Prince
Prince in 2007, photo by prphotos
Birth Name: Prince Rogers Nelson
Date of Birth: June 7, 1958
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States
Date of Death: April 21, 2016
Place of Death: Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.
Ethnicity: African-American
Prince, also known as Ƭ̵̬̊, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and director. He is remembered for his amazing vocal range and ability to play multiple instruments proficiently. His songwriting is also highly acclaimed. He wrote some of the best hits for many other artists.
Prince was the son of Mattie Della (Shaw), a jazz singer, and John L. Nelson (John Lewis/Louis Nelson), a lyricist and pianist. His father performed with the jazz group the Prince Rogers Trio, under the stage name Prince Rogers. Prince was formerly married to actress and dancer Mayte Garcia. They had a son, Ahmir, who died a week after birth.
Prince’s parents were both black, as were all of his grandparents and great-grandparents. A picture of Prince’s father can be seen here. A picture of Prince’s mother can be seen here.
Genealogist Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, writing for The Huffington Post, traced Prince’s roots on both sides of his family. Among her findings are that six of Prince’s eight great-grandparents were born into slavery, and one of his great-grandmothers was possibly the daughter of her owner.
Early in his career, Prince stated that he had Italian ancestry, sometimes from his father, and sometimes from his mother. This is not accurate. In the autobiographical film Purple Rain, Prince’s character’s father is played by an African-American actor and Prince’s character’s mother is played by a Greek actress. This was not reflective of his real life heritage.
Prince’s paternal grandfather was Clarence Allen Nelson (the son of Edward Nelson and Emma Hardy). Clarence was born in Louisiana. Edward was the son of John Nelson.
Prince’s paternal grandmother was Carrie Jenkins (the daughter of Handy Jenkins and Dina/Lina Ann Phillips). Carrie was born in Louisiana. Dina was the daughter of Ashley Phillips and Martha.
Prince’s maternal grandfather was Frank/Franklin Shaw (the son of Preston Shaw and Eliza Britt/Brett). Frank was born in Louisiana.
Prince’s maternal grandmother was Lucille Bonnell (the daughter of Sam W. Bonnell and Katy/Kate F. Hale/Head). Lucille was born in Louisiana.
Sources: Genealogies of Prince – http://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://www.findagrave.com
Prince’s paternal grandfather, Clarence Allen Nelson, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Prince’s paternal great-grandparents, Edward Nelson and Emma Hardy, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Prince’s paternal grandmother, Carrie Jenkins, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Prince’s maternal grandfather, Frank/Franklin Shaw, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Prince’s maternal grandmother, Lucille Bonnell, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
First he lies about his mother being white, then on Lopez Tonight the other night, he told George that he’s his “puerto rican brother from another mother”. Damn Prince. Still? Anything but black huh? Dude got some self hate issues.
Haha! My parents thought Prince was Puerto Rican. I told them over and over again that the man was black, and they didn’t believe me. I had to show them this site in order to prove it to them. They didn’t believe me because they said that he said he was Puerto Rican.
He’s stated before he’s black so…. I don’t know about self hate issues =/
His mum dosen’t look black though she looks more white than anything else. If someones skin tone and features are closer to the average white person than average black person, why should someone refer to them as black? I thought the colour of a persons skin should be of no more significance than the colour of their eyes. Martin luther king said this(i think you would agree a great and wise man) so we’re agreeing race should be nothing more than an aesthetic difference? And I certainly think a world famous star like prince is far less likely to have self hate issues, than a looser like you who is obsessed with telling everyone that they have to say they are black, even if they aren’t. YOUR BLACK YOUR BLACK YOU HAVE TO SAY YOUR BLACK DONT DENY IT ONE OF US ONE OF US ONE OF US. You self hating women are all pathetic(and yes it is mainly black women who are obsessed with this bullshit).
Maybe someday that will be the case–maybe when whites stop with the continual denigrations, trying to control blacks (like wanting to define them as a color like themselves when NO OTHER RACES are known by a color) and stop trying to dictate to them.
Are you aware that almost every month since slavery ended, whites have compared themselves to blacks? they compare for education, health issues, destireability, whose smarter, more athletic, etc There are polls within polls and studies galore. Based on the white fixation with blacks–you’d think there we were the only 2 races in the world with no regard for Asians or native Americans, etc. ON and on and on.
