AS WE APPROACH THE SECOND
ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE'S DEATH,
A MAJOR SYMPOSIUM KICKS OFF
TOMORROW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MINNESOTA CALLED PRINCE FROM
MINNEAPOLIS.
THE SYMPOSIUM IS ATTRACTING
PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
AND EVENTS WILL TAKE PLACE AT
THE WISEMAN ART MUSEUM,
NORTHRUP AUDITORIUM AND OTHER
VENUES.
THE ORGANIZERS INCLUDE CHARLES
SMITH, PRINCE'S COUSIN AND
FORMER BAND MATE AND DR.
MICHAEL LEAN WHO IS ORIGINALLY
FROM LONDON.
GENTLEMEN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
COMING IN.
IN THE BREAK I WAS ASKING YOU
CHARLES, DID YOU EVER THINK
THAT THERE WOULD BE
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC
CONFERENCES ABOUT YOUR COUSIN.
I HAD NO IDEA, UNBELIEVABLE,
BUT WELL DESERVED, THOUGH.
PRINCE'S MUSIC CERTAINLY
TRANSCENDS INTO THAT PARTICULAR
ACADEMIA DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE
RECOGNIZED HIM.
HE WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS.
AND WE WANT TO SHOW A
PICTURE, AN OLD PICTURE FROM
BACK IN THE DAY WHERE WE
ACTUALLY HAVE A PICTURE OF BABY
PRINCE.
YOU'RE IN THE PICTURE AS WELL.
SO PRINCE IS ON --
PRINCE IS ON DAD'S LAP AND
I'M SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM
IN THE SUSPENDERS.
AND A COUPLE OF OUR COUSINS,
HIS BROTHER THERE AND MY COUSIN
WENDY AND MY SISTER DENISE IS
THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE FRONT,
SO.
ALL RIGHT.
I WANT TO ASK PROFESSOR ALEAN
YOU OBVIOUSLY FROM THE ACADEMIC
PERSPECTIVE HOW BIG AND
EMERGING IS THIS FIELD OF
REALLY STUDYING PRINCE'S
CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD?
IT'S ENORMOUS.
PERHAPS UNEXPECTEDLY SO.
I THINK THERE WERE ALWAYS
STREAMS OF THOUGHT ASSESSING
HIS CAREER AND ASPECTS OF HIS
CREATIVE IMPACT.
BUT OF COURSE HIS PASSING LED
TO THE EMERGENCE OF A LOT OF
THOSE STREAMS FROM BELOW THE
SURFACE INTO THE MAINSTREAM,
AND NOW IT'S BECOME MUCH MORE
DYNAMIC AND INTERNATIONAL THAN
I THINK MOST PEOPLE
ANTICIPATED.
AND A LOT OF THE SYMPOSIUM,
IT'S CALLED PRINCE FROM
MINNEAPOLIS WILL FOCUS ON THE
MINNEAPOLIS TIES.
SO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN OUR
COMMUNITY TOOK IT FOR GRANTED
WHEN HE WAS HERE WHEN HE WAS
ALIVE.
HOW MUCH -- HOW IMPORTANT IS
MINNEAPOLIS AND THE WAY HE
LIVED HERE CONTRIBUTING TO SOME
OF THESE STUDIES?
I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY
CRUCIAL, BUT ALSO OUR
APPRECIATION OF PRINCE'S
CONNECTION TO MINNEAPOLIS IS
EXPANDING ALL THE TIME.
THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXPANSION
OF THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR
PEOPLE WHO AREN'T FROM HERE IS
BECOMING ENRICHED, AND THE
TEXTURE IMPROVES AND DEVELOPS
WITH EVERY EVENT THAT'S
DEDICATED TO PRINCE.
RIGHT.
AND CHARLES, I KNOW THAT YOU
WERE SORT OF A LIVING LINK TO
HIS CHILDHOOD.
WAS IT OBVIOUS PRETTY EARLY ON
THAT THIS WAS A PRODIGY?
CERTAINLY.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT I
FORECASTED HE WAS GOING TO BE
THIS BIG.
THE GENIUS WAS ALREADY THERE,
AND IF ANYBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO
PULL IT OFF, IT WAS HIM.
CHARLES, I KNOW THAT YOU
ALSO HAVE LAUNCHED A WEBSITE,
AND WE'VE GOT YOUR FACEBOOK
PAGE, JUSTICE FOR CUZ, YOU HAVE
BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN ON YOUR
DESIRE TO FIND OUT WHO SUPPLIED
THE FENTANYL THAT ULTIMATELY
KILLED HIM.
TELL US ABOUT THAT AND HOW
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GETTING IN
CONTACT WITH YOU FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD.
IT'S STRANGE THAT THERE'S
NOT BEEN MANY MORE
CONVERSATIONS ON FENTANYL.
IT'S STARTING TO COME UP NOW,
BUT TO ME I'D LIKE TO SEE
SOMEBODY PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE
FOR ENABLING THE SITUATION AS
FAR AS LIKE GETTING IT FOR HIM,
NOT WATCHING OVER HIM,
PROTECTING HIM AS YOU WOULD
THINK WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
I'M JUST -- I'M JUST GRATEFUL
THAT I'M STILL HERE AND I'M
ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW UP ON
THIS BECAUSE I DON'T SEE TOO
MANY OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY
PEOPLE THAT WORKED WITH HIM,
COMING OUT AND TRYING TO, YOU
KNOW, FIND OUT WHAT REALLY
HAPPENED TO HIM.
THEY ALL WANT TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT, AND I DON'T FEEL WE
CAN MOVE FORWARD UNTIL WE DO
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHO GAVE HIM
OR HOW DID THOSE -- THE
FENTANYL GOT INTO THE
MISLABELED CONTAINERS.
I MEAN, THAT'S -- THAT'S ALWAYS
GOING TO BOTHER ME.
WELL, AND CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS ARE STILL
ONGOING.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW
THAT, BUT GENTLEMEN, GOOD LUCK
