Prince (May 26 1985) Star Tribune

A commentary piece from the Minneapolis Star Tribune reviews the fifth annual Minnesota Music Awards, noting the event’s overall success despite Prince’s absence, while praising the production and media coverage.

PUBLICATION Publication: Star Tribune Date: May 26, 1985 Country: USA Section / Pages: Awards / Page 77 Title: Minnesota Music Awards score well, mostly, even without Prince

THE STORY Staff writer Jon Bream gives the fifth annual Minnesota Music Awards a B+ grade. He highlights improvements in production, pacing, and technical aspects under first-time director Jack Reuler. The piece notes strong media coverage (including MTV) but criticizes the choice of entertainers and the heavy use of taped background music instead of live performances. It specifically mentions the lack of a “showstopper” on the level of Prince’s previous appearances at the awards.

CONTEXT AND NOTES This article appears the day after Prince & The Revolution’s Around the World in a Day hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Prince had dominated the previous two Minnesota Music Awards ceremonies with memorable performances, so his absence was notable. The piece reflects the high expectations for Prince-related acts in the local music scene during the peak of the Purple Rain era.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS Event: 5th Annual Minnesota Music Awards Era: Purple Rain / Around the World in a Day era (1985) Tone: Positive but slightly critical local commentary Photography: Black & white photo of Jimmy (Jam) Harris and Melanie Rosales at the ceremony (by David Brewster) Audience: Minnesota music industry and Prince fans

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS A full commentary column discussing the local music awards ceremony. The large headline emphasizes that the event succeeded even without Prince. A prominent photo shows Jimmy Jam and Melanie Rosales. The article underscores Prince’s outsized influence on the Twin Cities music scene at the time.

RELATED MATERIAL

• Around the World in a Day chart success (Page 78 clipping)

• Prince & The Revolution live performances at prior Minnesota Music Awards

COPYRIGHT NOTICE All magazine scans, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.