Since Prince’s untimely death last week, fans have celebrated and mourned the legendary musician. Most tributes have been online, but fans have also flocked to Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis, where Paisley Park is located. Paisley Park is the mansion of Prince, where the superstar was found dead on the estate. There is talk of turning the mansion into a museum and place for fans to honor the musician, much like Graceland is.
On Saturday, Prince’s longtime drummer and collaborator Sheila E., attended the intimate memorial service of about 20 close friends and family members at the estate. Afterwards she told ET Online that Prince had always planned to transform his home into a museum.
“We’re hoping to make Paisley what [Prince wanted] it to be. [He] was working on it being a museum. He’s been gathering memorabilia and stuff from all the tours, like my drums and his motorcycle.”
“He’s been gathering memorabilia and stuff from all the tours, like my drums and his motorcycle. There’s a hallway of his awards and things, which he really didn’t care about too much, but he displayed it for the fans. There’s a mural on the wall with his hands out and on one side is all the people he was influenced by and the other side is all of us who have played with him…It’s beautiful.”
Prince’s brother-in-law Maurice Phillips echoed Sheila E’s sentiments.
“We will turn Paisley Park into a museum in Prince’s memory. It would be for the fans. He was all about the fans — this would remember his music, which is his legacy. Prince was always private but would have wanted his music remembered.”
Paisley Park was not just Prince’s 50,000-square-foot abode, it also hosted all-night dance parties, concert events and recording sessions.
You can see rare photos of inside Paisley Park here.
[CoS]
Celebrities Share Their Prince Stories