The Good, The Bad & The Hilarious: 13 Essential Prince Proteges

Mike Wass | April 21, 2016 5:48 pm
Prince Dead At 57
Legendary pop star Prince has died at age 57. We reflect on his incredible impact.

Prince was not only a prolific artist in his own right, he also lent his genius to a long list of proteges. It was a habit that started early in his career when he put together R&B/funk band The Time, which included future production heavyweights Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The group experienced significant chart success, as did “The Glamorous Life” diva Sheila E and frequent collaborator Sheena Easton. (They duetted together twice and he regularly penned songs for her).

Others were more notorious than successful. Vanity 6 will go down as one of the raunchiest girl groups in pop history, while a later incarnation of the trio, Apollonia 6, pushed the envelope even further. Then there is the long list of ex-lovers, girlfriends and spouses that benefitted from Prince’s creativity. Unfortunately, this resulted in a couple of absolute stinkers. (See Matye’s awful Child Of The Sun). Get to know 13 essential proteges up top.

Who’s your favorite Prince protege? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!