ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A tribute concert to Prince featuring performers including Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Chaka Khan should help bring closure to grieving fans of the late “Purple Rain” superstar, Prince’s younger sister said.
Tyka Nelson describes the Thursday night concert at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as a public memorial to Prince, who died in April at his Paisley Park recording complex.
“I want them to get some closure,” Nelson said of Prince’s fans. “It takes time to kind of get over it, and I see that they are grief-stricken.” She said there “definitely” will be future concerts.
Tori Kelly, Anita Baker and Doug E. Fresh also are included in the lineup. Prince’s ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, has been added to the concert, and Prince will be represented by members of his inner circle, including Morris Day & The Time, Judith Hill and Liv Warfield.
Pop star John Mayer bowed out, citing a “change of schedule,” concert promoter Randy Levy told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Prince family-sanctioned concert originally was planned for the Minnesota Vikings’ new U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, but was moved to the smaller Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
Prince’s family initially announced the concert in late July, but details did not emerge until September. The wait frustrated Prince fans across the country who already had made travel plans without any guarantee of tickets. But organizer L. Londell McMillan, a longtime attorney for the late superstar, said it took time to put the details together because so many artists were involved.
McMillan told The Associated Press the change from U.S. Bank Stadium to Xcel Energy Center was a “business and creative decision.” While the St. Paul arena will seat 17,000 for the Prince tribute, compared with up to 55,000 for concerts at the stadium, its acoustics are considered good for a hockey arena.
Fans quickly snapped up tickets when they went on sale last month.
Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose. The singer of hits including “Purple Rain,” ”Let’s Go Crazy” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” was 57.