Prairie Prince

Born on May 7, 1950 in Charlotte, NC USA

Early years
I was raised in Phoenix, Arizona with two older sisters who gave me a constant source of musical influences, including: swing, jazz, blues and early rock and roll. Both parents were music lovers and my father played drums in his youth. My mother was an artist and encouraged pursuing music and art my entire childhood, which I did and still do.

During high school, I started a band with my friend Roger Steen called "The Mouth", later becoming "The Red, White and Blues Band", which in turn led to joining forces with founder Bill Spooners' Band "The Beans", eventually evolving into "The Tubes". We all moved from Phoenix to San Francisco after my acceptance to the San Francisco Art Institute on scholarship. There I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in painting. My interests in stage design began there with my friend and colleague, Michael Cotten, who I continue to share a 40+ year partnership with in number of branches of art. Including set and stage design for some of the worlds biggest musical touring acts (Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, Bonnie Rait, Gloria Estefan, The Tubes and Todd Rundgren). I am currently on tour with The New Cars.

My earliest drummer influences were Gene Kruppa and Buddy Rich in swing jazz, Stevie Wonder and Clyde Stubblefield in funk and soul, Sandy Nelson and Dick Dale in surf music, and Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, and John Bonham in the British Invasion of Rock. Later John French, Billy Cobham, Lenny White and Jack Dejohnette were inspirational in fusion and more avant-garde styles of drumming. My early trap sets began with a Rogers snare (1961), a four piece Slingerland (1963), a five piece Ludwig (1965), a five piece Rogers (1966) a six piece Flatjack (1967), a six piece Zicko (1971). In 1976 Mr. Hagiwara introduced me to his new Yamaha drums, which I've endorsed and played with pride ever since.