Additional Coverage:
- Reason Bruce Springsteen was banned from Prince’s dressing room (themirror.com)
As the ten-year anniversary of Prince’s passing approaches, his longtime drummer Robert “Bobby Z” Rivkin is opening up about the enigmatic and fiercely private nature of the legendary musician. Having spent over four decades alongside Prince as a founding member of the Revolution, Rivkin shared candid insights with The Guardian about what it was like to be part of the superstar’s inner circle.
One particularly telling story involves the night Bruce Springsteen and Madonna found themselves barred from Prince’s dressing room. Despite their immense fame, the two icons were denied entry and instead had to settle for using the band’s restroom.
“That was a hilarious moment,” Rivkin recalled. “Prince’s dressing room was off limits to them, so they had to use the band’s toilet.”
This kind of boundary-setting wasn’t about ego, but rather Prince’s unique temperament. Rivkin described how Prince often felt uncomfortable around fellow celebrities unless he was genuinely a fan.
He wasn’t one to be impressed by star power alone. “He found meeting other celebrities very uncomfortable unless he was a fan,” Rivkin said.
“There could be huge stars and he just wouldn’t give them the time of day. Besides shaking Elizabeth Taylor’s hand, I don’t know if he’d be interested in chatting.”
In fact, Prince could even become bashful or embarrassed in such moments-a surprising trait for someone who regularly played sold-out arenas worldwide.
One exception was his warm connection with David Bowie, whom Prince considered an equal. Their meeting at Paisley Park, Prince’s sprawling Minneapolis estate and studio, stood out as a genuine moment of camaraderie.
Prince was found dead at Paisley Park on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57. Authorities ruled his death an accidental fentanyl overdose. Fans across the nation mourned by lighting up cities in purple, a tribute to the artist’s signature color.
Despite the dressing room restrictions, both Springsteen and Madonna paid public tribute to Prince. Springsteen honored him by opening a Brooklyn concert with a purple-lit performance of “Purple Rain,” closing with the words, “Prince forever.
God bless.” Madonna, who had collaborated with Prince on her 1989 album Like a Prayer, expressed her grief on social media, calling him “a true visionary” and later performed “Nothing Compares 2 U” at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
Reflecting on his years with Prince, Rivkin summed up the experience with admiration: “Playing with Prince was like being in the purple marines: he might toughen you up or break you down, but he’d bring you to a place you didn’t think you had. For a moment, you might even turn into a superhuman like him.”
Read More About This Story:
- Reason Bruce Springsteen was banned from Prince’s dressing room (themirror.com)