HENDERSON, Minn. – It’s not his hometown or the place he last lived, but the town of Henderson is kicking off a three-day celebration of Prince’s 60th birthday.
And Prince fans – both purists from around the world and those who call Henderson home – say that’s absolutely appropriate, given the town also served as the setting for some memorable scenes from Prince’s iconic movie, Purple Rain.
“It’s funny, they automatically ask, ‘What’s the connection with Prince and Henderson, Minnesota?’ So we have to usually explain that some of the scenes from Purple Rain were filmed here,” said Cinzia Inzinna of Rochester, NY, who helped plan the event.
Inzinna joined a team of Prince planners that also included Joel King, a Minnesotan who moved to Hollywood before relocating to Henderson. King also worked with Prince as a camera operator on his movie, Graffiti Bridge. And that personal relationship motivated King to help raise money to build a bench and commission an artist to paint a mural honoring the music icon.
“Just a beautiful human being,” King said about Prince, adding, “He’s quiet and shy and very sensitive. And he’s very funny. A great sense of humor that people don’t see.”
What people will see this weekend in Henderson is a whole lot of purple and people from all over the world. Already on Thursday night, Prince fans poured into Henderson from New York, Maryland and even England. The quaint downtown also sported a purple Dodge Challenger with custom Prince detailing and dogs with purple ribbon leashes. And all that activity while artist Moises Suriel put the finishing touches on a mural that including Prince leaning on a Corvette in front of First Avenue.
No need to worry if you missed the first night of celebrations, the event continues through Saturday with live music, a tour of the movie settings and an official unveiling of the memorial bench and mural.
Schedule for Friday, June 8: 3:30 p.m. – Street sign dedication of “Purple Rain Road.” 4:00 p.m. – Purple Rain tour of Film location sites. 6:30 p.m. – Live music by PLANETMASTERS, King, Tony Flynn Project, Veeze Riddles, BJ Lee and DJ Pauly.
Schedule for Saturday, June 9: 1 p.m. – “Purple Family” social hour. 2 p.m. – Unveiling of the Memorial Bench and Mural Ceremony. 4 p.m. – Music by Cadillac Kolstad, Amethyst Factor, Martin Kember (Former Vocalist of Color Me Badd), Paper Boys Music Featuring Robb G & J News and Romao and The Sound of Drums Dance Party.