Prince announced Friday that he is working on a memoir to be published in fall 2017 by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House.
Speaking at an invitation-only performance at the Manhattan club Avenue, the prolific music artist indicated that the book’s working title is “The Beautiful Ones,” a reference to a song from his hit 1984 album “Purple Rain.”
“Prince is a towering figure in global culture and his music has been the soundtrack for untold numbers of people — including me — for more than a generation; his creative genius has provided the musical landscape of our lives,” Spiegel & Grau Executive Editor Chris Jackson said in a statement.
“Millions of words have been written about Prince — books and articles, essays and criticism — but we’re thrilled to be publishing Prince’s powerful reflections on his own life in his own incandescently vivid, witty, and poetic voice,” Jackson added.
World rights to the book were acquired from Esther Newberg and Dan Kirschen at ICM Partners.
Since the release of his debut album “For You” in 1978, the diminutive performer has seldom left the spotlight. He has released four albums in the last 18 months: the chart-topping “Art Official Age,” “PlectrumElectrum,” “HTINRUN” and “HITNRUN Phase 2” — the latter two released last fall in partnership with Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal.
He has sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility.