Music News: Prince collaborators record ‘Welcome 2 Minneapolis’ song as homage
by Staff
April 26, 2016
Cory Wong, a guitarist and a co-founder of Secret Stash Records, has released a new song called "Welcome 2 Minneapolis." The instrumental jam, which Wong says he created for his own "coping/celebrating [Prince’s] funkness" in the wake of Prince's death last week, features musicians who have collaborated with Prince — including Sonny T, Michael Bland, Tommy Barbarella, and Ryan Liestman. An accompanying video features clips from happier days in Minnesota sports.
Meanwhile, it emerged Tuesday that Prince did not leave a will — that's according to a court document filed by his sister Tyka Nelson, who lists five surviving half-siblings as potential heirs in addition to herself. (Local Current)
A previously planned gala benefit for Minneapolis's Mixed Blood Theatre Company will go on as planned on May 14, the company announced. "Prince wanted this event to happen," the company says they were told by Prince's survivors. The event may now be the first time Paisley Park opens to the public after Prince's death. (Local Current)
The Revolution — Wendy & Lisa, Bobby Z., Doctor Fink, and Brown Mark — have announced a reunion in the wake of Prince's death. No specific dates or venues have yet been announced, but Wendy promises that will happen "soon." (Local Current)
Purple Rain is back in theaters — and it's such a success that AMC is expanding the limited run to over 200 screens. Among the 87 cinemas where the movie showed this weekend, it reportedly had a higher percentage of sold-out shows than any other movie. (Billboard)
Locally, artist Junauda Petrus says that she's planning a Prince tribute for this year's MayDay parade in Minneapolis's Powderhorn neighborhood. (City Pages)
Simpsons showrunner Al Jean has shared images from a proposed episode that would have featured Prince — but that the singer passed on participating in. In the episode, co-written by Conan O'Brien, character Leon Kompowsky would have returned, this time believing he was not Michael Jackson but Prince. (Rolling Stone)
Tribute performances continue across the musical world. D'Angelo performed a Prince tribute on The Tonight Show on Tuesday night — with Maya Rudolph’s Prince cover band Princess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uzBHhPEWpE
David Gilmour performed a mash-up of "Purple Rain" and Pink Floyd’s "Comfortably Numb."
Billboard has an extensive list of additional covers by artists including Chris Stapleton, Princess, Mac DeMarco, Ellie Goulding, and Mavis Staples.
One piece of non-Prince news
On Monday night in Brooklyn, Chris Christie attended a Bruce Springsteen concert — and pretty much everyone else at the concert turned to take videos of the New Jersey governor's dance moves. (Time)