Here’s Why Keith Richards Disliked Prince

Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine Prince was ever met with any reaction other than awe. The rock icon is legendary for a reason. His commitment to his on stage persona mixed with his indelible musical talent made him a once-in-a-generation artist. Nevertheless, there was a time when he was a burgeoning talent. Not everyone was immediately on board with his unique musicality. Keith Richards could be counted among that group. Find out why Richards has professed his dislike for Prince, below.

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Here’s Why Keith Richards Disliked Prince

Early on in his career, Prince was tapped to open for the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger attempted to give a leg up to the gender-bending, sensual, and risk taking artist. Clearly, Jagger could sense Prince’s greatness long before he became a household name.

The only problem was that the Stones’ audience wasn’t ready for an artist like Prince. His feminine look was a shock to those awaiting the rock outfit–so much so that they ended up boo-ing Prince off the stage. To make matters worse, Richards decided to rub salt in that wound.

“An overrated midget…Prince has to find out what it means to be a prince,” Richards once said, following Prince’s rough opening gig for the Stones. “That’s the trouble with conferring a title on yourself before you’ve proved it. His attitude when he opened for us… was insulting to our audience. You don’t try to knock off the headline like that when you’re playing a Stones crowd. He’s a prince who thinks he’s a king already. Good luck to him.”

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It wasn’t the only time Richards had something negative to say about Prince. Elsewhere, he added that he thought Prince lacked depth.

“Prince, I admire his energy, but he’s riding on a wave,” Richards once said. “To me, Prince is like the Monkees. I don’t see anything of any depth in there. I think he’s very clever at manipulating the music business and the entertainment business. I think he’s more into that than making music. I don’t see much substance in anything he does.”

Luckily for Prince, Richards would prove to be in the minority of artist who didn’t revere him. Countless artists have looked to Prince for inspiration–largely for the same reasons he was initially boo-ed off the Stones’ stage.

(Photo by Sven Hoogerhuis/BSR Agency/Getty Images) / (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)