Logo #189: Prince

Ah, Prince. Prince! One of the ten most dynamic artists of the last 50 years. Possibly the only people who don't like Prince are old people and those who think he's a bit too "sweet," whatever that means (Stevia? saccharine? Mexican Coke?). Read all about his storied life here. This "Love Symbol" appeared first in 1992 on Prince's album of the same name. Prince: "The first step I have taken towards the ultimate goal of emancipation from the chains that bind me to Warner Bros. was to change my name from Prince to the Love Symbol. Prince is the name that my Mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took the name, trademarked it, and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote. The company owns the name Prince and all related music marketed under Prince. I became merely a pawn used to produce more money for Warner Bros....I was born Prince and did not want to adopt another conventional name. The only acceptable replacement for my name, and my identity, was the Love Symbol, a symbol with no pronunciation, that is a representation of me and what my music is about. This symbol is present in my work over the years; it is a concept that has evolved from my frustration; it is who I am. It is my name." Apparently the sigil is an admixture of both male and female gender symbols, although the male portion of that equation seems to be looking out over the horizon rather than up into the stars. Prince is now Prince once again, ever since May 16, 2000, at which point his publishing contract with Warner-Chappell ran out. He held a press conference to let everyone know that he was using his birth-name yet again, which was a relief because "The Artist Formerly Known As" takes so long to type! Purportedly he's taking legal action against people who represent him and his public image in an unacceptable light, so watch this space for...well, space!