-disc set announced in a midnight press conference at Paisley.
November 1996
Booked three shows in one day to celebrate his birthday, starting with a promotional set at Macy's department store, then a full-fledged Target Center concert (his last local arena show), then an after-hours jam at First Avenue (his last performance at the club). The latter was stopped by police about 45 minutes in because he went on around 2 a.m.
June 7, 2007
He played six gigs over three nights at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis, his most intimate and celebrated hometown shows in decades, some of which included the debut of his new all-woman backing band 3rdEyeGirl.
Jan. 16-18, 2013
He and 3rdEyeGirl played two sets at Myth nightclub in Maplewood, which would be his last hometown performances outside of Paisley Park.
May 25, 2013
He offered hometown fans a preview of his Piano & a Microphone Tour, playing two intimate sets to rapturous response. They would be his last time performing at home.
Jan. 21, 2016
Two days after widespread reports he was rushed to a hospital after an emergency landing in Moline, Ill., he hosted a dance party at Paisley Park to reassure fans he's OK. "Wait a few days before you waste your prayers," he said in a brief appearance on stage.
April 16, 2016Prince is found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio complex in Chanhassen. He was 57.
April 21, 2016
