Prairie Prince Biography
I was born on May 7, 1950, in Charlotte, NC. My full name is Charles Lempriere (Prairie) Prince. I was raised in Phoenix, Arizona with two older sisters (Leslie and Helen) who gave me a constant source of musical influences, including swing, jazz, blues, and early rock and roll. Both parents were music lovers and my father, Charlie, played drums in his youth. My mother, Louisa, was an artist and encouraged pursuing music and art my entire childhood, which I did and still do.
During high school, I started a band with my friend Roger Steen called The Mouth, later becoming The Red, White and Blues Band which in turn led to joining forces with founder Bill Spooner’s band The Beans, eventually evolving into The Tubes. We all moved from Phoenix to San Francisco after my acceptance to the San Francisco Art Institute on a scholarship. There I received my Bachelor of Arts in painting. My interests in stage design began there with my friend and colleague, Michael Cotten, who I continue to share a 60+ year artistic partnership in a number of branches of art and music.
My earliest drummer influences were Gene Kruppa and Buddy Rich in swing jazz, Stevie Wonder and Clyde Stubblefield in funk and soul, Sandy Nelson and Dick Dale in surf music, and Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham in the British Invasion of Rock. Later John French, Billy Cobham, Lenny White, and Jack DeJohnette were inspirational in fusion and more avant-garde styles of drumming. My early trap sets began with a Rogers Snare (1961), a four piece Slingerland (1963), a five piece Ludwig (1965), a five piece Rogers (1966) a six piece Flat Jacks (1967), a six piece Zicko (1971). In 1974 Mr. Takashi “Hagi” Hagiwara introduced me to his new Yamaha drums, which I’ve endorsed and played with pride ever since.
During the course of 50+ years, while continuing to record, perform, and tour the world with The Tubes (15 albums and world tours), I also performed and recorded with many of my heroes and fellow artists alike, and have fulfilled my desire to execute many various drum techniques in a wide variety of musical styles. In the early 70s I worked with late legendary pianist, Nicky Hopkins, recording two albums with musicians such as George Harrison, Mick Taylor, Ron Wood, Ray Cooper, and Klas Voorman, among others. I started the band Journey with Neal Schon, Ross Valory, and Greg Rolly shortly after, and recorded the demos that got them their first contract but opted for my dedication in The Tubes. After session work with Tommy Bolin, Brewer and Shipley and others in the 70s, the 80s brought work with Chris Isaak. I played drums on his first four albums.
I was honored to record with Brian Eno and David Byrne on the innovative album “My Life in a Bush of Ghosts” in the early 80s. I have worked extensively with Todd Rundgren, recording 7 albums and touring the world with him since the early 90s. I played drums on XTC’s “Skylarking” in the mid 80s, then again on their 2 CDs “Apple Venus Volume 1” and “Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)” which was released in 2000. Also, in the 80s I recorded with Glen Frey, David Pack, three albums for Richard Marx, and taped a Showtime Special with John Fogerty. The 90s brought live performances with Tom Waits. I was the drummer on legendary “King of the Surf Guitar” Dick Dale’s 3 CDs. Then I became the full-time drummer for the re-formed Jefferson Starship featuring original members Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, Jack Casady and Papa John Creach. After 4 CDs and several world tours I bowed out as their full-time drummer in 2008.
I have done studio work with renowned producer Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads. I continue to do a lot of session work in studios all over the US with established and up-coming talent.
I performed on “Love Will See You Through” the double/live album by Grateful Dead bassist’s band Phil Lesh and Friends. I recorded a CD with longtime friend and former Tubes and Grateful Dead member, the late Vince Welnick (Missing Man Formation), which brought acclaim from a unique base of music fans. I also performed with guitarist extraordinaire Steve Kimock in SKB, as a part-time member with Bobby Vega and Pete Sears, and continue to explore and expand on the improvisational themes this musical form takes on.
In 2006 I recorded “It’s Alive” and toured with The New Cars featuring Todd Rundgren as the lead singer, bassist Kasim Sulton, and original The Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes.
New musical projects include the formation of a couple of tribute bands: The Gilmour Project with Pink Floyd enthusiasts Jeff Pevar, Kasim Sulton, Mark Karen, and Scott Guberman performing music from the Pink Floyd catalogue with improvisation and All You Need Is Love, a 60th anniversary of Beatles in America tribute with members Kasim Sulton and Gil Assayas from Todd Rundgren’s band; Steve Kimock and Bobby Lee Rogers, guitarists extraordinaire; Mark Richotte and Andy Fergie, Beatles enthusiasts from Belville, Ontario.
I continue to perform and tour with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren.
Visual art has always been a huge component of my life. I’ve painted murals, designed stage sets and I have a thriving business creating custom finishes on drums, guitars, motorcycles, and vehicles.
Early in my career I teamed up with Michael Cotten (former Tubes member) to create Cotten/Prince, an artistic design partnership. We combined our art expertise and worked with The Tubes choreographer Kenny Ortega (Dirty Dancing, High School Musical) to collaborate as the artistic team responsible for devising the production design and theatrical staging for The Tubes live shows and videos, as well as designing the album covers and graphic design for the band.
Coming up with a style and air-brush technique allowed us more creativity, and we were able to design and paint some of the world’s largest murals. One of which was the famous “Flying Records” mural on the exterior of the A&M Records building in Hollywood, Ca. The mural’s demise was mourned by many in the music community, in particular Jerry Moss, founder of A&M Records, documented in an NPR interview.
Cotten/Prince’s artistic vision and ability to produce innovative and artistic projects led to working for the world’s top live performers, high-end retailers, and companies around the world.
Working with longtime collaborator Kenny Ortega, we created set and stage design for some of the world’s biggest musical touring acts, Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, Bonnie Raitt, Gloria Estefan, Bette Midler, The Tubes, and Todd Rundgren.
We collaborated on the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games, the Super Bowl XXX halftime show starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson’s 1997 History Tour, and Jackson’s This Is It Tour.
Other art projects included painting murals across the United States for companies including I. Magnin, Macy’s, The Limited, and Federated Stores, as well as painting murals and interiors for international clients in Spain, England, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and Japan. Major mural commissions include grand scale interiors at the Ho-Chunk Casino and the Potawatomi Casino in Wisconsin.
I continue to design and paint murals and custom interiors in private residences across the country. For the past 20 years I have been a muralist and decorative painter at the Thornton House, a private residence in San Francisco that was designed by the Palace of Fine Arts architect Willis Polk in 1915.
The late Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, The Tubes) commissioned us to paint murals in his Mexican villa, Casa Del Sol in Akumal on the Maya Riviera. I painted murals in Casa Que Pasa, a Pueblo Revival style home near Santa Fe, NM.
As Artistic Director of Mouthman, a company founded with Ross Valory, a founding member and former bassist of Journey, we designed a line of shirts where graphic designs of jaws and teeth on the sleeves form a mouth when the wearer “hugs themselves.”
My most recent music & art project is the album Colours & Passions, a visual/aural extravaganza years in the making.