9 Famous People Who Feuded With Prince
via Music&Artists Management / YouTube
Prince was known for his musical genius and strong personality. Throughout his career, he had disagreements with several other artists. Here are nine notable figures who had public disputes with him.
Madonna
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In the 1980s, Prince and Madonna briefly dated and collaborated on the song “Love Song” for her 1989 album Like a Prayer. However, their relationship soured over time. In a 1994 interview, Madonna referred to Prince as a “little troll” and mentioned that he wouldn’t eat during a dinner date. Prince, in turn, expressed frustration that Madonna received more attention from their shared record label, Warner Bros., despite his own commercial success.
Despite their differences, they appeared to reconcile in 2011 when Madonna attended one of Prince’s concerts and he acknowledged her presence on stage. However, tensions resurfaced in 2013 when Prince criticized Madonna in an interview, suggesting their feud was ongoing.
Rick James
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Prince and Rick James had a well-known rivalry that began in the early 1980s. James invited Prince to open for him on his “Fire It Up” tour in 1980, but tensions arose when Prince’s performances started to overshadow James’s. James accused Prince of copying his style and even claimed that Prince stole the concept of an all-female band from him.
Their feud included public insults and competition over musical ideas. Despite their similarities in blending funk and rock, their relationship remained strained until James’s death in 2004.
Maroon 5
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In a 2013 interview, Prince criticized Maroon 5 for covering his song “Kiss” without his permission. He expressed displeasure with artists who remake his work without proper acknowledgment.
Prince’s comments highlighted his protective nature over his music and his desire for artists to seek approval before reinterpreting his songs. Maroon 5 did not publicly respond to his remarks.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
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Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were members of The Time, a band associated with Prince. Prince fired them after they missed a concert due to a snowstorm while producing music for another artist. He felt they were capitalizing on the “Minneapolis sound” he had developed.
Despite their dismissal, Jam and Lewis went on to become successful producers, working with artists like Janet Jackson. Their professional paths rarely crossed with Prince’s afterward.
Sinéad O’Connor
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Sinéad O’Connor’s 1990 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” was written by Prince. However, their relationship was contentious. O’Connor claimed that Prince was upset over her success with the song and that he had been physically aggressive during a meeting.
People.com
Prince’s estate later refused to allow the song’s use in O’Connor’s 2022 documentary, further indicating ongoing tensions between them.
Keith Richards
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Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was critical of Prince, particularly after Prince opened for the Stones in 1981. Richards referred to Prince as an “overrated midget” and criticized his stage presence.
Richards felt that Prince’s performance style was inappropriate for the Stones’ audience, leading to a lack of respect between the two musicians.
Justin Timberlake
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In 2006, Prince made a comment implying that “sexy never left,” which was interpreted as a jab at Timberlake’s song “SexyBack.” Timberlake responded with a diss verse in the song “Give It to Me.”
The feud reignited in 2018 when Timberlake performed a tribute to Prince at the Super Bowl, which some fans and Prince’s family found disrespectful due to Prince’s known opposition to holograms and posthumous duets.
Boy George
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In 2016, Boy George joked on a UK television show that he had slept with Prince, causing a stir among viewers. He later clarified that it was a joke and not based on any truth.
The comment led to media speculation, but there was no evidence of any actual feud or significant interaction between the two artists.
Michael Jackson
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Prince and Michael Jackson were often compared as pop icons in the 1980s, leading to a competitive relationship. Jackson described Prince as “one of the rudest people I’ve ever met” and accused him of being mean to his family.
Their rivalry included incidents like Prince declining to participate in the “We Are the World” recording, which Jackson co-wrote, and both artists reportedly avoiding collaborations due to personal differences.
