#1NEWYORKTIMESBESTSELLER-Thebrilliantcoming-of-age-and-into-superstardomstoryofoneofthegreatestartistsofalltime,inhisownwords--featuringnever-before-seenphotos,originalscrapbooksandlyricsheets,andtheexquisitememoirhebeganwritingbeforehistragicdeathNAMEDONEOFTHEBESTMUSICBOOKSOFTHEYEARBYTHENEWYORKTIMESBOOKREVIEWANDONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEARBYTHEWASHINGTONPOSTANDTHEGUARDIAN-NOMINATEDFORTHENAACPIMAGEAWARDPrincewasamusicalgenius,oneofthemostbeloved,accomplished,andacclaimedmusiciansofourtime.Hewasastartlinglyoriginalvisionarywithanimaginationdeepenoughtowhipupwholeworlds,fromthesexy,grittyfunkparadiseof“Uptown“tothemythicallandscapeofPurpleRaintothepsychedeliaof“PaisleyPark.“ButhismostambitiouscreativeactwasturningPrinceRogersNelson,borninMinnesota,intoPrince,oneofthegreatestpopstarsofanyera.TheBeautifulOnesisthestoryofhowPrincebecamePrince--afirst-personaccountofakidabsorbingtheworldaroundhimandthencreatingapersona,anartisticvision,andalife,beforethehitsandfamethatwouldcometodefinehim.Thebookistoldinfourparts.ThefirstisthememoirPrincewaswritingbeforehistragicdeath,pagesthatbringusintohischildhoodworldthroughhisownlyricalprose.ThesecondparttakesusthroughPrince’searlyyearsasamusician,beforehisfirstalbumwasreleased,viaanevocativescrapbookofwritingandphotos.ThethirdsectionshowsusPrince’sevolutionthroughcandidimagesthatgouptothecuspofhisgreatestachievement,whichweseeinthebook’sfourthsection:hisoriginalhandwrittentreatmentforPurpleRain--thefinalstageinPrince’sself-creation,whereheretellstheautobiographyofthefirstthreepartsasaheroicjourney.ThebookisframedbyeditorDanPiepenbring’srivetingandmovingintroductionabouthisprofoundcollaborationwithPrinceinhisfinalmonths--atimewhenPrincewasthinkingdeeplyabouthowtorevealmoreofhimselfandhisideastotheworld,whileretainingthemysteryandmystiquehe’dsocarefullycultivated--andannotationsthatprovidecontexttothebook’simages.Thisworkisnotjustatributetoanicon,butanoriginalandenergizingliteraryworkinitsownright,fullofPrince’sideasandvision,hisvoiceandimage--hisundyinggifttotheworld.
