"The Light of God" - Interview with Roy Bennett

"I used to have to do lighting scenes as if the lights were God talking back to him."

As I mentioned, I also interviewed Roy Bennett, a lighting and set designer who worked with Prince for 14 years. I'm so grateful that he took time out from his busy schedule to speak with me. Here are some of the subjects we touched on:

• How did the audience respond to Prince's "conversations with God" during the "Purple Rain" tour?


• How did the audience respond to the spiritual segment of the "Lovesexy" tour?


• At what point in his career did Prince seem to be communicating a spiritual message to his audience?


• What changes occurred for Prince during the 1990s?


• What prop was almost always present on Prince's tours?

Prince fans: do you already know some of the answers to the questions above?

"She's Always in My Hair" - Interview with Jill Jones

My interview with Jill Jones is extremely significant for the book. It is a real breakthrough. For those who don't know, Jill is Prince's ex-girlfriend and a singer who collaborated with him throughout the 1980s. She sang on the 1999 album and tour, and she appears in the music videos for "1999" and "Automatic." She also has small roles in the Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge movies.

It was such a pleasure speaking with her. Here are some topics from the interview:

• Was Prince "spiritual" or "religious" prior to the Lovesexy era?


• Was there any exploration of the occult?


• How does Stevie Nicks factor into Prince's spiritual journey?


• What was the story behind the composition of the song "The Cross?"


• What is the origin of Prince's fascination with "the Dawn?"


• What was Prince's religious perception of the U.S. air strike on Libya in 1986? 


• Did Prince really write "She's Always in My Hair" for Jill?

...And much, much more!

Prince fans: do you already know some of the answers to the questions above?