Incredible new detail about the life and loves of Prince has come to light in a new book on his career
Until now it was known as a brief fling, one of Prince’s many love affairs with beautiful women.
But iconic music star Prince and Hollywood actress Kim Basinger were like “teenagers in love” during their relationship, and the pair almost ended up a long term couple who could easily have married. The pair are known to have dated in 1989 but the strength of the relationship is only now emerging in a new book about the life and career of Prince, featuring interviews with over 200 people from his life and inner circle.
The book details how Prince would have first met Kim on the set of Batman where she was playing Vicki Vale and he was to provide an album of music.
He later sent a sample of his LP on cassette by FedEx to lead actors Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger to get their approval and feedback.
Prince’s PA Therese Stoulil recalls: “Michael didn’t get back, Jack asked for money because we sampled him and Kim called the office to thank him. I put her through to his office. They had a very short conversation.”
Whatever happened on set and in that brief phone call was enough to start a relationship that would last for a year or so.
Prince told his assistant ‘she’s coming to Minneapolis for a visit – get a really nice hotel room’.
The best suite at the city’s Sofitel was duly booked and on top of that it was filled with extra flowers, candles and cushions.
But in reality Kim never enjoyed any of the lavish settings. She went straight to Prince’s home and rarely left in the months to come except to join him in the studio. Minneapolis became her new base and the pair were inseparable.
Within a few days, Kim’s peach Mercedes was parked on the drive and bag and boxes of her stuff arrived soon after. Kim fell deeply in love.
At this stage she was on the brink of superstardom herself and Prince was a global star thanks to hits including 1999, Purple Rain, When Doves Cry and Little Red Corvette.
In the book Sign O’ The Times, Prince’s PA Therese says of Kim: “She was the nicest person on the planet. Everybody loved her. She went out that Christmas [1989] and bought us all presents [Stoulil received a perfume decanter].
“Very beautiful, very sweet. I don’t think, in ten years, I had ever seen Prince happier. They would go shopping together. Prince never went out shopping. They would stop in all the little shops. It was actually very adorable. It looked like a couple of teenagers in love. They were just taken with each other. It was fabulous”
Prince’s then make-up artist Terra Hinrichs agrees that Kim “was madly in love with him. I couldn’t figure it out. She is stunning.”
Things escalated to the point that Kim had her assistant flown over to field calls from Hollywood about her future roles. Engineer Tom Garneau recalls Kim “drank rum and coke [and] made us popcorn and sweet potato pie”.
And then she even got involved in the music side of Prince’s life too. Kim and Prince collaborated on a remix of the ballad from the Batman soundtrack, ‘Scandalous’. The pair’s private recording session may have been apt for the track’s title too as engineer Sal Greco recalls finding honey all over the mixing desk when cleaning it up the next day.
After their own raunchy studio time, Kim was also put in charge of recording “sexy women singers” for Prince too.
But Hinrichs explains: “She seemed almost trying too hard. She’s telling these girls to ‘be nasty’ and it seemed out of character for her. She was crazy about him. I loved Kim.”
The new book says at this point Kim was looking to buy property in the area as things escalated in 1990. Stouli recalls Kim saying “I just want this beautiful farmhouse”.
But just when it looked like they could be a Hollywood power couple, Prince got cold feet.
Stoulil says they split up because “things were promised. Things didn’t happen. I remember it.”
Others recall a cooling on Prince’s side. “We had a photoshoot,” says guitar tech Michael Soltys, “and she was directing it. I could tell it was not rubbing him right.”
Kim for her part in the relationship, has always stayed silent about their romance. When asked in 2016 about their affair and trysts in the studio, her spokesman said: “We must kindly pass on this request.” She also didn’t offer any comment for the new book either.
There were many other notable relationships for Prince although these are better known.
He has married Mayte Garcia in 1996 and they had a child Amiir who was born in October of that year but died six days later. The relationship deteriorated a couple of years later after she had a miscarriage but they did not officially divorce until 2000.
The singer went on to marry Manuela Testolini in 2001, who was working for a charity he was involved in, and they later split in 2006.
Although Prince was single at the time of his death, both of his ex-wives were on good terms with him, and each issued statements about his passing in 2016.
Another female singer Elisa Fiorillo had her second album produced at Prince’s Paisley HQ in 1990 by Ricky Peterson and Prince took a professional and then romantic interest.
She recalls: “We were very good friends and it turned into something else which was funny for me.” Her understanding of Prince’s split with Kim Basinger “was that he didn’t like that she drank”.
Fiorillo says she dated Prince between 1989 and 1991, but the lack of exclusivity eventually wore her down.
She tells the book: “I felt very loved, but I felt I wasn’t the only one and I couldn’t do that. I grew up in an Italian family and my brothers and my dad were very much ladies’ men and that’s the first thing I’m not attracted to in a man.”
Fiorillo also recalls a “one arriving in Minneapolis as another leaves” principle of girlfriends when it came to Prince.
“I remember leaving and I saw Susannah Hoffs coming in. One time I was in LA and I was hiding and Sheena Easton came in. I saw those two – I’m sure there were others.”
Other women who Prince dated include drummer Sheila E. Who dated in the late ’80s when she was a drummer for his band and Carmen Electra who he dated in the 90s.
Looking back, the Kim romance may be the most surreal chapter in Prince’s romantic history. But the pattern is unmistakable.
A number of women were attracted to Prince and drawn into his orbit and then spun out again when he turned to a new muse. He was never alone for long, if at all.
Prince seemed to be forever in search of someone to share the music with, but always open to changing the record.
* Prince: A Sign o’ the Times By John McKie is published by Bonnier Books on September 18.
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