Word to the wise–stop comparing us to you or expecting us to be like you–we don’t want to be like you–we DO want some of the stuff you have but when we get it, we want to redefine it–we do NOT want to talk like you–we want to take the English and patois it–make it our version full of slang so we have our own group speak–we love our culture and we love being black–we even love our men and can understand their need to sample other women of other races–its all good because they all come home to us–either blatantly or on the sly. We are just people like everyone else–but we are NOT treated that way. No matter what we do–people either condemn us for it or try to appropriate it, copy it then claim they invented it or that the person is a part of them.
People insist I am not black. They point to my intelligence, my long hair–my ability to enunciate when I speak. but i am black. whites constantly want to make me be “not an American black” because they have relegated that kind of black to the bottom–they try to make me be from the islands or maybe Africa or want to know about my white ancestry (I am the color of a hershey bar) anything to explain my looks and my intelligence. I tell them, not only am I just an ordinary black, but that I am one of the stupider ones–I tell them that secretly all blacks look and act like me–they (esp white women) try to tell me why I am inferior to them and when I laugh and ignore that–it drives them crazy.
See blacks have a secret to the game–whites treat blacks like we all are on a play ground and they want to play “keep away” with jobs or acknowledgment of anything complimentary. Blacks stopped jumping to reach the white ball after about 1960–forget that we don’t even try to play the white game anymore–we start our own games with our own balls and with our own rules and we do not care if it makes everyone else angry….and THIS drives whites crazy. Go ahead–call Prince white and his momma white if you like–own his entire blood line–do that to any black you choose–you guys look so desperate and hypocritical. when he was born whites did NOT acknowledge any blood ties to people of color–why the change up? too many great people who are the ‘wrong color” not being laid claim to? LOL
Biracial kids who get mistreated by one of their races often repudiate or “disown it later” kids can be cruel–in some places bi racial kids were embraced but in other places the black kids also disowned them–in those cases (tiger woods is another one) the kids hang out with and identify with white people or which ever side accepted them. My kids are like that. I have 5 kids, 3 are biracial. Two look Middle Eastern but when they went to an almost all white school they were mistreated. Later they went to a school with more diversity. the black kids embraced them–especially when they found out their mom was black . they were black and pakistani. Now my daughter has a hard time relating to whites even though she is constantly being pursued by white guys and she does not have love for white females due to some of the things she went through–on the other hand, she embraces black girls because they embraced her. My other daughter is more comfortable around white people because they are less confrontational although she says she also is tired of their tendency to always bring race up and to say rude and stupid stuff about blacks or continually ask her :what are you?” as if what she is will determine if/how they will like her or treat her.
Recently, I told my one daughter to give white guys a chance so she said she would, but due to the insecurity of white females and how they act around other females of color–she steers clear of them. They are very insecure–this is what comes from allowing the media to define their desireability and self worth–when you give anything that much power you are subject to the whims of it. A study done that said black females was the least attractive could not understand why black females think so highly of themselves–because black women have learned to NEVER let white people define who or what they are or even define what is beautiful–we are on a totally different level and we DO notice how white females try to sing, dance, act like us, get color like we have, get plumper lips and butts like we have–which is odd–given that the model for their own brand of beauty was thin lips, no butts, and lank, straight hair. Go figure.
The bottom line is that if you are black and from South louisiana and your relatives, you more than likely have European/Indian ancestry, be it visible or invisible. even if Prince grew up in Minn, he still has that Louisiana connection, at least in a genetic sense.
Prince very well COULD have Italian ancestry, especially if his mother is from Louisiana. Many people are under the assumption that people from Louisiana are of perdominately French ancestry. That may be true for many, but not the vast majority.
A very little known fact is that in that late 1800s and through the early part of the 20th century, thousands of Italian immigrants, especially those from Sicily migrated to South Louisiana. These Italians worked alongside Black sharcroppers and in time, intermarriage and mixing would be inevitable.
Both of my great grandfathers were from italy and despite the fact that both of my grandfathers were very dark, the Italian genes were and are very evident in my parents, aunts and uncles on both sides.
So yes, I have always thought Princes claims had credibility.
Italians with “dark genes” often owe this trait to the infiltration of the Moors who were tribesman from Northern and western Africa who overran most of southern Europe during the centuries that the crusades were fought. Groups with relatively recent African ancestry are Filipino, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Haitian, cubans, Italians, some Spanish and some Dutch and French ALL ended up being occupied by the moors and while those Africans were there, they did not just sit on their hands and not infiltrate in every way possible.
I was more amazed by this little fifteen year old kid writing and playing every instrument and handling his own record contract by not signing a $700,000 deal unless he could write and produce the whole dam thing, that is the most amazing thing than any nationality test of his ethnic origin, if you really think about it, white people in the music business of the 60’s and 70’s could not get a record deal like that one, Prince knows exactly what to do to make his records sale, he is a genius.
