Prairie Prince

Last updated

Prairie Prince
Prairie Prince photo by Jim Snyder.jpg
Prairie Prince drumming during Todd Rundgren's "A Wizard, a True Star Tour" in San Francisco, 2009
Background information
Birth nameCharles Lempriere Prince
Born (1950-05-07) May 7, 1950 (age 74)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres Rock
OccupationDrummer
Years active1970s–present
Member of The Tubes [1]
Formerly of
Website prairieprince.com

Charles Lempriere "Prairie" Prince (born May 7, 1950) is an American drummer and visual artist. He came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the San Francisco–based rock group The Tubes, was a member of Jefferson Starship from 1992 to 2008 and has worked with a wide range of other performers as a session musician.

Contents

Career

Prince is a member of The Tubes and was a founding member of Journey along with Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie. However, he quit Journey after a few months before they made any recordings.

He has subsequently worked with Chris Isaak (on his first four albums), Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, David Byrne, XTC, Tom Waits, Paul Kantner, George Harrison, Dick Dale, Glenn Frey, Richard Marx, Bill Spooner, Neil Hamburger, John Fogerty, Nicky Hopkins, Tommy Bolin, Phil Lesh, John Ferenzik, Singer at Large Johnny J. Blair, The Gilmour Project, Negativland and former Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick. [8]

Prince collaborated with Ross Valory, bassist and founding member of Journey, on a line of patented [9] eco-friendly, US-made hoodie shirts called MouthMan, where graphic designs of jaws and teeth on the sleeves form a mouth when the wearer "hugs himself".

In 2006, he toured with The New Cars including Todd Rundgren, bassist Kasim Sulton (Rundgren's Utopia bandmate), and original The Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes. He continues to play with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren.

He was an original member of the reformed Jefferson Starship, known as "Jefferson Starship – The Next Generation" in 1992 and appears on both that band's studio albums (the 1999 release Windows of Heaven and the 2008 release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty ), along with numerous live albums. Prince announced in early 2008 that he was leaving the band on amicable terms and remains available for international performances.

He is a sought-after session musician[ citation needed ] and played drums and percussion on all tracks of Chuck Prophet's 2012 release Temple Beautiful and seven of 12 tracks on Prophet's 2014's Night Surfer.

As an artist he designed the album cover artwork for many artists including The Tubes, Todd Rundgren (1981 album Healing ), Journey, Lyle Workman and Vince Welnick's 1998 album Missing Man Formation , among many others.[ citation needed ] Along with his creative partner and fellow former Tube Michael Cotten, he has created numerous set designs for major artists including Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, N'Sync, Shania Twain, Styx, The Tubes and Todd Rundgren. Prince and Cotten have teamed up with choreographer Kenny Ortega on several special events including the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Super Bowl XXX halftime show (which featured Diana Ross singing "Take Me Higher" as she was lifted from the field in a helicopter), Michael Jackson's "This is It" concert, and Shania Twain's residency, Shania: Still the One, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Prince lived with fellow Tubes member Re Styles from 1973 until the early 1990s. In a 2006 interview with Modern Drummer magazine's Billy Amendola, he referred to singer Diana Mangano as his wife, adding they were not formally married but had been together for a decade. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tubes</span> American rock band

The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single "White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single "She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the early days of MTV. The band also performed in the 1980 film Xanadu, singing the rock portion of the cross-genre song "Dancin'" opposite a big band.

<i>The Completion Backward Principle</i> 1981 studio album by The Tubes

The Completion Backward Principle is the fifth studio album by the American rock group the Tubes. It is the group's first for Capitol Records. It was accompanied by a long form music video release of the same name, although it did not contain all of the songs from the album. It is a concept album presented as a motivational business document. The album contains two hit singles, "Don't Want to Wait Anymore" and "Talk to Ya Later."

<i>Outside Inside</i> (The Tubes album) 1983 studio album by The Tubes

Outside Inside is the sixth studio album by The Tubes, released in 1983. It was the second album by the group to be released by Capitol Records. The album was produced by David Foster. The Tubes had their biggest radio hit with the single from this album, "She's a Beauty".

<i>Love Bomb</i> (The Tubes album) 1985 studio album by The Tubes

Love Bomb is the seventh studio album by The Tubes, and their second to be produced by Todd Rundgren. It was released in 1985 on Capitol Records. It is the last major-label release by The Tubes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Welnick</span> American musician (1951–2006)

Vincent Leo Welnick was an American keyboardist and singer-songwriter, best known for playing with the band The Tubes during the 1970s and 1980s and with the Grateful Dead in the 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a member of the Grateful Dead.

