Prince biography snapped up by Orion

Orion Publishing Group has acquired a biography of Prince by bestselling British music journalist Mick Wall. 

Wall's "shining tribute" to the "musical legend" is entitled Prince: Purple Reign and follows his death at his home in Minnesota, aged 57, last week. Anna Valentine, publisher at Orion, bought world rights in all languages to the title from Robert Kirby of United Agents.

Prince was due to publish his autobiography in 2017 with Penguin Random House US, of which he had written 50 pages, according to Vogue. PRH US declined to comment if the project would continue in any capacity.

Orion's book will document the life of the iconic composer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Coverage ranges from his "traumatic" childhood and "demonic pursuit of music as a means of escape", to his rise to superstardom, professional rivalries and marriages  "shrouded in tragedy".

It also explores the historical, cultural and personal backdrop behind the man.

Wall is described as "a lifelong Prince fan" and one of the first UK journalists to ever write about the star: a story that put Prince on the cover of Kerrang! magazine in 1984.

Wall said: "For me Prince was an artist on a par with David Bowie in terms of musical innovation. He was also a movie star, writer, producer, dancer, multi-instrumentalist, dream maker and fashion icon. He was also pretty damn sexy. I followed his career and wrote about him over a period of over 30 years. This is my heartfelt, personal tribute." 

Valentine said: “A lifelong Prince fan, I, like so many others, am still reeling from the loss his death means to music and art more generally. Mick Wall, one of the first UK music journalists to meet Prince and a similarly loyal fan, understands this loss. This is his tribute to the inimitable Prince, his life and his legacy, and I'm thrilled to be publishing it.”

Prince: Purple Reign will be published in hardback with Orion Publishing Group on 28th July 2016, priced £20.00.