"You 'Bout to Hear Larry Graham" - New Interview (Part 1)

Last week, I mentioned that I interviewed someone and I shared a picture of my notes as a clue. Did you guess Larry Graham, former bassist of Sly and the Family Stone? Good job!

Well, Graham and Prince are great friends, and Graham has reportedly played a major role in Prince's decision to become a Jehovah's Witness. Graham graciously allowed me to interview him for my book. I'll have more on that next week.

In the meantime, my interview with Graham on other topics (documentary with Prince, relation to rapper Drake and tour with Graham Central Station) is available upon request. Shoot me a personal message!

What is your favorite Larry Graham or Sly and the Family Stone song?

"Take a Picture, Sweetie!" - Odds and Ends from the Past Week

Hey, everyone! Here are some recent pictures related to my work (for the most part):

Research ain't cheap! I just paid a researcher for some information for my book. He's great! His name is...sorry, can't tell you that! Here is a screenshot from the invoice.

I bought this little glass figure for my desk at work. It makes me smile and keeps me motivated. It was only $1!

This stuff is invaluable when I'm working...

A while back, I mentioned that I interviewed a pretty important source for the book. I hope to finally reveal who it was next week. Here is a shot of my fabulous digital recorder and my notes from the interview. Based on the chicken scratch, can you tell who it was?

"They Love Me Too Much" - Who's Talking Prince on the Web

Here is another entry in my "Who's Talking Prince on the Web" series. Below is a taste of what others have been saying about Prince during the past month:

1) 

Video courtesy of OkayPlayer.

Touré recently released a book on Prince, "I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon." To celebrate the release, Touré participated in a panel discussion on Prince with journalist Danyel Smith, musician Questlove and Prince's former tour manager, Alan Leeds.

2) New York radio station WCBS-FM 101.1 posted a cool letter that Prince wrote to a fan back in 1984. According to the website, the letter was previously on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Minneapolis.

3) Peach & Black Podcast reviewed Prince's "Love Symbol" album, which I recently fell in love with. These guys are awesome!

What do you think of Touré's book?

"Now, Turn the Page" - Books (and Magazine) of the Week

Here is a look at some of my research this week...

"Minneapolis Negro Profile: A Pictorial Resume of the Black Community, It's Achievements, and It's Immediate Goals," Scott Publishing Company, 1968.

Amazon.com

"Minnesota's Black Community," Scott Publishing Company, 1976 (Amazon doesn't have it, but I do).

Amazon.com

March 1997 issue of "Minnesota Monthly," which featured Prince on the cover.

"Feels Like a Million Days" - My Content Calendar

I'm still playing catch-up and trying to get back on task with this book. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Last month, I started using a simple content calendar in Microsoft Word to determine what I wanted to complete month by month.

However, in the next few weeks, I'd like to go ahead and plan out what I want to accomplish for the rest of 2013.

Please send positive thoughts my way! I'm hoping to de-stress by next week.

Thanks!

"For You" - Prince's First Album

One of the cool things about writing this book is that I get to revisit Prince albums that I don't play very often. After I wrap up the 1958-1976 section of my book, I will be focusing on Prince's early career. That means I'll be giving his 1978 debut album, "For You," another listen.

Amazon.com

I'm ashamed to say that I only know the lyrics to one song, "Soft and Wet," which is one of my favorites. I'll keep you posted on other tracks that I grow to love during this process.

I hope to have a longer blog post next week. March has been so busy personally and professionally.

What are your favorite tracks on "For You?"

“Everybody’s Going” – Uptown Magazine, Part II

Back in December, I mentioned that I was looking for Uptown, a Prince fanzine that was published during the 1990s. Well, one of my awesome blog readers from Germany has agreed to sell me issues from his collection! I purchased my first issue last week:

I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I am very excited! I’ll let you know what I think.

I also interviewed a significant source for an article and my book. I will reveal who it was soon!

Prince fans--what did you think of Uptown magazine?