In November 2006, Prince opened a nightclub named 3121 at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino. He performed weekly on Friday and Saturday nights until April 2007, when his contract with the Rio ended.
This story first appeared on Billboard.com.
Prince has been tapped to headline the 20th anniversary Essence Festival, scheduled to rock New Orleans over the Fourth of July weekend. Booking the “Purple Rain” icon for milestone events has become something of a tradition for Essence, which featured the artist at its 10th anniversary in 2004.
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“Welcoming an artist as iconic as Prince back to the Essence Festival for a 20th anniversary performance is incredibly exciting,” said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence.
Additionally, Essence announced that they’ll partner with Prince on a community initiative led by the Rebuild the Dream Innovation Fund, which encourages young people to explore the fields of computer technology and media.
This year’s Essence will take place July 3-6 at the Superdome in New Orleans. More artists will be announced soon.
The 2013 edition of the festival featured performances by Beyonce, Jill Scott, Brandy, Janelle Monáe, Emeli Sandé and Maxwell. For Billboard’s recap of the event, see videos and photos here.
Breakfast can wait… PRINCE is headlining the 20th anniversary #ESSENCEFest! http://t.co/SMO9xQFaQo pic.twitter.com/35YE9Empda
— Essence Magazine (@essencemag) December 3, 2013
