Cowboys may outnumber rockers in this town of 15,000, but Sheridan was the
place to be for Prince fans when "His Royal Badness" arrived to throw a party
and unveil his latest movie.
Lisa Barber, 20, a hotel maid, won the evening with the rock superstar by
being the 10,000th caller in an MTV national call-in contest.
The lucky dial, her fourth, gave her the chance to be host for the world
premiere of "Under the Cherry Moon" and the party afterward.
The rock video cable TV channel carried the party live, and showed clips of
life in Sheridan.
Ms. Barber, shaky and obviously overwhelmed by the fanfare, said only that
she was excited and that Prince's appearance to pick her up at her home was
"different than what I am used to." She introduced Prince to a screaming crowd of
500 at the Sheridan Holiday Inn.
The highlight of the evening was a medley of Prince numbers with his usual
band, Revolution, which made a surprise appearance following Prince's
performance with another band, Mazarati.
Prince, characteristically taciturn, answered only one question during the
national telecast. MTV's Martha Quinn asked him how he felt and he responded, "I
feel with my hands."The bash attracted a number of celebrities, including
actress Rosanna Arquette, singers Joni Mitchell, Sheila E., and Ray Parker Jr.,
jazz musician Thomas Scott, and actor Jerome Benton, who appears in Prince's new
movie.
This mining and ranching community began making hasty preparations for the
reclusive rock star's arrival last week after Ms. Barber was announced the
winner of the contest.
When Prince stepped off his private plane at midday Tuesday, Mayor Max DeBolt
and about 700 screaming fans were there to greet him. Prince acknowledged the
welcome by throwing the crowd his black silk jacket.
When asked about his first impression of Sheridan, he said, "I'm going to get
a house here."Prince's first movie, "Purple Rain," won an Academy Award for best
original song score. The Minneapolis rocker has also won or shared in three
Grammy awards and has attracted a devoted following with his searing lyrics and
driving melodies.
Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=1126
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