Levon Helm, the drummer and one of the vocalists for The Band, passed away today in 2012. So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what drummer singers do you want to hear?

In a surprise that coincides with the kickoff of Celebration 2018 at Paisley Park — and as the world prepares to mark two years since Prince’s sudden death — the original studio recording of Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U” has been released by the icon’s estate. “Nothing Compares 2 U” is best-known in the…

This weekend marks two years since we lost Prince — and Minnesota is coming together to celebrate his life and the legacy that he left behind. Here is a list of some of the Prince-related events happening this weekend. While you’re cruising around town, listen to our new stream Purple Current, which will be all-Prince…

Prince took us to Uptown. He took us to church. And yesterday, he took us to school, drawing several dozen fans and scholars to the University of Minnesota for the second day of their “Prince from Minneapolis” symposium. After a breakfast of starfish (cookies) and coffee, attendees watched a handful of panels, many of which featured…

The story of Prince on keyboards is also the story of how technology routed his music — and all pop music — in the ’80s. Manning a bank of synths in his trademark surgical scrubs, “Dr.” Matt Fink wasn’t Prince’s longest-running keyboardist (Morris Hayes played with the NPG for 20 years), but Fink’s dozen years,…

When you think about the Minneapolis Sound, synths and drum machines probably jump to mind before you think of bass. Possibly the best-known thing Prince ever did regarding bass guitar was to leave it out of one of his most iconic hits: “When Doves Cry.” As BrownMark explains, though, there was a reason that song…

Thanks to Loran who wrote in with today's theme idea. For today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what bands do you want to hear that have jewelry, gems, or precious metals in their name?

Owen Husney and Marylou Badeaux both had special places in Prince's history. Their new memoirs give poignant, informative, and amusing glimpses into the life of a legend.

Though Prince’s use of drum machines—in particular, the LM-1, designed by Roger Linn—was a major part of his singular sound, he could also play serious grooves in a wide array behind a real-deal drum kit. Prince began drumming at age 12. “I learned on a big box of newspapers,” he told Modern Drummer in 2001.…

Any good writer will tell you that sometimes the best way to touch on universal truths is to get specific and nail the details. That fact was in evidence this morning at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, as the symposium Prince from Minneapolis convened what The Current’s Andrea Swensson called “a…