The New Graceland? Prince’s Paisley Park Starting Tours in October
While Elvis Presley’s former mansion Graceland might be the world’s most famous rock n’ roll residence, Prince’s Paisley Park is undoubtedly a close second. Starting in October, the home of the Purple Rain musician will get the full Graceland treatment. The massive 65,000 square foot facility will be turned into a museum and guided tours will take visitors through the main floor, including into the studios where Prince created many of his biggest hits.
According to USA Today:
“Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, said in a statement that this was always her brother’s goal…
“‘Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on,’ Tyka Nelson said in the press release issued by Bremer Trust, the special administrator of Prince’s still-unresolved estate”.
Not many people have had the chance to tour the massive estate — only a few hundred — but once Paisley Park becomes open to the public, fans will have the chance they’ve been waiting for.
Nelson says that the goal of the museum is to not only honour Prince’s legacy and display his genius, but also to carry on his strong sense of family and community.
“The tours will include Prince’s video editing suites, rehearsal rooms, private NPG Music Club, and a massive soundstage and concert hall where he rehearsed for tours and held private events and concerts. Visitors also will see thousands of artifacts from Prince’s personal archives, including his concert wardrobe, awards, musical instruments, artwork, rare music and video recordings, concert memorabilia, automobiles and motorcycles”.
It looks as though the family is going for a vision similar to Graceland. However, where Graceland opened five years after Elvis’ death, Paisley Park will be open for visitors less than a year after Prince’s.
Tickets will go on sale here beginning Friday at 3pm Eastern for tours starting on October 6, 2016. As of yet, there is no ticket price available.
Kudos to all concerned!! Incidentality, this is what Prince said of Elvis Presley 21 years AFTER Presley’s death, which meant he said it 18 years BEFORE his own. And I quote ” I realize I’m part of a musical history and I revere the legacy of my predecessors, so, for instance, when playing live I’ll do some of their bombs, or say, we play “Jailhouse Rock” as a tribute to Elvis. So why Elvis you ask? Well, I was brought up in a black and white world. I dig black and white; night and day, rich and poor, man and woman. I listen to all kinds of music and I want to be judged on the quality of my work, not on what I say, nor on what people claim I am, nor on the color of my skin” Unquote. The artist known as Prince, answering a reporter on why would he cite Elvis Presley as one of his influences, from an interview with “Guitar World”, published in October of 1998.