Prince Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame After Screening of ‘Purple Rain’ – Duluth News Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS — Prince fans got a long-awaited surprise Saturday, July 27, at the Target Center after a screening of “Purple Rain.” The man born Prince Rogers Nelson has finally been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Prince’s sister Sharon Nelson did the honors at the special event celebrating the 40th anniversary, to the day of the release of “Purple Rain,” the semi-autobiographical film that helped propel Prince to worldwide fame. The film grossed $70.3 million in 1984 against a $7.2 million budget and won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The soundtrack spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, spawned five hit singles and won two Grammys. A musical based on the film is set to premiere at Minneapolis’ State Theatre in April.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/president Howie Richmond to honor the world’s most beloved English-language songwriters. According to the SHOF website, “a songwriter with a distinguished catalog of songs is eligible for induction 20 years after the song’s first commercial release.”

Since Prince released his debut album, “For You,” in 1978, he wasn’t eligible until 1998. He was nominated in 2005, along with Neil Young and Pete Townsend of The Who, but none of the three have actually been inducted yet.

Fellow Minnesotan Bob Dylan was inducted in 1982, his first year of eligibility. In 2017, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis — founders of the Prince-affiliated band The Time who would later write and produce with Janet Jackson — made the cut.

Prince’s absence from SHOF has been discussed for decades, with fans launching petitions through Change.org and MoveOn. Last year, American Songwriter magazine published a piece listing five reasons why a Prince induction was overdue, citing his creation of the Minneapolis Sound, his ability to transcend musical genres, and the many hits he wrote, both for himself and for other artists.

The “Purple Rain” screening also included performances by Jamecia Bennett and the Shapeshift Dance Company. Prince’s studio/home-turned-museum Paisley Park also screened the film to a sold-out crowd on Saturday night.