You knew a list like this was coming, and it would be fair to say that Prince may have been one of the more misunderstood musicians of the past 30-odd years.

His flamboyant dress sense, his name changing, it all helped add to the intrigue surrounding the supremely talented musician.

Here’s 20 of our favourite facts from CityPages:

Prince is a self-taught musician and producer. His first album, For You, was done completely alone.

In 1984, Prince accomplished something only the Beatles had one before him: He was topping charts simultaneously with an album, a film and a single (Purple Rain and “When Doves Cry,” respectively).

Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” about bandmate Wendy Melvoin’s sister Susannah Melvoin, a song that became famous when Sinead O’Connor covered it.

When Prince’s alias was the unpronounceable symbol, some staffers at Paisley Park just referred to him as “the dude.”

Prince was spotted all over downtown Minneapolis nightclubs in 2009 but often would leave 10 minutes after he arrived. In 2010, he made several cameo appearances to catch shows at First Avenue, including almost joining Gayngs on stage during their album release show, but each time he would slip out of the club just as attendees were about to fly into a tizzy.

Prince is 5’2″ tall.

Because of his status as a Jehovah’s Witness, Prince refuses to swear in his songs or regularly sing those that championed sexual freedom (e.g. “Darling Nikki”, “Little Red Corvette”).

The vocals on gender-bending track “If I Was Your Girlfriend” from Sign O The Times are said to be that of Prince’s female alter-ego, Camille.

Actress Kim Basinger in one of Prince’s few non-brunette exes. They broke up in 1990.

NBA star Carlos Boozer was Prince’s Los Angeles landlord in 2006 and he later sued The Purple one for painting his symbol on the house’s exterior and installing monogrammed carpeting.

Prince and Mayte [Garcia] had a child, Boy Gregory, who, according to the Star Tribune, died a week after birth due to a rare skull defect.

Spaghetti and orange juice was Prince’s favorite meal during his early years with the Revolution.

To prepare the cast for Purple Rain, Prince enrolled them in classes at Minnesota Dance Theatre.

Prince was called “Skipper” when he was a little boy.

Prince played electric guitar on Madonna’s “Like A Prayer.”

Prince once paid a salon in Washington, D.C., to close down, black out all the windows, and do his hair.

Prince was just blocks away from the site of John Lennon’s murder when it happened.

At 13, he formed Grand Central, his first band, with some high school friends.

Prince used to hang out at a McDonald’s on Plymouth Avenue on the North Side, where he’d stand outside and smell the food when he didn’t have money.

Prince’s father was not a gun-toting maniac as portrayed in the film Purple Rain. Prince said his father never swore, never drank, and that he always thought his dad was cool.

There you have it, 20 facts you may not have known about the artist formerly known as alive.

That’s a joke, relax.

You can read the full list HERE.

[source:citypages]

[imagesource:here]