Prairie Prince

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American drummer

Prairie Prince

Prairie Prince drumming during Todd Rundgren's "A Wizard, a True Star Tour" in San Francisco, 2009

Background information
Birth name| Charles Lempriere Prince
Born|  (1950-05-07) May 7, 1950 (age 75)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres| Rock
Occupation| Drummer
Years active| 1970s–present
Member of| The Tubes[1]
Formerly of|

* Journey[2]
* Todd Rundgren[3]
* Jefferson Starship[4]
* The New Cars[5]
* Neil Hamburger[6]
* Richard Marx[7]

Website| prairieprince.com

Musical artist

Charles Lempriere "Prairie" Prince (born May 7, 1950) is an American drummer and visual artist. He came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the San Francisco–based rock group The Tubes, was a member of Jefferson Starship from 1992 to 2008 and has worked with a wide range of other performers as a session musician.

## Career

[edit]

Prince is a member of The Tubes and was a founding member of Journey along with Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie. However, he quit Journey after a few months before they made any recordings.

He has subsequently worked with Chris Isaak (on his first four albums), Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, David Byrne, XTC, Tom Waits, Paul Kantner, George Harrison, Dick Dale, Glenn Frey, Richard Marx, Bill Spooner, Neil Hamburger, John Fogerty, Nicky Hopkins, Tommy Bolin, Phil Lesh, Chris von Sneidern, John Ferenzik, Singer at Large Johnny J. Blair, The Gilmour Project, Negativland and former Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick.[8]

Prince collaborated with Ross Valory, bassist and founding member of Journey, on a line of patented[9] eco-friendly, US-made hoodie shirts called MouthMan, where graphic designs of jaws and teeth on the sleeves form a mouth when the wearer "hugs himself".

In 2006, he toured with The New Cars including Todd Rundgren, bassist Kasim Sulton (Rundgren's Utopia bandmate), and original The Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes. He continues to play with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren.

He was an original member of the reformed Jefferson Starship, known as "Jefferson Starship – The Next Generation" in 1992 and appears on both that band's studio albums (the 1999 release Windows of Heaven and the 2008 release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty), along with numerous live albums. Prince announced in early 2008 that he was leaving the band on amicable terms and remains available for international performances.

He is a sought-after session musician[citation needed] and played drums and percussion on all tracks of Chuck Prophet's 2012 release Temple Beautiful and seven of 12 tracks on Prophet's 2014's Night Surfer.

As an artist he designed the album cover artwork for many artists including The Tubes, Todd Rundgren (1981 album Healing), Journey, Lyle Workman and Vince Welnick's 1998 album Missing Man Formation, among many others.[citation needed] Along with his creative partner and fellow former Tube Michael Cotten, he has created numerous set designs for major artists including Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, N'Sync, Shania Twain, Styx, The Tubes and Todd Rundgren. Prince and Cotten have teamed up with choreographer Kenny Ortega on several special events including the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Super Bowl XXX halftime show (which featured Diana Ross singing "Take Me Higher" as she was lifted from the field in a helicopter), Michael Jackson's "This is It" concert, and Shania Twain's residency, Shania: Still the One, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.[citation needed]

## Personal life

[edit]

Prince lived with fellow Tubes member Re Styles from 1973 until the early 1990s. In a 2006 interview with Modern Drummer magazine's Billy Amendola, he referred to singer Diana Mangano as his wife, adding they were not formally married but had been together for a decade.[10]

The nickname "Prarie" is based on a mispronunciation of his middle name Lempriere, originating from his father's childhood nanny (the drummer and his father share the same name).[11]

## See also

[edit]

* The Nuclear Beauty Parlor§Activities

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Drummer, Modern (May 1, 2006). "Prairie Prince: An Interview". Modern Drummer Magazine. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
2. ^ Prairie Prince – Journey's Forgotten Founder, July 5, 2020, retrieved February 3, 2023
3. ^ Bergman, Jeff (April 17, 2009), Prairie Prince, retrieved February 3, 2023
4. ^ "Bio – Prairie Prince". Prairieprince.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
5. ^ "English: Prairie Prince performs with The New Cars at the Nokia Theater in Dallas on May 14, 2006". Commons.wikimedia.org. May 14, 2006. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
6. ^ "Neil Hamburger: Western Music and Variety". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
7. ^ "Release "Richard Marx" by Richard Marx". Musicbrainz.org. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
8. ^ Prairie Prince credits at AllMusic
9. ^ "Novelty shirt". Patents.google.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
10. ^ "Prairie Prince: An Interview". Moderndrummer.com. May 1, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
11. ^ "Prairie Prince: An Interview". May 2006.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prairie Prince.