Judging by the fact that he is born in 1958, in all probability Prince is not half white half black. Not that there were no bi-racial couples in 1950s minneapolis but its highly unlikely especially when you consider italians are only 2% of minneapolis (what his wife half supposedly is) and that biracials today only make up 1% of minneapolis. Back in 1950 segregation minneapolis it clear that such likelihood is very low. also if his dad is also mixed race then he sure came out black looking in comparision to those other people who are the children of a full white women and a half black man. From what I’ve seen Prince is as black as any other light skinned african american from louisana (ie beyonce types) and his parents John Nelson and mattie shaw are originally musicians from Louisana. Prince in all likelihood has some white ancestors from back in the slaves days but neither of his parents look white or like direct mulattos.
I can see why he has perpetuated the myth though. Prince released 2 albums where he basically looks black, the first 2, both did not perform very well. Prince releases dirty mind, slabs on some white make up and ka bam sales sky rocket along with his career, this was wide spread during the 70s and 80s that if you wanted to make sales you had to be light skinned (or off white skinned) prince -just like michael jackson- slowly becomes more white skinned throughout the 80s (and more succesful as more white people buy his albums). So yes I can see why he would perpetuate the myth $$$, and I can’t say I would not perpetuate the myth of being half white if it made me 100 million dollars like it has for prince in purple rain and probably another 300-500 million throughout his career.
Even recently prince has stopped the skin whitener and started to get blacker again and where are his sales, in the toilet.
Given the fact that joe jackson is as roughly the same complexion as princes dad is it really possible for him to have a white mom? I mean latoya jackson is lighter than he is and has 2 full black parents
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&biw=1181&bih=765&q=latoya+jackson&aq=0&aqi=g6g-s1g3&aql=&oq=latoya+&fp=21ceb0f9b63dbb40
If prince’s mom was whtie he probably look more like derick jeter or
To john dabis
Everything you said was complete nonsense,except for how much money he might have made
In the era of Prince’s birth–a black man with a “white woman” would have been lynched as it was Illegal for that mix. On the other hand, white men routinely (and still do) cruise the hood looking to get black tail either by mutual consent or by force–Etta James, EArtha Kitt. Lena Horne among others are the result of white men–“dippin” which is one of the reasons black males feel a need to even the score and do some “dippin” like white men–except they are going after the white male’s females. Ironically, like white men–many black males who are with white women try to get back with black females on the sly. I know because often, these “brothas will leave their women/wives in one aisle or at a table and try to pass me their number.
this one brother did this to me in San diego. He had a gorgeous blonde hair, blue eyed wife and 2 adorable babies. we were at the broadway (store) he leaves her in one aisle and tries to chat me up in the other aisle and gave me his phone number. I went right back and walked up to her and handed to her. She was shocked. For some reason, white females think because a black male dates them that they do not still desire black females.
They do. And girls, if he continually puts black females down or tells you how you are soooo much better suspect that one even more–he is just trying to throw you off the trail. When I gave that woman her man’s phone # she looked at him and said “but you said you did not like black women” As I walked away I told her–“never believe that” they say it to make the woman look better–but black women make love like they dance–think about that–think they do not like black women? Who did you think taught them how to be good lovers in the first place?
QueenBee,
This same thing has happened to me too. I also have a white female acquaintance who dates black men frequently, and was twice married to black men. When the relationships did not work and if the guy ended up going to a black woman ( which is what happened in her case 5 times ) she had the gall to say “I just can’t see him with a black woman. I just don’t think he really likes black women. ( when in fact, the first guy ended up marrying a black woman and having two children with her ) She still to this day is upset about him going to a black woman and she goes on and on about how the woman is not attractive ( and my acquaintance happens to be a bit on the obese side with mustache and faint beard that she keeps waxed weekly at the salon. I’m not saying she ugly or anything but…you know? pointing fingers etc? )
And when she sees a white man with a woman who is black or hispanic she makes the comment “Shes beautiful, thats the only reason why hes with that girl…because shes not average.
Then she turns to me, “You are different because your mixed. Any guy likes mixed women”
Yea, shes really F***ED UP IN THE MIND!!!! You would think this girl was from Alabama, Georgia,Louisiana or Mississippi in the 1940s right?
Shes from California! lol So called “LIBERAL AWESOME OPEN MINDED” California, born and raised in the 1970s!!! lol wtf