Prince is a recording artist.
Prince Rogers Nelson ( June 7 , 1958 -- April 21 , 2016 ) was an American singer-songwriter , actor , multi-instrumentalist , philanthropist , dancer and record producer . He signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. at the age of 18 , and released his debut album For You in 1978 . In 1984 , he began referring to his backup band as the Revolution and released Purple Rain , the soundtrack album to his eponymous 1984 film debut .