Prince (July 15, 1994) The Prince Is Dead, Long - Newsday New York.

Publication: Newsday (New York, NY) Date: Friday, July 15 1994 Country: United States Section / Pages: Arts / Music Feature Title: The Prince Is Dead, Long Author: David Herndon – Staff Writer

This mid‑1994 feature reviews Prince’s transformation into TAFKAP  and his benefit concert for the Dance Theater of Harlem at the Palladium, Manhattan.

The article opens with the line “Prince is dead,” marking his symbolic rebirth under the unpronounceable glyph identity.

Critic David Herndon frames the performance as both obituary and celebration — a farewell to the old Prince and a welcome to his new incarnation.

He recalls the artist’s earlier excesses, from the Purple Rain triumph to the self‑indulgent Arabian Nights stage show of 1993, describing the Palladium concert as a return to focus and vitality.

The review praises the stripped‑down New Power Generation ensemble — go‑go dancer, piano, organ, drums, bass, and Prince on guitar — for delivering a loose, funky set anchored by “Days of Wild,” whose George Clinton‑esque groove underscored Prince’s renewed connection to raw funk.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This article captures a pivotal moment in Prince’s career when he shed his name to protest record‑label control and reinvented himself as a symbol. The review’s tone — half elegy, half celebration — mirrors the tension between public perception and artistic liberation. It stands as one of the earliest mainstream press accounts of his TAFKAP era.

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