What year was Prince born?

Prince was born in 1958, specifically on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His full birth name was Prince Rogers Nelson, and he was the son of jazz musicians Mattie Della Shaw and John L. Nelson.

Prince grew up in Minneapolis, a city that later became closely associated with his distinctive musical style. He began developing as a musician at an unusually young age, learning multiple instruments and writing songs before he became a professional recording artist. At 18, he signed with Warner Bros. Records, and his debut album, For You, was released in 1978.

The year 1958 can be confused with dates connected to Prince's early career. He released his first album two decades later, in 1978, and his breakthrough film and soundtrack Purple Rain arrived in 1984. Prince remained active for nearly 40 years before his death in 2016, aged 57. His birth date is June 7, not June 8, another occasional mistake in informal biographies.