<i>Nearly Human</i> 1989 studio album by Todd Rundgren

Nearly Human is a 1989 album by the rock musician Todd Rundgren, released by Warner Bros. Records. It was his first release in four years, although he had been active as a producer in the intervening years. Many of the album's songs deal with loss, self-doubt, jealousy and spiritual recovery. It was also the first collaboration between Rundgren and Michele Gray, a singer and ex-model who helped to organize the sessions. Gray sang backing vocals, both on the record and on subsequent tours, and the pair later married.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Hawkes</span> American musician

Gregory A. Hawkes is an American musician who is best known as the keyboardist and founding member of the American new wave band the Cars. Hawkes is credited with helping popularize new wave and synth-pop in American popular music as a member of the Cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The New Cars</span> New wave band from the United States

The New Cars were a band formed in 2005 by two of the original members of the 1970s/1980s new wave band the Cars. The band was composed of original Cars members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, along with vocalist/guitarist Todd Rundgren, bassist/vocalist Kasim Sulton, and drummer Prairie Prince. The band performed the Cars' songs, some new material, and selections from Rundgren's career.

Missing Man Formation was a band put together by former Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick, featuring Welnick and an ever-changing group of musicians, including Scott Mathews and Steve Kimock on guitar, Prairie Prince on drums, Bobby Vega on bass and others, most notably, Bobby Strickland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kasim Sulton</span> American musician

Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart".

<i>Missing Man Formation</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Missing Man Formation

Missing Man Formation is an album by the rock band Missing Man Formation. Their only album, it was released by Grateful Dead Records on April 28, 1998.

<i>The Tubes</i> (album) 1975 studio album by The Tubes

The Tubes is the debut studio album by The Tubes. Songs which received significant airplay from this album include "What Do You Want from Life?" and "White Punks on Dope", the latter of which peaked at number 28 on the UK singles chart. The album was dedicated to Bob McIntosh and Tom Donahue.

<i>Remote Control</i> (The Tubes album) 1979 studio album by the Tubes

Remote Control is the fourth studio album released by the Tubes. This was their first to be produced by Todd Rundgren. It is a concept album about a television-addicted idiot savant.

<i>2nd Wind</i> 1991 studio album by Todd Rundgren

2nd Wind is the thirteenth album by American musician Todd Rundgren, released in 1991 on Warner Bros. Records. It reached number 118 on the Billboard 200 album chart. 2nd Wind includes the single "Change Myself" and was Rundgren's final album on a major label until 2004's Liars.

<i>Now</i> (The Tubes album) 1977 studio album by The Tubes

Now is the third studio album released by The Tubes. It was produced by John Anthony. Fed up with constant meddling from Bud Scoppa and Don Wood under the direction of Bill Spooner including surreptitiously remixing a track when Anthony was not at the studio, Anthony was advised to leave the project by Jerry Moss. The head of A&M A&R Kip Cohen said that they took advantage of Anthony and believed that they overran the budget to increase their union fees. Bill Spooner took over and completed the project with the help of the engineer Wood and Scoppa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Gorman</span> American musician (born 1952)

Tim Gorman is an American pianist, composer, arranger and record producer. Gorman studied music composition at the University of Portland in Oregon, under Philippe De La Mare, himself a former student of Nadia Boulanger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donny Baldwin</span> American drummer

Donald Baldwin is an American drummer best known as a member of Jefferson Starship and its continuation Starship (1984–1989).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slick Aguilar</span> American guitarist (born 1954)

Mark "Slick" Aguilar is an American guitarist. He has worked with a number of notable musicians but is probably best known as a member of Jefferson Starship. From 1974 to 1980 he was an in house guitar player for TK studios in N. Miami. He recorded with KC & the Sunshine Band, Bobby Caldwell, Latimore, George & Gwen McCrae, Clarence Reid, Timmy Thomas and Betty Wright. He played guitar with KC & the Sunshine Band and Wayne Cochran during the late 1970s before moving to the West Coast. It was there that he recorded with, Buddy Miles' band and in 1982-84 he toured with David Crosby. In 1984 Slick joined Marty Balin's band which led to him being hired to play lead guitar in the KBC Band.

<i>Wild in London</i> 2005 live album by The Tubes

Wild In London is the third live album by The Tubes which was released in 2005. It was recorded on December 6, 2004 at Londons' Shepherd's Bush Empire and features some newer Fee Waybill characters such as "Russell Chaps". The CD featured a guest appearance by Beki Bondage, who dueted with Fee Waybill on "Don't Touch Me There"

<i>T.R.A.S.H. (Tubes Rarities and Smash Hits)</i> 1981 compilation album by The Tubes

T.R.A.S.H. is a compilation album by the rock band The Tubes, released in November 1981.

References

  1. Drummer, Modern (May 1, 2006). "Prairie Prince: An Interview". Modern Drummer Magazine. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  2. Prairie Prince – Journey's Forgotten Founder, July 5, 2020, retrieved February 3, 2023
  3. Bergman, Jeff (April 17, 2009), Prairie Prince , retrieved February 3, 2023
  4. "Bio – Prairie Prince". Prairieprince.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  5. "English: Prairie Prince performs with The New Cars at the Nokia Theater in Dallas on May 14, 2006". Commons.wikimedia.org. May 14, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  6. "Neil Hamburger: Western Music and Variety". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  7. "Release "Richard Marx" by Richard Marx". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  8. Prairie Prince credits at AllMusic
  9. "Novelty shirt". Patents.google.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. "Prairie Prince: An Interview". Moderndrummer.com. May 1, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
Preceded by
none
Journey drummer
1973
Succeeded by