Prairie Prince (born Charles Lempriere Prince, May 7, 1950, in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a rock drummer. He was a member of The Tubes and a founding member of Journey. He has also worked with Chris Isaak (on his first four albums), Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, David Byrne, XTC, Tom Waits, Paul Kantner, George Harrison, Dick Dale, Glenn Frey, Richard Marx, Bill Spooner, Neil Hamburger, John Fogerty, Nicky Hopkins, Tommy Bolin, Phil Lesh, and former Tubes and Grateful Dead keyboardist Vince Welnick.
He is an accomplished painter, muralist and a graphic artist. He designed the album cover artwork for many artists including The Tubes, Todd Rundgren (1981 album Healing), Journey, Lyle Workman and Welnick's 1998 album Missing Man Formation, among others. Along with his creative partner Michael Cotten, he has created numerous set designs for major artists including Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, N'Sync, Shania Twain, Styx, The Tubes, and Todd Rundgren. Prince and Cotten have often teamed up with choreographer Kenny Ortega on several major special events including the 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, Super Bowl XXX Half Time Show (which featured Diana Ross singing “Take Me Higher” as she was lifted from the field in a helicopter) and Michael Jackson’s “This is It” concert.
Prince collaborated with Ross Valory, bassist for and also a founding member of Journey, on a line of kids shirts called Mouth Man Animated Hoodies where graphic designs of jaws and teeth on the sleeves form a mouth that can be manipulated when the arms are crossed.
In 2006 he toured with The New Cars including Todd Rundgren, bassist Kasim Sulton (Rundgren's Utopia bandmate), and original Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes. He also continues to play with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren.
He was a founding member of Jefferson Starship -The Next Generation in 1992 and appears on both their studio albums : the 1999 release Windows of Heaven and the 2008 release, Jefferson's Tree of Liberty, plus numerous live albums. Due to Prince's commitments with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren, he was sometimes replaced by other drummers during Jefferson Starship's tours. Most notable replacements included Trey Sabatelli, former Jefferson Starship drummer Donny Baldwin and Tony Morley among others. Prince announced in early 2008 that he was leaving the band on amicable terms and remained available for further collaborations.
He continues to perform and tour with The Tubes and Todd Rundgren. He is a sought after session artist and recently played drums and percussion on all tracks of Chuck Prophet's 2012 release "Temple Beautiful".
Famous quotes containing the words prairie and/or prince:
“The flower-fed buffaloes of the spring
In the days of long ago,
Ranged where the locomotives sing
And the prairie flowers lie low:—”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)
“He never told us what he was,
Or what mischance, or other cause,
Had banished him from better days
To play the Prince of Castaways.”
—Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935)