Prince Rogers Nelson did not have a will when he died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, so his estate went into probate and was awarded in equal shares to his six half-siblings, who split into two camps. After six years in court the sides agreed to a 50-50 split and promised to share decision-making. That was less than two years ago and they’re again fighting for control via a lawsuit filed last week in Delaware Chancery Court as McMillan v. Nelson.
This time one half of one side of the partnership is in turmoil over two of the sisters acting unilaterally and trying to sell their shares to the other side, which would leave their partners in the minority. The complaint is too complicated for how much I care, but here’s some background for those who want to dig into it.
Anytime there’s a fight of this sort I’m in favor of the people who don’t act like assholes. It was sister Sharon who turned churlish about Sinead O’Connor’s cover of “Nothing Compares,” refusing to allow its use in a documentary because she “didn’t feel [O’Connor] deserved to use the song. Then she doubled down by saying Prince sang it better, thereby demonstrating that she sits on her ears. So fuck her.
Music fans are more interested in having Prince’s musical vault, said to be voluminous, more heavily mined. Only one LP of previously unheard music has been released in the years since his death, “Welcome 2 America.” Recorded in 2010 with Australian bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfield, it sat unreleased until 2021. While the eclectic collection sold fairly well and got good reviews, I don’t hear some its standout cuts, like this slice of hard funk, as often as I should.
