Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Minnesota Now with Cathy Wurzer
Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

Bobby Z talks about 40 years of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain,’ upcoming musical

Prince performing onstage with 3RDEYEGIRL in 2013
Recording artist Prince performs during the 2013 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Like this?

Log in to share your opinion with MPR News and add it to your profile.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Prince’s album “Purple Rain” turned 40 on Tuesday. The man behind the beat of the album, record producer and musician Bobby Rivkin “Bobby Z” joined Minnesota Now.

Rivkin played in Prince’s band, The Revolution, from 1978 to 1976. After Prince’s death in 2016, he and other members of the band reunited and kept performing.

The band played two anniversary shows on Friday and Saturday to commemorate Purple Rain. Some fans who took part in the weekend’s celebrations got a preview of an upcoming musical based on Purple Rain, the film, where Rivkin is serving as a musical advisor for the project.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.