Five years after Prince’s passing, North Minneapolis musicians share their stories of working with one of the world’s greatest musicians

By Maurice Hudson, Intern Reporter

“He was a true inspiration to so many people and gave so many of us opportunities to go for our dreams.”

Jason Peterson DeLaire, sculptor Esther Osayande and JD Steele pose in front of "Purple Raindrop" sculpture. Photo by David Pierini — Jason Peterson DeLaire, sculptor Esther Osayande and JD Steele pose in front of "Purple Raindrop" sculpture. Photo by David Pierini

Reminiscing on his experiences with the late Prince, Jason Peterson DeLaire, musician from the famous musical family, “The Petersons”, said he will always remember Prince and the things he has done for Minneapolis.

Flashback to April 21, 2016, the day that stunned the world. The day that Prince died.

Prince’s death shook the world and left those connected to him with a duty to carry on his legacy that was built in the community.

DeLaire said he first found out about the horrific event when he was on tour in Glasgow, Scotland with Michael Bolton and it didn't fully process until the everyone on tour was at a standstill.

“We all just were completely in shock and crying,” DeLaire said. “I mean, you know, whether you are from North Minneapolis or not, his loss was felt by the entire world and he was such an inspiration, such a genius and his music touched so many people's lives that it was a complete shock.”

DeLaire worked closely with Prince for more than three decades and Prince served almost as a mentor to DeLaire.

“It was about 1991, I was working in a band in California in Palm Springs, and I got a call from the Prince camp to join the Paisley Park house band,” DeLaire said. “Prince started working with the band by producing and preparing us to be his opening act on the 1992 Diamonds and Pearls tour. So, I got a chance to go out on tour with Prince, and that was really a dream come true for me because I always loved Prince and I always wanted to work with him,” DeLaire said.

DeLaire said the opportunity and the knowledge obtained from Prince himself was pivotal on his musical career.

“Just being around Prince, his mastery of music and his work ethic, and just being around him in general, I learned so much by osmosis of just having the opportunity to be in his universe,” DeLaire said.

DeLaire said Prince served as a catalyst for connection between the Peterson Family and the Steeles in the sense of both families being incorporated in the music scene and the bond was heightened through Prince's presence.

“Even before Prince, the Steeles and the Peterson family have known each other and worked with each other for probably over 35 years,” DeLaire said. “So even before Prince, our families were very interconnected in the music and basically we were family with each other.”

Jason Peterson DeLaire. Photo by David Pierini

“Prince has been a kind of a conduit or a connector for so many in the musical community,” DeLaire said.

J.D. Steele, singer, songwriter and member of the Steeles, recalled his personal experiences befriending the musical talent Prince. Steele said the first encounter occurred when Prince asked if the Steeles could contribute to the movie “Graffiti Bridge.”

“In 1989, he asked us if we wanted to sing on the ‘Graffiti Bridge’ soundtrack so we did one song and we had such a blast doing it, he asked us to do another song and then he asked us if we would be in the movie,” Steele said.

Steele said being included in the movie jumpstarted a chain of events for the relationship between Prince and the Steele family.

“I signed a publishing deal with Paisley Park Music, which was being administered by Warner Chappell and I started living at Paisley Park,” Steele said. “We would literally be there from sunup to sundown to sunup again.”

“He would be in Studio A recording and I would be in Studio B and I could just record anytime I had engineers available and, for some reason I felt like if he was at the studio until six in the morning, then I needed to be at the studio until six as well,” Steele said. “So, I wanted to be like that.”

Steele said he and Prince bounced musical knowledge off of each other and help propel one another to the next level together.

“He (Prince) would teach me different perspectives on how to create the music and then we were both a lot alike in that,” Steele said. “He's singing all of his background parts and a lot of times I would sing all the background parts (for the Steeles) and then give it to my family to learn and I don't take that gift for granted at all.”

Steele said he found out about Prince’s death on the radio, and he was in a state of denial.

“I was really in shock and the grieving didn't really begin until a couple days later, because I remember channel 11 (KARE 11) calling me that evening and asking if they could do an interview with me,” Steele said. “That's when I really began to grieve about it, but the more I talked about it, the more people that asked me to do interviews, the better it made me feel to talk about it.”

Steele and DeLaire shared various experiences and accomplishments with Prince, and both said they would never forget what he did for the city of Minneapolis and the world.

“I just feel extremely blessed that I had a chance to work with what I consider the greatest musician to ever walked the planet,” Steele said.

As for the next generation of musicians, the legacy of Prince will be carried throughout their musical endeavors.

“As artists, we have to be leaders,” DeLaire said. “That's what I would say is the most important thing I took from Prince is to put a good message out to the world and use my vehicle of music to do that.”

Tribute to Prince stands tall in North Minneapolis

Esther Osayande never met Prince, but she loved him just the same.

When the city’s Public Art Advisory Council selected artists for the 26th Avenue North Bikeway renovation Osayande had been chosen to create a sculpture but the idea hadn’t yet emerged. But with the shocking and untimely passing of Prince, Osayande was walking past the famed club First Avenue and thousands of people were outside singing “Purple Rain.” Osayande had her marching orders.

“Prince deserved a permanent monument in an area he knew well and where the people knew him,” said the artist.

Thus the “Purple Raindrop” was born. The large hollowed out sculpture stands tall at the opening to Farview Park at the intersection of 26th and Lyndale avenues north. Osayande designed the sculpture to be a functional piece of art where residents can come, sit and reflect.

“When people come here and see this art I hope it will pique their interest in him (Prince); especially the young people,” said Osayande, while seated inside the sculpture she designed.

When the city’s Public Art Advisory Council selected artists for the 26th Avenue North Bikeway renovation Osayande had been chosen to create a sculpture but the idea hadn’t yet emerged. But with the shocking and untimely passing of Prince, Osayande was walking past the famed club First Avenue and thousands of people were outside singing “Purple Rain.” Osayande had her marching orders.

“Prince deserved a permanent monument in an area he knew well and where the people knew him,” said the artist.

Thus the “Purple Raindrop” was born. The large hollowed out sculpture stands tall at the opening to Farview Park at the intersection of 26th and Lyndale avenues north. Osayande designed the sculpture to be a functional piece of art where residents can come, sit and reflect.

“When people come here and see this art I hope it will pique their interest in him (Prince); especially the young people,” said Osayande, while seated inside the sculpture she designed.

PRINCE REMEMBERED