* Official website
* The Tubes official website
* Prairie Prince audio interview on RundgrenRadio.com 2007
* Prairie Prince audio interview on RundgrenRadio.com 2009
* Prairie Prince discography at Discogs
* Prairie Prince at IMDb

Preceded by

none

|  Journey drummer
1973  | Succeeded by

Aynsley Dunbar

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Journey

* Neal Schon
* Jonathan Cain
* Deen Castronovo
* Arnel Pineda
* Jason Derlatka
* Todd Jensen

* Ross Valory
* Gregg Rolie
* George Tickner
* Prairie Prince
* Aynsley Dunbar
* Robert Fleischman
* Steve Perry
* Steve Smith
* Randy Jackson
* Steve Augeri
* Jeff Scott Soto
* Narada Michael Walden

Studio albums|

* Journey
* Look into the Future
* Next
* Infinity
* Evolution
* Departure
* Escape
* Frontiers
* Raised on Radio
* Trial by Fire
* Arrival
* Generations
* Revelation
* Eclipse
* Freedom

Soundtrack albums|

* Dream, After Dream
* Tron

EPs|

* Red 13

Live albums|

* Captured
* Greatest Hits Live
* Live in Houston 1981: The Escape Tour
* Live in Japan 2017: Escape + Frontiers
* Live in Concert at Lollapalooza

Compilation albums|

* In the Beginning
* Greatest Hits
* The Ballade
* Time3
* The Essential Journey
* Greatest Hits 2

Singles|

* "To Play Some Music"
* "Wheel in the Sky"
* "Lights"
* "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'"
* "Any Way You Want It"
* "Walks Like a Lady"
* "Who's Crying Now"
* "Don't Stop Believin'"
* "Open Arms"
* "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
* "Faithfully"
* "After the Fall"
* "Send Her My Love"
* "Only the Young"
* "Be Good to Yourself"
* "Girl Can't Help It"
* "I'll Be Alright Without You"
* "When You Love a Woman"
* "After All These Years"

Videos|

* Journey 2001
* Greatest Hits 1978–1997
* Live in Houston 1981: The Escape Tour
* Revelation
* Live in Manila

Documentaries|

* Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey

Tours|

* Infinity Tour
* Evolution Tour
* Escape Tour
* Raised on Radio Tour
* Eclipse Tour
* Def Leppard & Journey 2018 Tour

Video games|

* Journey Escape
* Journey

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Frumious Bandersnatch
* The Storm
* Vital Information
* Bad English
* Hardline
* Abraxas Pool
* Planet Us
* Soul SirkUS
* Revolution Saints
* Walter "Herbie" Herbert
* Irving Azoff
* Kevin Chalfant

* Category

* v
* t
* e

The Cars

* Elliot Easton
* Greg Hawkes
* Ric Ocasek
* Benjamin Orr
* David Robinson

Studio albums|

* The Cars
* Candy-O
* Panorama
* Shake It Up
* Heartbeat City
* Door to Door
* Move Like This

Compilation albums|

* Greatest Hits
* Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
* Shake It Up & Other Hits
* Complete Greatest Hits
* The Essentials
* The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances
* The Elektra Years 1978–1987

Singles|

* "Just What I Needed"
* "My Best Friend's Girl"
* "Good Times Roll"
* "Let's Go"
* "It's All I Can Do"
* "Double Life"
* "Touch and Go"
* "Don't Tell Me No"
* "Gimme Some Slack"
* "Shake It Up"
* "Since You're Gone"
* "Victim of Love"
* "Think It Over"
* "You Might Think"
* "Magic"
* "Drive"
* "Hello Again"
* "Why Can't I Have You"
* "Heartbeat City"
* "Tonight She Comes"
* "I'm Not the One"
* "You Are the Girl"
* "Strap Me In"
* "Coming Up You"
* "Sad Song"

Other songs|

* "I'm in Touch with Your World"
* "Don't Cha Stop"
* "You're All I've Got Tonight"
* "Bye Bye Love"
* "Moving in Stereo"
* "All Mixed Up"
* "Candy-O"
* "Night Spots"
* "Dangerous Type"
* "Panorama"
* "Cruiser"
* "Blue Tip"

Concert tours|

* Road Rage Tour
* North American Tour Spring 2011

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars
* BrainDead
* Glamour Camp

The New Cars|

* Todd Rundgren
* Kasim Sulton
* Atom Ellis
* Prairie Prince
* It's Alive!
* Utopia

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Blue Cheer

* Dickie Peterson
* Leigh Stephens
* Eric Albronda
* Paul Whaley
* Vale Hamanaka
* Randy Holden
* Ralph Burns Kellogg
* Gary Lee Yoder
* Nick St. Nicholas
* Andrew "Duck" MacDonald
* Prairie Prince
* Joe Hasselvander

Studio albums|

* Vincebus Eruptum
* Outsideinside
* New! Improved!
* Blue Cheer
* The Original Human Being
* Oh! Pleasant Hope
* The Beast Is Back
* Highlights and Lowlives
* Dining with the Sharks
* What Doesn't Kill You...

Live albums|

* Blitzkrieg Over Nüremberg

Singles|

* "Summertime Blues"
* "Just a Little Bit"
* "The Hunter"

* v
* t
* e

The Tubes

* Fee Waybill
* Rick Anderson
* Prairie Prince
* Roger Steen
* David Medd

* Rick Anderson
* Gary Cambra
* Vince Welnick
* Bill Spooner
* Michael Cotten
* Re Styles
* Mingo Lewis

Studio albums|

* The Tubes
* Young and Rich
* Now
* Remote Control
* The Completion Backward Principle
* Outside Inside
* Love Bomb
* Genius of America

Live albums|

* What Do You Want from Live
* Wild in London

Singles|

* "White Punks on Dope"
* "Don't Want to Wait Anymore"
* "Talk to Ya Later"
* "She's a Beauty"
* "The Monkey Time"

Compilations|

* T.R.A.S.H. (Tubes Rarities and Smash Hits)

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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