What was the name of Prince's first band, formed in 1976?

Prince’s first band was Grand Central, also known as Grand Central Corporation. It was a Minneapolis-area teenage group connected to Prince’s school years and early musical development.

The band included Prince, André Anderson—later known as André Cymone—and Prince’s cousin Charles Smith. Prince played keyboards and guitar, while the group performed mainly cover versions at local events, dances, and community venues. By 1976, Grand Central had become an important part of Prince’s early musical identity and was beginning to make recordings.

The group later changed its name to Champagne. That early band should not be confused with 94 East, the funk group Prince joined for recording sessions, or with the Revolution, the professional band he assembled later in the 1970s. The Time was also a separate Minneapolis group whose members had strong connections to Prince.

The date in the question reflects Grand Central’s activity around 1976, although accounts place the group’s origins earlier, during Prince’s teenage years. That dating nuance does not change the canonical answer: Grand Central was the name of his first band.