John Lewis Nelson (June 29, 1916 – August 25, 2001), also known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Prince Rogers, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician and songwriter. He was the father of musicians

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and

Tyka Nelson Tyka Evene Nelson (May 18, 1960 – November 4, 2024) was an American singer. She was the daughter of jazz musician John L. Nelson (1916–2001) and jazz singer Mattie Della Shaw (1933–2002), and the sister of Prince (1958–2016). In additi ...

and a credited co-writer on some of his son's songs.

Personal life

Nelson was born in

Webster Parish, Louisiana Webster Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Webster'') is a parish located in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest city is Minden. As of the 2020 census, the Webster Parish population was 36,967. ...

, one of five children born to Carrie (née Jenkins) and Clarence Nelson. He traveled to

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

to become a musician in 1948. Playing the piano, Nelson used "Prince Rogers" as a stage name and started a band called "The Prince Rogers Trio" with local musicians. In 1956, he met Mattie Della Shaw (November 11, 1933 – February 15, 2002) at a show on the north side of Minneapolis. Shaw was a jazz musician who became the musical group's singer. She had one son, Alfred Frank Alonzo Jackson (July 6, 1953 – August 29, 2019). Nelson married Shaw on August 31, 1957, and the couple had two more children, Prince (1958–2016, a musician who was named after his father's stage name) and Tyka Nelson (1960–2024, a singer). The couple formally separated in 1965 and were divorced on September 24, 1968. John Nelson's grandfather, Rev. Edward "Ed." Nelson was born to a White slaveowner, John Nelson and his

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

concubine. Rev. Ed became a travelling preacher for the

Colored Methodist Episcopal Church The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (C.M.E.C.) is a Methodist denomination that is based in the United States. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology. Though historically a part of the black church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal church ...

and married Emma, a Black woman.

Death

Nelson died on August 25, 2001, aged 85, in his home in

Chanhassen, Minnesota Chanhassen ( ) is a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 25,947 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate of 26,469. A small portion of the city extends into Henn ...

. That year Prince dedicated

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

’s song " A Case of U", on his '' One Nite Alone...'' album, to his father.

Collaboration with Prince

John L. Nelson wrote (or co-wrote) some music that was released by Prince in the 1980s.

ASCAP credits

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

credits, or co-credits, him with the following: * "Father’s Song" and "Purple Rain Cues", from the film '' Purple Rain'', 1984 * "

Computer Blue "Computer Blue" is a song by Prince and The Revolution. Released on June 25, 1984, it is the fourth track on Prince's sixth album, '' Purple Rain'', which also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name. In the film, the song represen ...

" from the '' Purple Rain'' album and film, 1984 * "Around the World in a Day" (composed with David Coleman and Prince) and "The Ladder" (composed with Prince), from the album ''

Around the World in a Day ''Around the World in a Day'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the third release on which his backing band the Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. ...

'', 1985Credits in album booklet. * "Christopher Tracy’s Parade" (composed with Prince) and "Under the Cherry Moon" (composed with Prince) from the album ''

Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually some variety ...

'', 1986 * "Under the Cherry Moon Cues" from the film ''

Under the Cherry Moon ''Under the Cherry Moon'' is a 1986 romantic musical comedy-drama film directed by Prince in his directorial debut. The follow-up to his 1984 film debut '' Purple Rain'', it stars himself along with former The Time member Jerome Benton, Steve ...

'', 1986 * " Scandalous!" from the ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'' album and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

, 1989

References

1916 births 2001 deaths African-American jazz composers African-American jazz pianists African-American songwriters Songwriters from Louisiana American male jazz composers American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists People from Chanhassen, Minnesota Jazz musicians from Louisiana Jazz musicians from Minnesota 20th-century American jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians Prince (musician) American male songwriters Louisiana Creole people 20th-century American songwriters {{US-jazz-musician-stub