Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson joins world premiere Australian celebration shows

Prince’s younger sister Tyka Nelson has joined the cast of the Nothing Compares 2 Prince shows in Sydney and Melbourne celebratinghis music.

Also added to the shows in April are The New Power Generation’skeyboard player and his one time music director Cassandra O’Neal, and The Time’s guitarist Tori Ruffin.

Minneapolis-based Nelson, who has released four soul-gospel albums showing off her four octave vocal range and multi-instrumental skills, released a tribute to her brother after his death.

“After Prince passed I wanted to give him one final birthday present and I decided to fulfils his wish, and record this song at Paisley Park,” she says.

“This song poses the question ‘is this the End of The Road?’ and my answer is I don’t think so! I will see all three of my beautiful family members someday again.”

The accompanying video features home footage of the two in their early days.

The daughter of jazz singer Mattie Shaw and musician John L. Nelson who grew up listening to Mahalia Jackson and wrote her first song at ten, she has a ready answer for those who say she sounds like Prince.

“It is not my intent to sound like anyone else and I have strived to be original in everything I do.

“Even though my brother is someone I greatly love and respect, there can and will be only, one Prince.”

First announced last November, the world premiere of Nothing Compares 2 Prince sees Prince music performed by twelve performers, musicians, singers, producers and composers who worked with him during different stages of his career.

They make the April 21 anniversary of the star’s passing, staged at the Sydney Opera House on April 27 and in Melbourne at Hamer Hall on the April 29.

They follow on from Celebration 2018 (April 19—22) at Paisley Park.

The show’s music director and keyboard player is St. Paul Peterson, who Prince discovered as a 17-year-old, featured on the Purple Rain movie, and got him to front The Time and The Family.

He says, “I am so excited to be coming back to Australia this April, heading up an All Star line up of singers and musicians to honour the incredible life and music of Prince.

“The entire band were fortunate to work with him, and we are honoured to keep his memory and music alive at the world premiere of Nothing Compares 2 Prince.

The others on stage are:

* Cassandra O’Neal was keyboard player for Prince and The New Power Generation from 2009 to 2016.

* Tori Ruffin is lead guitarist with Morris Day & The Time and toured Australia as lead guitarist with Fishbone (2000-2011) and for Michael Franti & Spearhead (2002—03)

* Shelby J spent the last ten years of Prince’s life as singer with The New Power Generation

* High school friend Jellybean Johnson of The Time and The Family is regarded as an architect of The Minneapolis Sound, featuring prominently on the Purple Rain film and producing records for Janet Jackson, New Edition, Alexander O’Neal and Mint Condition

* Ricky Peterson co-produced Prince’s ‘The Most Beautiful Girl In The World’, a number one hit in Australia in 1994

* Bassist Nik West was on his final Piano and a Microphone Tour in 2016 and probably remembered in Australia as much her mohawk shaped like a bass clef

The list continues with Cameroon born Andy Allo who joined NPG in 2011 as singer/guitarist, Stokley Williams whose Minneapolis-based band Mint Condition toured with Prince, plus members of The NPG Hornz.