Prince (December 12, 1980) Daily News, New York at The Ritz

“Another sensationalized performer, who goes by the name of Prince, did his act in long black stockings and a black jockstrap.”

Publication: Daily News Date: Friday, December 12, 1980 Country: United States (New York, NY)

Section: Entertainment / Gossip / Nightlife Column

THE STORY

This short, gossipy item appears in a piece questioning whether the famed New York venue The Ritz is turning “X-rated.” It references a wild night the previous Sunday featuring Iggy Pop’s notorious antics (mooning and alleged flashing) in front of celebrities including Keith Richards, David Bowie, and Paul Stanley of Kiss. It then briefly mentions Prince’s recent performance there, highlighting his provocative stage outfit: long black stockings and a black jockstrap.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This piece was published three days after Prince’s midnight show at The Ritz on Tuesday, December 9, 1980 (during the Dirty Mind Tour). It reflects the shock value and media fascination surrounding Prince’s Dirty Mind–era image and stage persona. The same newspaper issue also carried a longer profile on Prince (the “20-year-old from Minneapolis” piece), showing how his boundary-pushing act was generating buzz in New York’s tabloid-style entertainment coverage.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Prince at The Ritz (December 9, 1980)

Era: Dirty Mind Tour (1980) Tone: Sensational, cheeky, tabloid-style Stage Look Mentioned: Long black stockings + black jockstrap (consistent with the Dirty Mind album cover and “All Man Show” aesthetic)

Context: Grouped with other provocative performances (Iggy Pop)

RELATED MATERIAL

This pairs directly with other December 1980 Dirty Mind coverage from the same paper and city:

• Dec 9: “Hey, sister” Ritz preview

• Dec 12 (earlier clipping): Longer Prince profile mentioning the Ritz show and bikini underwear costume

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

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