Prince’s father took him to see James Brown when he was a kid — and Prince got up on stage and danced with him. That’s one story Miles Davis relates — and we probably all owe a big shout-out to Prince’s pop for introducing him to the Godfather of Soul. (They’d perform together later in life.)
Davis goes on to say that Prince was so great because he combined the powerful influence of Brown with luminaries like Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye. Then in a terrific surprise which makes sense the longer you think about it (like most Miles Davis) Davis tells us who the other core influence Prince mined is: Charlie Chaplin. “His concept on the stage,” Davis said, “is like Charlie Chaplin.” (As a bonus, we learn that Sidney Poitier was Gregory Peck on stage.)
