Professors from MTSUâs College of Media and Entertainment were among featured speakers at a conference of the late singer Princeâs life and legacy held at the University of Salford in England.
Dean Ken Paulson and professor Mike Alleyne from MTSUâs Department of Recording Industry on May 24 joined academic leaders from across the world at the conference, which convened in Manchester less than two days after the terror attack at the Ariana Grande concert.
The event, co-sponsored by MTSU and the University of Salford, paid tribute to the Minneapolis-born funk legend, who died last April. It was thought to be the first-ever conference dedicated solely to Prince and his work.
Academics from New York University, Harvard University, Stanford University and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as from the University of Amsterdam and from Australia, Canada and New Zealand discussed Princeâs impact on popular culture.
The conference came about due to the work of Alleyne and Kirsty Fairclough, senior lecturer from the University of Salfordâs School of Arts and Media.
âAfter Princeâs sudden demise last year, Kirsty and I began discussing ways to recognize his creative and cultural legacies,â said Alleyne, who has written extensively on popular music and acted as consultant to the estate of Marvin Gaye in the âBlurred Linesâ copyright infringement case.
âUltimately, we decided an academic conference would be an ideal vehicle.â
Paulson interviewed from the stage Dez Dickerson, who sang backing vocals and played guitar in Princeâs original band. They discussed Dickersonâs experiences touring and recording with the star.
Dickerson, who performed on tracks such as â1999â and âLittle Red Corvette,â also took questions from the audience.
âIt was a pleasure to explore Princeâs musical history with Dez Dickerson, a man who was there at the beginning of the artistâs creative ascendance,â Paulson said.
The conference concluded May 26.
MTSUâs College of Media and Entertainment embraces an extraordinarily wide range of media. Its students pursue educations in journalism, public relations, broadcasting, film, animation, photography, the music business, audio engineering and songwriting, among other rich and rewarding fields.
Photos attached:
Two photos of Paulson and Dickerson: Ken Paulson, dean of MTSUâs College of Media and Entertainment, interviewed Dez Dickerson, who sang backing vocals and played guitar in Princeâs original band, at a conference in Manchester, England, on the legacy of the late rock musician. (Submitted photo)
Headshot of Mike Alleyne.