“The most talented artist”, according to Howard Stern
Broadcasting legend Howard Stern has welcomed the stars of the entertainment business into his radio studio for decades. Everyone ranging from Paul McCartney to Harry Styles has paid Stern a visit over the years, but one name proved elusive to the SiriusXM host, and the opportunity sadly passed him by.
Most of those who have entered the studio doors have been appreciated by Howard Stern in one way or another. His idols were The Beatles, and he welcomed Paul McCartney, but it doesn’t mean that all of his most beloved musical heroes have come in.
The artist in question is Prince, a titan of contemporary culture and a creative who Stern greatly admired both on and off the stage. Through the decades, many star-studded names shared tales about Prince during appearances on Stern’s radio show; however, that’s about as close as the broadcaster ever got to having the musician on his programme, but it wasn’t for lack of trying on his behalf.
Following Prince’s death in 2016, Stern paid tribute to him on air and detailed their attempts at persuading him to sit on their sofa. “Prince was the most talented artist,” Stern started his monologue by telling listeners.
The broadcaster continued praising Prince’s songwriting abilities and guitar talent before highlighting the musician’s on-stage demeanour. “The fucking guy could [still] dance like James Brown,” he commented. It’s hard to disagree. Prince was one of the most gifted in every facet of showmanship. He delivered on all fronts, in singing, in guitar playing and in the kind of songmanship that would make a genius wince. But, Prince never gave Stern the satisfaction.
“I’ve tried most of my career to get Prince in the studio,” Stern continued. Gary Dell’Abate, who works on the show, revealed the details of their final attempt to lure Prince into the studio as part of the annual ‘Birthday Bash’ broadcast. However, the musician’s management swiftly rejected the advance because of Prince’s Jehovah’s Witness faith, meaning he didn’t “believe in birthdays”.
Elsewhere during the broadcast, Stern continued to play an array of clips from Prince’s back catalogue and revealed his favourite track by the late artist. “The one that really blew my fucking mind was ‘Purple Rain,'” he told listeners.
Years later, when SiriusXM launched The Prince Station, Stern said on air: “I haven’t felt like getting stoned on weed for years, and all of a sudden, I’m listening to this thing last night, and I go, ‘This would be trippy if I was on weed’.”
Stern then told his listeners about a mystical radio programme Prince planned to make with DJ Rashida, his touring DJ. Although he didn’t explicitly contribute to the three-hour tape, it did feature a caller named Ezekiel, whom Stern believed to be the musician operating under a pseudonym. However, the character was later confirmed to be comedian Katt Williams.
While Stern never had the opportunity to interview Prince, as far as art is concerned, he is of the firm view that ‘The Purple One’ was the “most talented” to ever do it.
