Prince Tour

1979/80

I find it extremely hard to perform for people.

Lasting on average of 40 minutes and initially as a headlining club act, the later shows on the Prince Tour saw Prince as the ‘special guest star’ for Rick James’ Fire It Up Tour. Prince’s part of the act would steal the limelight from James and the encounter was referred to in the press as the ‘battle of funk’. James would dismiss Prince’s music: “I can’t believe people are gullible enough to buy Prince’s jive records.” It was at a party during the tour model Denise “Vanity” Matthews who was at the time was James’ girlfriend, but by the end of that evening she was Prince’s. Following the Prince Tour band member Gayle Chapman would leave Prince due to her moral conflicts having to sing the androgynously themed and newly written, Head. She would be replaced by Gary Coleman.