My Name Is Prince

Randee St. Nicholas

Prince was genius at inspiring artists to trust their instincts and expand themselves creatively

Prince first hired Randee St Nicholas in 1991 after chancing upon her work for the cover image for the LP titled I Am by his backing singer Elisa Fiorillo, which she recorded with David Z Rivkin at Paisley Park in 1989 when Prince just happened to drop into the studio. St Nicholas, an established music photographer since 1979, was asked by Prince to shoot the cover of Diamonds And Pearls. Her later work with Prince included the cover shot for The Gold Experience as well as directing the promo videos of Gett Off, Violet The Organ Grinder, My Name Is Prince, and, as well as appearing in, Insatiable despite never having directed before. They struck up a close friendship and St Nicholas continued to be one of Prince’s go-to stills photographers over the next 25 years – accompanying him also on tour. In 2006, the pair planned to publish a retrospective of the shots she collected over the years, but that project was moved aside to photo document Prince’s historic 21-date stint in London for The Earth Tour which Prince and St Nicholas published in 2008, titled 21 Nights.

Randee St Nicholas’ photo book My Name Is Prince was published in 2019 and comprises 384 pages, featuring many previously unpublished photos gleaned from her photo archive capturing Prince both on and off stage. St Nicholas got inspiration to complete the retrospective photo book she earlier planned with Prince, whilst appearing in a panel discussion at a Paisley Park Studios in 2017 for the first Celebration event held since Prince’s death in April 2016. My Name Is Prince tells the stories behind St Nicholas’s many photo shoots with Prince and is beautifully presented.

Synopses

There has never been or will there ever be an artist like Prince. “A 5′ 3? Mastermind… satiated with virtuosity, controversy, stubbornness, and poise… His influence on Music transcended any and every category given titles by industry wizards and musicologists. Pop, Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Classical, Funk, Jazz, Soul, and Rap… He did it all and he did it well… and in his time… He did it first,” writes Randee St. Nicholas.

For twenty-five years, this legendary photographer, with a storied career of her own, worked closely with Prince, capturing some of his most intimate and revealing moments both on and off stage.

Now, the fruits of their numerous collaborations are on full display in My Name Is Prince, the largest collection of the most iconic photographs that will ever exist of one of the world’s greatest superstars.

In this dazzling collector’s edition, readers are treated to a front-row seat to their innovative and awe-inspiring projects, from his music videos Gett Off and My Name Is Prince; to their impromptu photo shoots… just because; their adventures around the world from London to Tokyo to Prague, and his breathtaking, showstopping live concert appearances from great stages at Coachella and The O2 Arena to intimate nightclubs.

Many of the trips, we will discover, are either unplanned or hastily arranged. And yet you will marvel at the results – as Prince expected nothing less than the best.

Data

Author

Randee St. Nicholas

Publisher

Amistad / Harper Collins

Released

12 December 2019

Format

Hardback

ISBN

978-0062939234