Neil Crossley
Had events conspired differently, the staggering musical trajectory of Prince Rogers Nelson could have spluttered to an abrupt halt on 26 January 1980 when he made his first national appearance on venerable US TV music show American Bandstand. After a slick and sensual performance of his first single I Wanna Be Your Lover, veteran presenter Dick Clark stepped up on stage, microphone in hand, to ask the 21-year-old a few questions.
What happened next was in stark contrast to the dynamic performance the audience had just witnessed. As Clark proceeded to ask the nascent star a few rudimentary questions, Prince seemed completely overawed, barely able to utter a word, shifting uncomfortably and staring intermittently at the floor.