(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Sun 10 August 2025 22:00, UK
It was Prince’s way or the highway, and everyone knew that. For such a virtuoso talent who always seemed to have a clear vision for exactly what he wanted, singularity ran through every corner of his life. He produced his own music for that reason. He worked his bands hard until they were perfect for that reason. Even backstage at his tours, that one reason ruled supreme, so Prince could make sure exactly what he wanted, or envisioned, came true.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe as a young boy with musical dreams, Prince had an idea in his head early about what touring would be like and so when that dream came true, he made sure it matched up, enforcing a strict code of conduct so his expectations were never let down or tarnish.
Or perhaps it was simply that the weight of his talent was overwhelming. We’re not just talking about a man who made a hit or two; he made many. But specifically, he made them solo. Even when he made his debut album, Prince wouldn’t let a single other person touch that record as he was so locked in on his ideas and what he wanted. He could hear it in his head, and he feared that any other hands getting involved would quieten his own vision.
Maybe backstage was the same. With so much happening in his mind about the show or about other projects he was working on, it could have been that he required a strict and specific atmosphere to make sure that his brain didn’t explode with so much happening up there.
Maybe the idea of anyone looking at him was simply too much – or at least, that was the rumour. “No crew members were allowed to look at him or talk to him,” an anonymous person told a magazine, claiming to be an ex-employee. They told Vulture, “I literally saw him fire a guy for looking at him,” adding, “He just said, ‘Why is that guy looking at me? Tell him to leave.’”
That was the quote that sparked this idea that Prince was the ultimate backstage diva. Rumours began circulating of this depiction of him; impossible to work with, arrogant, isolated by his fame and demanding the world. But in reality, that doesn’t seem true.
It is true that Prince was tough. His ex-bandmates have always said that, sharing stories of times he would keep them in rehearsals playing the same one intro for hours until it was perfect, or moments where he would publicly call out any mistakes they made on stage.
But in terms of his backstage atmosphere, the idea of his being arrogant enough to fire someone for eye contact feels false. People closer to him quickly jumped to his defence as his hair stylist, Kim Berry, told ABC that the artist “just wanted to be treated regular” and “never required anything.”
In fact, she said that the rumours actually upset him, adding to his mystique, sure, but ultimately making him feel misunderstood. He was well aware of them as Berry said, “A lot of people, before I started working for him, gave me a lot of rules,” adding, “And years later, after I had been employed by him, he asked me, ‘What did they tell you when you first started working for me?’”
In some moments, he could laugh it off as Berry said he found it “hilarious that people make up stuff.” But in all corners of Prince’s life, misunderstanding often ruled. His intensity was taken for selfishness, his strong vision taken for arrogance, and in this case, his backstage behaviour was woven into a false depiction of brattiness from a man who just wanted to be treated like anyone else.
Related Topics