'Purple Rain' Left Lasting Impact On Music, Culture
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Thirty-two years ago, Prince and the Revolution first recorded the song that would propel him into rock and roll history.
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"Purple Rain" was later made into a major motion picture and gave Prince his first and only Academy Award, for Best Original Song Score.
It was the song and subsequent movie that launched Prince into super stardom; taking a musical talent from the north Minneapolis to worldwide fame.
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In 1984, "Purple Rain" became one of this rock legend's signature songs.
Patricia McLean, CEO of Sue McLean Associates, is both a fan and local musical promoter.
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"It greatly impacted my life," McLean said.
The company booked Prince for a performance in 1998, and when Sue died of cancer, Prince remembered.
"[Prince] sent a kind message and, again at his level, that was pretty impactful," McLean said.
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"Purple Rain" is on Rolling Stone's list of All-Time Greatest Songs. It was first recorded live at First Avenue, where parts of the motion picture were later filmed. It put the Minneapolis music scene on a world map.
The film cost only $7 million to make, and pulled in 10 times that.
Ruth Bowe owned the Fine Line, where Prince would play. She later helped him open up Glam Slam down the street.
"'Wouldn't it be great if he came,' and he came to the grand opening," Bowe said. "So he picked me up in his limo and got in the back seat, and he asked, 'How are you?' And I said, 'Scared to death.' He said, 'Don't worry, don't worry.'"
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McLean says for Prince, it was not about the number of people at his shows -- it was all about the performance.
Prince played the song at nearly ever concert he ever did, except for a brief time when was avoiding some of his older hits.
In fact, at his Super Bowl halftime show in 2007, it was his final song, appropriately played during a downpour.