Stranger Than Fiction: Sept. 1983

Musician — September 1983

Issue No. 56 • Price: $1.95

Cover only

September 1983 issue of Musician places Prince front and centre with a close‑up portrait that captures his early‑80s mystique — styled hair, dramatic makeup, and a crisp white outfit. The cover teases a major feature titled “Prince Talks! Stranger Than Fiction” by Barbara Graustark, signalling one of the more substantial interviews from this era, just months before Purple Rain would transform him into a global phenomenon.

The rest of the cover reflects the magazine’s eclectic editorial mix, highlighting pieces on Joan Jett, the Beach Boys (with a focus on Brian Wilson), and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons. But Prince is unmistakably the main draw — a rising star on the brink of cultural takeover.