Read This To Find Out How I Dissed Prince (regrettably)

Thanks to DJ Holiday and Dana Dane on KCEP Power 88 in Las Vegas for playing my Bruno Mars parody of 24K Magic live on the radio and keeping it in rotation. Anyway, DJ Holiday asked me about the story he heard about how I dissed Prince. Tune in Saturday, May 13 to hear my crazy interview. Here is the full story:

Several years ago, I promoted a show at the B. B. King’s Night Club in City Walk, Los Angeles. I called my weekly show, drum roll please: Country Sundays with Ace Antonio. Yep. A black man bringing some of the hottest country and rockabilly acts in town to a blues club—that would be me. Hello Skylar Thompson-wherever you are.

Anyway, from working there, besides, the mouth-watering awesome food and free drinks, I got to meet a ton of terrific acts; B.B. King, Slapbak, etc. The first day I worked there, this cat I knew from all the times of hanging and touring with the hip-hop junkies, Nice & Smooth, my friend Cliff Love, introduced me to Doug E. Fresh. I met one of my fave groups: Surface. It was sad to see that one of the members was legally blind-I had to walk him on and off the stage after he played the flute so beautifully. I also had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite groups of all time, Loose Ends—Carl McIntosh and Jane Eugene, the band and those fierce backup singers. Incredible! Actually, the “original” lead singer, Jane Eugene, and I got to be real cool. I’ll always be indebted to her for the advice she gave me once,

“Ace,” she said. “You have to follow your dreams—you have to. Or it will eat you up for the rest of your life.”

One night we got a call at the club. Prince was coming to see The Emotions and wanted to be incognito. We were all extremely excited. I had a sighting of him once at the JFK airport in New York on my way to the Bahamas. He pranced by me swinging his arms like George Jefferson, walking between his monstrous bodyguards. I swore I felt his energy when he passed me. Seriously, I did. Anyway, Prince wanted to come into the club, check out the Emotions and leave quietly.

No problem, except there was a problem.

Prince came up through the back elevator. He had two bodyguards with him and two drop-dead gorgeous European women with him. I met them at the elevator and escorted him to the seats the owner arranged for them—by the sound board—in front of the women’s bathroom on the second floor. You got it. The owner put Prince right smack dab in the middle of patron traffic. Genius, huh?

One of the other promoters, Josh, introduced himself to Prince while I rushed and got the owner. When I returned, I bent down and whispered to the funkiest performer on the planet,

“Hi, Prince, this is the owner of—

All of a sudden, one of the Purple Highness’ bodyguards gently but firmly placed his hand on my chest and lifted me up.

“He’s not seeing anyone else, for tonight,” he said.

I shrugged. “But this is the—”

“He’s not seeing anyone else.”

“But—”

“He-is-not-seeing anyone else.”

I looked at the owner and shrugged (hey, I tried) and he went back into his office defeated. The Emotions came on and sang their hits and I watched Prince clapping, celebrating and enjoying the girls rock the house. Once they finished, the owner and I went to the stage (sometimes I hyped the crowd between acts) and you would not believe what he did.

He said, “Thank you guys for coming tonight. We have plenty more entertainment coming your way. But guess who’s in the house tonight?”

No, he didn’t, I thought, looked up and saw Prince frown.

“Guess who is in the house tonight,” he repeated. “Prince!” The owner pointed up to the second floor and Prince and his entourage got up and left. Wow. What a lapse in judgment.

My hand went to my forehead in utter disbelief. He just ran Prince out of B. B. King’s! Somebody hand me a Jack and Coke. I need a drink.

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Ace Antonio Hall is the author of the non-fiction book, Lord of the Flies: Fitness for Writers, and the YA psychological horror novel, Confessions of Sylva Slasher.

KCEP is a non-commercial radio station located in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcasting on 88.1 FM. KCEP airs an Urban Contemporary music format branded as "Power 88". Its studios are in Las Vegas and its transmitter is on Black Mountain in Henderson.