Screams of Passion for Our Keynote!
The Family / fDeluxe, YouTube vs. Zoom Events, #PopLife40
I am extremely honored to announce that on Friday, April 11, 2025, at noon ET on youtube.com/@polishedsolid members of The Family – St Paul Peterson, Susannah Melvoin, Jellybean Johnson, Eric "Blow Your Horn" Leeds, and Jerome Benton will be joining us as our keynote roundtable for the #PopLife40 *VIRTUAL* symposium, celebrating 40 years of Prince’s Around The World In A Day, The Family, and Sheila E.’s Romance 1600, all of which Prince produced, arranged, composed, and performed with the assistance of some amazing musical collaborators.
If you can’t make it live, you’ll be able to see the video archive on YouTube.
PLEASE NOTE: The keynotes are the only sessions streaming live on YouTube.
The other sessions on Saturday and Sunday will be on Zoom Events.
Instructions for registering on Zoom Events will be shared here on this substack on Friday, April 11, 2025!
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of
The Family!
The Family, originally formed by Prince in 1985, is a groundbreaking band that blends funk, soul, and avant-garde pop. The group features all original five members: St. Paul Peterson (vocals/keyboard), Susannah Melvoin (vocals), Eric Leeds (saxophone), Jellybean Johnson (guitar), and Jerome Benton (percussion). Their self-titled debut album introduced the world to the original recording of the iconic ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U,” later popularized by Sinéad O’Connor.
Under their reimagined name, fDeluxe, original members Susannah Melvoin, St. Paul, Jellybean Johnson, and Eric Leeds carried forward the Minneapolis funk legacy while exploring fresh creative directions. The group continued to captivate audiences with their unique sound and dynamic performances, releasing new music that honored their roots while pushing artistic boundaries.
Today, The Family is reforming to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their iconic record. The band is gearing up to tour in April 2025, with performances in Europe alongside world-renowned saxophonist Candy Dulfer. They are also planning concerts all over the world. This highly anticipated tour promises to bring their timeless music to fans old and new, celebrating their enduring legacy.
On the last day of #PopLife40, Sunday, April 13, 2025, we will continue to celebrate The Family by having a roundtable discussion about The Family at 2:30-4pm ET. Then, we'll have some presentations about The Family, which will be our final panel of the symposium from 4:30-6:30pm ET. We hope that you'll join us to learn more about The Family after their opening keynote address on Friday.
Save the dates and have your purple family and friends pre-register for FREE here at poplife40.substack.com!
On April 11-13, 2025 (Fri-Sun), join us for the #PopLife40 *VIRTUAL* symposium to celebrate 40 years of Prince’s Around The World In A Day (ATWIAD), The Family, and Sheila E.’s Romance 1600, all of which Prince produced, arranged, composed, and performed with the assistance of some amazing musical collaborators!
ATWIAD is the bold and unexpected left-turn Prince took while still riding the wave of Purple Rain’s massive commercial success. This symposium will explore why he chose not to capitalize on that momentum with a “Purple Rain 2,” why the tour was cut short and never made it to Europe, and broader themes of race, gender, politics, and sexuality, as well as his impact on music, film, and fashion.
Over 3 days, there will be 40 speakers over 10 total sessions, featuring 13 presentations over 5 presentation panels, 3 lively roundtable discussions, an integrated segment of the weekly, What Did Prince Do This Week? webcast, and this special keynote.
Explore the schedule at a glance, speaker profiles, and more info on the symposium website at: poplife.polishedsolid.com
MASSIVE THANKS to our wonderful sponsors: NYU Office of the Provost, NYU Tandon, NYU Integrated Design & Media (IDM), NYU Institute of African American Affairs and the Center for Black Visual Culture (IAAA & CBVC), NYU Photography & Imaging (DPI), NYU Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality (CSGS), NYU Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (CDI), NYU Office of Global Inclusion (OGI), and NYU Liberal Studies!
#PopLife40 is the 9th polished solid Prince symposium and the 14th Prince event, curated by De Angela L. Duff!
The Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson is not affiliated, associated, or connected with the “Prince #PopLife40 Virtual Symposium,” nor has it endorsed or sponsored the “Prince #PopLife40 Virtual Symposium.” Further, the Estate of Prince Rogers Nelson has not licensed any of its intellectual property to the producers, advertisers, or directors of “Prince #PopLife40 Virtual Symposium.”
DIVAS For Social Justice
This event is FREE, but please consider donating to the DIVAS (Digital Interactive Visual Arts Sciences) for Social Justice, a 501(c) nonprofit that empowers and inspires youth living in underserved communities in NYC and, now, MPLS to use tech and visual arts to promote social justice and become change makers in their communities. On Juneteenth 2024, DIVAS opened its first satellite office in South Minneapolis. The organization will launch a social justice makerspace designed by and for the community. 💜
To learn more about DIVAS, watch the trailer below and visit https://www.divasforsocialjustice.org!