"The Kid" has his problems at home though, trying to deal with the negative effects of a dysfunctional family filled with abuse and crushed hopes. Eventually, "the Kid" sees himself following the same tragic path as his father, a failed musician, and begins to see his own career and personal life spiraling out of control.
Witnessing his father's attempted suicide changes "the Kid's" perspective and finds triumph in both career and in picking up the pieces of his broken relationship with Apollonia.
Originally, Vanity (Prince's girlfriend at the time), was slated to co-star in the film but backed out at the last minute due to personal and financial disputes. Vanity, now a born again Christian, went on to act on TV and in films.
The Story of Purple Rain
When Purple Rain premiered on July 26, 1984, Prince attained the status of pop royalty for his magnetic performance as "the Kid." Purple Rain had all of the elements one would expect for the making of a cult classic. The film was shot on location in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota with a budget of $7 million, a mere drop in the bucket by today's standards. The cast was mostly made up of first time actors, who were either in Prince's band (The Revolution) or associated with Prince on a musical level (Morris Day, Apollonia). Purple Rain went on to gross over $65 million during its run in theaters establish itself as a time capsule of the eighties and its music, style and culture.
The story of Purple Rain concerns a young musical performer, "the Kid," played by Prince, trying to claw his way to the top of the local music scene in hopes of connecting with a bigger dream of "making it." "The Kid" meets up with another aspiring artist who comes to follow her dream, Apollonia, who sees "the Kid" at the famous First Avenue Club and the two fall in love.
Directed by Albert Magnoli, the film stars Prince, Morris Day, Patty Apollonia Kotero and Clarence Williams III. After Purple Rain, Apollonia went on to star on TV's Falcon Crest and released two solo albums. Morris Day, who many thought stole the show with his comic performance, went on to release albums with his band The Time but unfortunately never mounted a serious effort at a movie career.
The soundtrack to the film sold over 17,000,000 copies and took an Oscar for the best original sound score. Prince also went on to win 3 Grammy Awards and 3 American Music Awards for the album and songs. The single "When Doves Cry," stormed the charts by taking the number one spots in the pop, soul and dance charts. The pinnacle of Purple Rain's success came when Billboard Magazine honored Prince's achievements in film, music and live performance when he was given the Trendsetter Award in 1984 for "unprecedented multi-media success."
The Purple Rain Soundtrack
"When Doves Cry" Lets Go Crazy" "Take Me With U" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "I Would Die 4 U" "Baby I'm A Star" "Purple Rain"
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