Thursday, March 28, 2024

Al Roker Takes ‘Today’ on Exclusive Tour of Prince’s Paisley Park Studios (Watch)

Al Roker takes a tour of Prince's Paisley Park Studios on "Today"
Al Roker takes a tour of Prince’s Paisley Park Studios on “Today”

*The “Today” Show’s Al Roker took viewers on an exclusive tour of Prince’s Paisley Park ahead of its official opening to the public on Thursday.

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Viewers got to see inside the control room of the facility’s Studio A, where the late singer’s handwritten notes could be seen along with his keyboard and guitars. He was using Studio A to record a jazz album that will be released in the coming months.

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In the Purple Rain room, visitors will see the script, guitar, and one of the motorcycles Prince rode in the movie.

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A number of Prince’s outfits are also on display, all of which were custom made, said Paisley Park’s archivist, Angie Marchese.

“He was a very tiny guy, which actually brings us to very unique and unusual circumstances, sometimes finding mannequins properly sized to be able to display the clothing,” she said.

“Because like the Purple Rain outfits that you’ll see here, Prince had a 22 and a half inch waist at the time, in 1984.”

Prince was known for his complex and radical taste in fashion, but what many don't know is that he kept almost every outfit and he had a pair of matching shoes to go with each one. The archives now contain thousands of articles of clothing.
Prince was known for his complex and radical taste in fashion, but what many don’t know is that he kept almost every outfit and he had a pair of matching shoes to go with each one. The archives now contain thousands of articles of clothing.

Al was joined on the tour by two of Prince’s sisters, Norrine and Sharon Nelson, who said their brother’s energy and spirit could definitely be felt in the exhibit, which they described as a good representation of his legacy.

“It is, and he did plan it to be a museum. Everything is strategically placed,” Sharon Nelson said. “And when the fans come in they’ll see that it is.”

Norrine Nelson added: “It’s truly Prince. He thought all this through. He had a vision and he finished it.”

Prince's sisters Norrine and Sharon Nelson with Al Roker on "Today"
Prince’s sisters Norrine and Sharon Nelson with Al Roker on “Today”

Later, during a live interview with Prince’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson confirmed that her brother had planned out much of what the museum looks like. She said she hopes guests will experience something personal during their visit.

“I want them to maybe feel like maybe they saw Prince up close,” she said. “Sometimes when you’re a fan, you get to only to see them from a seat, but this way, you’re almost face-to-face with him.”

Watch the entire “Today” show segment below:

As previously reported, Paisley Park, is opening as scheduled on Thursday under a three-day temporary permit while officials work out concerns about public safety and traffic.

Under the permit, the Paisley Park museum will be open for tours Thursday – the originally announced opening day – Saturday and Oct. 14, Paisley Park said in a statement Tuesday. The new museum will try to accommodate guests holding tickets for other October dates on those three dates; ticket holders will receive emails.The full-time operation of the museum may not happen until December.

On Monday, the Chanhassen City Council indefinitely postponed voting on a rezoning request by the trust company overseeing the late star’s estate for the complex to be operated as a museum and said Tuesday that it’ll come before the council for another vote “on or before” Dec. 20.

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