Here’s a first look at Prince covering Essence Magazine. The music icon is set to headline this summer’s Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. In the Essence cover story, Prince After Dark, writer Cheo Hodari Coker chronicles an evening with the star in L.A. in March, before and after another one of his marathon shows. They may not always start on time (Prince “has his own set of rules and his own sense of time”) but they often go on for hours as the dynamo works his exhaustive catalog of hits and lesser-known tracks as he gives the audience the epitome of showmanship. The seemingly ageless star (who actually turns 56 next month) says one secret to his success is that he likes to keep his musical life spontaneous and challenging. Read the complete story in the June edition of Essence Magazine. It’s online and on newstands everywhere starting Friday May 9th.
