John Lewis Nelson (June 29, 1916 – August 25, 2001), also known as his
stage name Prince Rogers, was an American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
musician and songwriter. He was the father of musicians
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
and
Tyka Nelson and a credited co-writer on some of his son's songs.
Personal life
Nelson was born in
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Webster'') is a parish located in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of Louisiana.
The seat of the parish is Minden.
As of the 2010 census, the Webster Parish population was 41,207. In 2018, the ...
, one of five children born to Carrie (Jenkins) and Clarence Nelson. He traveled to
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
to become a musician in 1948. Playing the piano, Nelson used "Prince Rogers" as a stage name and started a band called "The Prince Rogers Trio" with local musicians.
In 1956, he met Mattie Della Shaw (November 11, 1933 – February 15, 2002) at a show on the north side of Minneapolis. Shaw was a jazz musician who became the musical group's singer. She had one son, Alfred Frank Alonzo Jackson (July 6, 1953 – August 29, 2019). Nelson married Shaw on August 31, 1957,
and the couple had two more children, Prince (1958–2016, a musician who was named after his father's stage name) and Tyka Nelson (born 1960, a singer). The couple formally separated in 1965 and were divorced on September 24, 1968.
John Nelson's grandfather, Rev. Edward "Ed." Nelson was born to a White slaveowner, John Nelson and his
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
concubine. Rev. Ed became a travelling preacher for the
Colored Methodist Episcopal Church
The Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Wesleyan Methodism founded and organized by John Wesley in England in 1744 and established in America as the Methodist Episcopal ...
and married Emma, a Black woman.
Death
Nelson died on August 25, 2001, aged 85, in his home in
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen is a city about southwest of Minneapolis in Carver County and partially in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The southwest edge of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul suburbs, there is a mix of residential neighborhoods and rura ...
. That year Prince dedicated
Joni Mitchell’s song "
A Case of U", on his ''
One Nite Alone...'' album, to his father.
Collaboration with Prince
John L. Nelson wrote (or co-wrote) some music which was released by Prince in the 1980s.
[Perrone (2001)]
ASCAP credits
ASCAP credits, or co-credits, him with the following:
* "Father’s Song" and "Purple Rain Cues", from the film ''
Purple Rain'', 1984
* "
Computer Blue
"Computer Blue" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. Released on June 25, 1984, it is the fourth track on Prince's sixth album, '' Purple Rain'', which also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. In the film, the song represen ...
" from the ''
Purple Rain'' album and film, 1984
* "Around the World in a Day" (composed with David Coleman and Prince), "
Paisley Park
Paisley Park Records was an American record label founded by musician Prince in 1985, which was distributed by and funded in part by Warner Bros. Records. It was started in 1985, following the success of the film and album '' Purple Rain''. ...
" (composed with David Coleman and Prince), and "The Ladder" (composed with Prince), from the album ''
Around the World in a Day
''Around the World in a Day'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second release where his backing band The Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. R ...
'', 1985
[Credits in album booklet.]
* "Christopher Tracy’s Parade" (composed with Prince) and "Under the Cherry Moon" (composed with Prince) from the album ''
Parade'', 1986
* "Under the Cherry Moon Cues" from the film ''
Under the Cherry Moon
''Under the Cherry Moon'' is a 1986 romantic musical comedy-drama film starring Prince and marking his directorial debut. The film also stars former The Time member Jerome Benton, Steven Berkoff, Kristin Scott Thomas (in her feature film debut) ...
'', 1986
* "
Scandalous!" from the ''
Batman'' album and
film, 1989
References
1916 births
2001 deaths
African-American jazz composers
African-American jazz pianists
African-American songwriters
Songwriters from Louisiana
American jazz composers
American male jazz composers
American jazz pianists
American male pianists
People from Chanhassen, Minnesota
Jazz musicians from Louisiana
Jazz musicians from Minnesota
20th-century jazz composers
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century African-American musicians
American male songwriters
{{US-jazz-musician-stub