Prince brings Purple Rain to desert in Las Vegas

11/02/2006 1:47 PM, Reuters


Eccentric pop superstar Prince is setting up shop in Las Vegas, performing twice a week at a hotel nightclub on the Vegas Strip, organizers said on Thursday.

Prince, 48, will perform on Fridays and Saturdays at a jazz club inside the Rio Hotel for an indefinite period, joining big names like Celine Dion, Barry Manilow and Elton John who have taken up semi-permanent residence in the desert gambling and entertainment resort.

The club is named 3121 Jazz Cuisine, after Prince's latest album 3121, which took the No. 1 spot on the U.S. album charts soon after its release in March 2006. His first performance will be on November 10. Ticket prices start at $125.

Prince, who shot to fame in 1984 after releasing "Purple Rain," was not available for comment on the Vegas decision. The singer changed his name in 1993 to an unpronounceable symbol and was referred to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince until 2000.

Sometimes reclusive but acknowledged as one of the most talented and eclectic pop music artists, Prince has emerged from his self-imposed isolation this year, performing at the Brit Awards for pop music, on "Saturday Night Live" and on the finale of "American Idol."